So...where to begin? I really have a million topics I could talk about, both personal and general. I have lots of ideas for topics like driving, language differences, the Aussie translator (my list of words that Australians use instead of what Americans might say), being a stepmom, weather, Christmas traditions, grocery stores, recycling, birds, and so so much more.
I think to start with, I should put up the Aussie translator list. Mick and I have gone through words used by Americans and Aussies and I've gotten his approval that these are equivalent. :) So, though Americans speak English and Aussies speak English, it's a whole new vocabulary!
For your perusing pleasure:
What an American says: What an Aussie says:
1) Ketchup Tomato Sauce
2) Jumping Jacks Star Jumps
3) Sweatshirt Jumper
4) Sweatpants Trackies
5) Counter top Bench
6) Trash can Bin
7) Gift basket Hamper
8) Car trunk Boot
9) Car hood Bonnet
10) Gas Petrol
11) Cookie Biscuit
12) Biscuit Scone
13) Fries Chips
14) Chips Crisps
15) Burger King Hungry Jack’s
16) Friend/Buddy Mate
17) Sidewalk Foot path
18) Jump rope Skipping rope
19) Take a sick day Chuck a sickie
20) Mosquitoes Mozzies
21) Presents Prezzies
22) Howdy G’day
23) Thank you Ta (pronounced tah)
24) Vacation Holiday
25) Slacker Bludger
26) Poorly done Bodgy
27) Full Chockers
28) Bye See yas later
29) Field trip Excursion
30) Surprised/Shocked Look like a stunned mullet
31) Layaway Lay by
32) Ground beef Mince
33) Breakfast Brekkie
34) Vegetables Veg
35) Drunk Pissed
36) He was fired He was sacked
37) Real and true Fair dinkum
38) Pharmacy Chemist
39) Drunk driving Drink driving
40) Tomato Sauce Tomato Puree
41) Fair or Carnival Show
42) Movie Theater Cinema
43) Crust Base
44) Fast food Take away
45) Math Maths
46) Flip flops Thongs
47) Faucet Tap
48) Closet Robe
49) Trailer Caravan
50) Construction cone Witches’ hat
51) Appetizer Entrée
52) Truck Ute
53) Light bulb Light globe
54) Edger Whippersnipper
55) Zip code Post code
56) Drywall Gyprock
57) Cell phone Mobile phone
58) Mailbox Letterbox
59) Well Bore
60) The dump The tip
61) Garbage Rubbish
62) Z Zed
63) Mom Mum
64) Hurricane Cyclone
65) Aluminum Aluminium
66) Blow Fly Blowie
67) Elementary School Primary School
68) Country Bush
69) Master suite Ensuite
70) Speedos Budgie smugglers
71) Diapers Nappies
72) Pacifier Dummy
73) Throwing a tantrum Spitting the dummy
74) Toilet Dunny
75) Cooler Eskie
76) Small aluminum fishing boat Tinnie
77) Can of beer Tinnie
78) Bar-be-que Barbie
79) Sausage link Snag
80) Sausage patty Rissole
81) Glass bottle of beer Stubby
82) Parking lot Car park
83) Blinkers Indicators
84) Comforter Doona
85) Football Footy
86) Go to the store Go to the shops
87) Sweet! or Awesome! Bewdy!
88) Downtown City centre
89) Gay Man Poofter
90) Passionate Kiss Pash
91) Brights High beam
92) Popsicles Icy Poles
93) Cotton Candy Fairy Floss
94) Sprinkles 100s and 1000s
95) Baby stroller Pram
96) Chicken sandwich Chicken burger
97) Candy Lollies
98) Windshield Windscreen
99) Getting pregnant Falling pregnant
100) Flashlight Torch
101) Pound Key Hash Sign
102) Zip line Flying Fox
103) Guy/Man Bloke104) McDonalds Mackers
105) Rice Krispies Rice Bubbles
There are more I know. I keep thinking of them through the days and I add as I go along. I'll update you as I think of more. And a few of these are things that some Americans say too. There are also different spellings of words and different pronunciations that I'll do a separate post about. But, here's your initiation into the Aussie language. There are lots of nicknames and shortening of words to end in -y or -ie. As some of you know, Mick calls me Finchy and I call him Oakesy sometimes. At Em's school, one of the volunteers calls her Oakesy as well. It's almost like Aussies want to be a hockey team and give everyone and everything a nickname. It's something I love about the Australian people. I'll do a whole post about Aussie people too. :)
****Edit- Here are another couple...
106) Clothespin Peg
107) Tag Tips
I told Vern about Fillet and he says it should be pronounced Fillet rather than Fillay but he's not a grammar nazi nor is he quite as fluent in French as we are ;)
ReplyDeleteI do call brights high beams btw.
I love that you compared Aussies to a hockey team re nicknames. That's awesome!