Skip to main content

Australian "Slang" Interpretation

murf said:
Things also change between states as well. Here in QLD we call those mini frankfurters - Cheerios.

There's also another term - Nigel. Not sure if it's just QLD or whole of Australia. But say if you're out somewhere on your own you're a nigel, have been niged, nigelated, Nigel no friends etc haha
Click to expand...

Another similar term is Scotty, as in "he'sgots no friends" i'm a Melburnian/Sydney Sider, and have heard this term in both states.
 
Pls let me know if Costco stock it here..ta.
another one "jam"is "jelly"... "Jelly" is Jello. Why is jelly a jam?
 
caz71 said:
Ah yes at Ekka
Click to expand...

Not just at the Ekka in general too. That said, I do faintly remember my primary school calling them pluto pups at the tuckshop (canteen).

I should also mention that the Ekka is the Royal Queensland Show which is held at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground hence 'Ekka'.
 
Consuela said:
Not just at the Ekka in general too. That said, I do faintly remember my primary school calling them pluto pups at the tuckshop (canteen).

I should also mention that the Ekka is the Royal Queensland Show which is held at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground hence 'Ekka'.
Click to expand...

...speaking of tuckshop. There is tucker which is food and tuckshop arms which is bingo wings.
 
rachael92 said:
nigelated is one of my favourites! Love calling people nigel :D
Click to expand...

murf said:
Things also change between states as well. Here in QLD we call those mini frankfurters - Cheerios.

There's also another term - Nigel. Not sure if it's just QLD or whole of Australia. But say if you're out somewhere on your own you're a nigel, have been niged, nigelated, Nigel no friends etc haha
Click to expand...

murf said:
Hehe I love it too! So it's not just a QLD thing then. I've got friends in WA who've never heard of it tho.
Click to expand...

I have never heard of that! Will have to ask my daughter - she is probably more up with the current lingo.
 
Consuela said:
Are you talking about the meat?? I've always called it devon though according to wikipedia we're meant to call windsor here in QLD but I've never heard anyone call it that.
Click to expand...

Yeah - the sliced meat you buy at the deli counter in the supermarket. (Cheapest cut of sliced meat - served with sauce on a sandwich)

edit: I think there is another name for it in Sydney (looked it up once when we were there but can't remember it)
 
Illabeth said:
I'm doing my honours in Linguistics this year. My thesis topic started out as an exploration into the use of diminutives in Early Australian English, but I couldn't source enough data so I've moved on to analysing the use of the term "Aussie" in newspapers from it's creating in WW1 to how the use and understanding of the term changed in the WW2 period.

As a result I have done a bunch of reading on diminutives. There are some linguists who propose unconscious linguistic rules surrounding Australians use and production of diminutives. There has been some good stuff by Anna Wierzbicka, she also explores the cultural connection to their use.

As for my belief I'd say yes, there are loose rules that we culturally apply to their use and formation, especially surrounding nicknames for people.
Click to expand...
So fascinating. I was surprised by the nickname for Sharon- was it Shazz? Was that to go with Jazz, which is short for Jasmine?

We would never use Shazz as a nickname for Sharon here in the US.


It took me a while to figure out who Shazz was.
 
Rose711 said:
So fascinating. I was surprised by the nickname for Sharon- was it Shazz? Was that to go with Jazz, which is short for Jasmine?

We would never use Shazz as a nickname for Sharon here in the US.


It took me a while to figure out who Shazz was.
Click to expand...

Shaz or shazza, Baz, Daz, laz, haz, hmm I wonder how we ended up with Shaz, when the other names I mentioned all usually end in y?
 
Ah! I couldn't figure out "putting tickets on yourself. "

I thought drew meant Maddie was doing something that made him not like her. I was thinking of like a parking ticket instead of a "wait in line for your number to be called"ticket.

Edit to add: though that didn't really make sense to me at the time.
 
Last edited:
Illabeth said:
We always put really finely grated carrot in our rissoles too. They can also be made with leftover cooked roast. Sooooo yummy on a slice of bread with tomato sauce.

On the jumper thing. Jumper (or windcheater) is what you would call a sweater, what you yanks would call a jumper we call a tunic (or maybe sometimes a pinnifore). They are really common winter uniform for primary school kids. High schoolers more often wear a skirt in the same material.
Tunic

And while we are speaking of that. Schooling varies over Australia but in general.

Primary school is Prep (or reception depending on your location) to year 6. I think our prep (prepatory year) is what you call Kindergarten, then we have years 1 to 6.

High school is year 7 to 12, in year 11 and 12 you do your VCE/HSC/final exams to get your mark to go to Uni.

When the housemates so 'that is so year 6' they are saying how primary school/tweenie it is, since most kids are 11 or 12 in year 6.
Click to expand...

School here too, goes from end Jan/Start of Feb to Dec. it kinda blows my mind when I hear about schools overseas starting in pretty much the middle of the year and having only a short break over Christmas and then finishing that school year the following year.
 
caz71 said:
Pls let me know if Costco stock it here..ta.
another one "jam"is "jelly"... "Jelly" is Jello. Why is jelly a jam?
Click to expand...

I think they are used interchangeably because you put both jelly and jam on toast. But the consistency is different. I have to ask my Mom. I remember her explaining it to me once.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top