Learning the Lingo

Learning the Lingo

When one moves to a foreign country the first thing you consider is the language that is spoken.  We were thrilled to know that English is the chosen language for the Aussies.  However, we were not prepared for the vast difference in lingo.  According to my Americans’ Survival Guide to Australia, “Just because Americans and Australians use a language based on English doesn’t mean they speak the same language.”  We have found ourselves asking people to repeat themselves in effort to translate what they are saying.  I believe it is the accent and the terminology that give us trouble.  I am told that it will get easier with time.  Below is a list of terms and phrases we have encountered during our first couple of months in the Land Down Under . . .

A few spelling differences:  tire is spelled tyre, organize is organise and the same with realize.  The letter “z” is pronounced “zed” so they normally don’t use it when spelling words.  Super can be spelled “super”, but we have found it spelled “supa” because that is how it is pronounced over here. Schedule has the same meaning, but is pronounced “shedule”.

Terminology:

Pardon – excuse me (we use this a lot because we can’t understand people)

Bathers – swimming suits

Mobile (pronounced moe-byle) – cell phone

SMSing – texting

Brekky/Brekkie – breakfast

Macca’s (pronounced “mackers”) – McDonald’s

Biscuit – cookie

Lollies – candy

“Knock it on is head” – not going to accept it, you’ll reject the idea

Ball Huggers – speedos

Barbie – BBQ

Barrister – lawyer

Soliciter – lower level lawyer

Bin – trash can

Booking – reservation

Boot – trunk of the car

Canteen – school cafeteria

Capsicum – bell pepper (any color)

Car Park – parking lot

CDB (Central Business District) – downtown

Chemist – pharmacist/pharmacy

Chips – french fries

College – high school

Uni – University

Cordial – KoolAid

Cos – romaine lettuce

Creche (pronounced “kresh”) – daycare facility

Cubby – kid’s treehouse or playhouse

Dodgy – not good/suspicious

Doona – comforter or quilt

EFTPOS (pronounced “ehft pohs”) – debit card

Entrée – appetizer not your main meal.  The main meal is called “Main”

Excursion – a school field trip

Flannal – wash cloth or hand towel

Fringe – bangs (hair)

Glandular Fever – Mononucleosis

Globe – light bulb

Heaps – many, a lot

Holiday – vacation

“Howya going?” –  “How ya doing?”

Ice Cream Spider or Spider – our version of a float (Root Beer Float) although they use various flavors of soda.

Jam – jelly

Jelly – JellO

Jumper – sweater or sweatshir

Knickers – girls’ underware

Jocks – boys’ underware

Lemonade – Sprite or 7-UP

Lift – elevator

Milk Bar – convenience store

Milk Shake – flavored milk (chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, etc.) no ice cream

Mince – ground meat/hamburger, etc.

Mo – moustache

Mozzies – mosquitos, which by the way, are huge and abundant

Nappies – diapers

Petrol – gas

Pokies – slot machines

Post – mail

Postie – mailman, which delivers mail on a motorcycle with saddle bags for the mail

Pram – stroller

Preggers – pregnant

Prezzy – presents

Rellies – relatives

Reception – registration desk

Rock Melon – cantelope (Gary encountered this at work.  He used cantelope and confused his guys.  They had to google it to find out what he meant.)

Rice Bubbles – Rice Krispies

Sanger – sandwich

Chicken Schnitzel – breaded, fried chicken

Serviette – napkin

“She’ll Be Right” –  “It’ll be ok”

Smash – car accident

Smash Repairs – auto body shop

Sultanas – rainsins (Sultana Bran is Raisin Bran)

Take Away – take out food

Tea – evening meal/dinner

Toilet – bathroom/restroom

Tomato Sauce – ketchup

Torch – flashlight

Yank – any American

Gum Boots – rain boots

Tiggy – the game tag

Rubbish – gargage

“Once a Fort Night” – every two weeks

Give Way – yield

Trolley – shopping cart

“Good Onya” – “Good Job” or “Well Done”

“Fair Dinkum” – the truth – genuine

These are just a few of the differences that we have experienced in the few months we have lived in this beautiful country.  I’m sure we "Yanks" will encounter many, many more and will be saying “Pardon” when we don’t understand the lingo. 

Artwork Along the Eastlink

Artwork Along the Eastlink

To better understand this post I will have to go into a bit of history on the Eastlink.  The Eastlink is a tollway that connects the Northeast Suburbs of Melbourne to the Southeast Suburbs of Melbourne.  It also connects three smaller freeways, the Monash, Eastern and Frankston Freeways, which allows motorist to save time.  It provides a new, quicker way to travel around Melbourne.  Having used this tollway many times, I can assure you it is worth the toll charges because navigating through the suburbs of Melbourne is quite painful due to the train and trams that run right down the middle of the roads. 

The Eastlink was included in the Melbourne Transportation Plan back in 1969, but it took 39 years and $2.5 billion to make this convience a reality.  Below is a map of the Eastlink.  Now to the artwork . . .

When traveling along the Eastlink you will find a $5.5 million collection of artwork.  According to research on the internet it was a, “gift to the people of Victoria and represents the largest and most ambitious commitment to public art on a major roadway.”  It was also referred to as, “a multi-million dollar collection of public artworks as an integral element of the motorways distinctive urban design.”  There are four pieces of artwork that comprise this $5.5 million collection. 

The first is “Ellipsoidal Freeway Sculpture” by James Angus, the sculpture comprises 24 green, blue and white coloured modular ellipsoids varying from 1-3 metres in diameter and up to 5 metres in height, covering a distance of 36 metres.

The second is “Public Art Strategy” by Emily Floyd, the 13 metre high, 19 metre long painted steel sculpture depicts a giant blackbird with a wing span of 7.5 metres, overlooking a yellow worm.

The third is “Hotel” by Callum Morton, Hotel is a large scale model of a high rise hotel comprising a steel structural frame with concrete and glass panels, standing 20 metres high, 12 metres long and 5 metres wide. Some of its windows will be lit at night with solar power.

The forth is “Desiring Machine” by Simeon Nelson, Desiring Machine, resembles a fallen tree or tower and is made from galvanised steel plate. It stretches its branches 36 metres along the side of the motorway.

This next two pictures are not a pieces of artwork, but are two unusal looking pedestrian walkways over the Eastlink.  I believe they show the “distinctive urban design” of the motorway.

For newcomers like us, it definitely makes driving on the Eastlink interesting.  I believe they should have scrapped the $5.5 million attempt to enhance the “distinctive urban design” and gave a toll free motorway as a “gift to the people of Victoria”.