I've had to smile with embarrassment and ask, "What does that mean?" quite a few times here. Thick accents and special pronunciation make even common words literally unrecognizable to the untrained ear at times. Add that to the variety of great vocab we're getting used to and daily conversations can be an excellent brain exercise. Beyond the expected "G'day mate" (which truly is the normal greeting here - no lie):
jumper (sweater)
boot (trunk of car)
bonnet (hood of car)
nappies (diapers)
chooks (chickens)
canteen (cafeteria)
lollies (candies)
biscuits/bikkies (cookies/crackers)
brekkie (breakfast)
people mover (minivan)
crook (ill)
fortnight (two weeks)
ute (truck)
rubbish bin (garbage can)
trolley (shopping cart)
heaps (lots)
cross (angry)
capsicum (sweet peppers)
sultanas (raisins)
lemonade (sprite)
squash (flavored soda)
rubber (eraser)
cordial (punch concentrate)
spare (extra)
"haytch" (h)
surgery (doctor's clinic)
theatre (surgery)
tea (snack)
have a go (try)
mum (mom)
barbie (grill)
Of course, many of those have a British background, and spelling is often different too (this actually works to Will's advantage, but not Kenna's) ie: colour, reflexion, learnt, aeroplane, tyre, mould, pyjamas, kerb, licence, maths, chequer, aluminium, centre
The kids are even starting to correct me like when I ask if they want some "cookies." Kenna in particular is really picking up the accent especially when I catch her chatting with her friends at school. It's pretty sweet.
Hi, I found you through 71 toes and I think you sent me a message about moving to Australia but I could not find your blog link. Hope you are adjusting well to the changes and language. Enjoy Naomi x
ReplyDeleteHow fun to be connected Ivey! It's amazing to see how many similarities there are to the British "language"! All terms are almost exactly the same (with the exception of the barbie). So glad you are having a great time! We'll be looking forward to keeping up with you through the blog! The Eyres send hugs!
ReplyDeleteWhat? Lemonade means Sprite? That's crazy talk! What if you really want lemonade?
ReplyDeleteNaomi, thanks for getting in touch. We're doing great. Linda, glad to hear it brings back some England memories. Keep in touch! :) Lacy, I'm not sure they even have lemonade here actually...
ReplyDeleteAnd kiwi (the fruit) is known as "chinese gooseberry," right? When we were in England, we also found that cilantro is known as "chinese parsley" or just "coriander." It drove my mother-in-law crazy when she was living there; she always wanted to make Mexican food for her British neighbors, but was frustrated when the grocers had never heard of "cilantro." Oh, well.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget whinge (whine/complain), zed (z), "the 18th of the 3rd" (how they say dates, March 18th), wonky (weird, wrong), ace (excellent), and dodgey (dishonest/tricky)! Those are all I can think of at the moment. (It was fun working for eBay Australia and speaking to Ozzies everyday!)
ReplyDeleteHope you guys are having a wonderful time out there so far!