Apart from vegemite sandwiches, cheese and tomato toasties have existed in my lifes menu for as long as I can remember. The oozy cheese that seeps out of the pressed bread as it sizzles in the jaffle maker and that piping hot tomato that burns my over eager mouth – Every. Single. Time. I bet I’m not the only one that has never learned the lesson of patience when it comes to toasties?!
Apparently though, this sanga combo is as unique to us Aussies as peanut butter and jelly is to the Yanks.
#Fromwhereisit today’s brief lunch made me think how unique the Aussie vernacular really is.
While being surrounded by Americans during a recent trip to China, it was brought to my attention that I sometimes require subtitles when I speak. This was apparent from the puzzled and/ or bemused looks from both my American and Chinese collegues. An extended silence, then that ‘ahhhh’ look of relief when they worked out what I had said or, more importantly, what i had meant also offered plenty of amusement for me!
So, today as I ran around like a blue-arsed fly I listened to myself speak and noted some common Aussie terms I shoot out of my vocab arsenal on a regular basis.
1. No worries
I wrote this on three emails. Said it over the phone twice and lost count how many times I spoke it in person! Safe to say it rolls off the tongue like hot tomato from a toastie.
2. Suffix -o
So many words abbreviated to end in ‘o’ – arvo, bottlo, garbo, yobbo. Even names get the big O treatment – Haydo and Davo! Each one of those nouns was used at least once today!
3. She’ll be right mate
The mantra my dad lived by popped out today, which concurrently brings a smile to my face and a stab to my heart.
4. Bludger
It’s probably best I don’t incriminate myself by admitting who I crown with this title, but I can admit that sometimes, especially when it comes to training, I’m the queen!
5. Following on from that it’s usually because I ‘can’t be arsed’ to get up early or I’m ‘buggered’ or literally about to ‘cark it’. Yep, I’m full of Aussie excuses!
6. Drop your guts
This one is usually badied around as a question at home, but today I used it as a statement as a foul odor emerged from the lolly isle at the supermarket, noting someone must have!
This is truly a miniture snippet of the unique language I use in my day. If I kept going it would just be… [fill in the blank with an Aussie word/ phrase that fits] 😜 I must admit I am thoroughly proud of our Aussie uniqueness and utilise its prose like a badge of honour!
xk
