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haahhaa, nobody really says "you flaming galah!" or "stone the crows" in Australia right? they're just alfisms!
susankate, thanks for that link - it was very interesting reading about the origins of phrases.
As has been pointed out, some of the phrases are a bit cringeworthy and not really used in real life except as a joke.
There are some phrases though that people do use in real life and I've listed some of them as follows (I've only gone as far as the letter H so far):
their blood’s worth bottling! you’ve got Buckley’s, mate to cark it What do you think this is, bush week? to have a cup of tea, a bex and a lie down
Actually with the last one, I was going to use that on another thread. I thought a particular commented needed to calm down and take a break from the computer lol.
The following are words used quite commonly: bludger bogan crook dag hoon
For those that want to know the meanings - here is the link again:
haaha, I shouldn't laugh - but the phrases were quite amusing.
Bogan's are what we call chavs - I think bogan's a much better word.
Where I live is considered one of the top 10 bogan areas in Australia lol.
Here are some commonly used phrases from the abovementioned site (H-Z).
Melba: do a Melba no worries carry on like a pork chop spit the dummy tickets: have tickets on yourselfon the turps chuck a wobbly
ocker rort sickie spunk (as in "he's a spunk" a total compliment) stubby wowser
Also the following are nicknames for those from each state (btw I've never heard of cornstalks for those from NSW)
Quote:
Q: Traditionally people were classed as: N.T – top enders, N.S.W – cornstalks, Vic – gumsuckers, QLD – Banana benders. Can you tell me why and what are the others
A: 1) Queenslanders:
‘Banana Benders’, derived from the joking notion that Queenslanders spend their time putting the bends into bananas (obviously pre-hurricane…)
Also ‘Banana Land-ers’ (Queensland as ‘Banana Land’ dates from at least 1880).
In Rugby League also referred to (from NSW) as ‘CaneToads/Toaders’.
2) NSWelshmen
Historically the nickname was ‘Cornstalks’, dating from about 1851, but not around much after 1960s.
Referred to as ‘Mexicans’ by Queenslanders from obvious ref. to down south people who like to move north.
In Rugby League also referred to (from Queensland) as ‘Cockroaches’.
3)Victorians
‘Cabbage gardeners’, ‘Cabbage patchers’, Cabbage staters' , arising from the nickname of Victoria (from 1880s) as a ‘cabbage garden’ referring, somewhat slightingly, to the small size of the state.
Also referred to as ‘Mexicans’ by Queenslanders and NSW people (since Victorians are further south again.)
4) Tasmanians
‘Apple Islanders’, ‘Taswegians’, and (disparagingly) ‘Vandemonians’ from the convict nature of the settlement. Still regarded as a bit of an insult. It started meaning as a ‘non- Aboriginal resident of Tasmania’ (early 1800s) then moved mid-1800s to also refer to ‘convicts’ and thus took on the rather insulting sense to those of non-convict background!
5) South Australians
‘Croweaters’. There is a nice 1881 quote which is illuminating: ‘I was met with the startling information that all Adelaide men were croweaters … because it was asserted that the early settlers of ‘Farinaceous Village’, when short of mutton, made a meal of the unwary crow’ (JCF Johnson ‘To Broome and Back ‘ p. 15). Term is still very common.
6) Western Australians
‘Sandgropers’ (from 1896) and still in very common use. Also just ‘gropers’. From the perceived large quantity of sand in the state.
7) Northern Territorians
‘Top enders’, dating from about 1940s
A sandgroper is a type of insect in WA, it's not because there is lots of sand in the state.
Thanks for clearing that up. I just quoted from a website I found online (I think it was from an ABC quiz show). I found it when I was trying to think of the rugby league nicknames.
I once had some American tourists tell me they love our phrase "No Worries" which is the Australian equivalent of the American "No Problem"
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