Australian 'flavor'?

[Feathers in Hair]

I'm doing a very cool sort of project with a Cane toad (which I hope isn't an offensive term for someone from that area). I'm looking forward to eventually being able to reveal all the details, but something it involves is being able to create something with an "Ozzie" flavor. (Specifically in regards to language.)

We've got several wonderful Australians here on RF! *begging shamelessly for input on Australian English.*

 

[Harvster]

What exactly did you want to know about Aussie English and I may be able to help out.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

Mostly, useage of slang. Is it as prevelant as it is in American English? Are there any movies or TV shows that you'd recommend watching to get the correct "feel" of accents, or perhaps even simply the way words are spoken?

 

[Unedited]

All I know about Australians, is that they don't tend to like it if you repeatedly ask them, 'Want another shrimp on the barbie?" In fact, they tend to get really mad.

 

[Harvster]

Slang is probally more prevelant in Australian English than American, but for me (not sure about others) it all depends on how I feel as to whether i use slang more or less. In regards to accents there are a few movies that you may be able to pick up some accent and expressions from these include 'The Dish' and "the Castle' to name a few. The crocodile hunter uses more slang than probally most do and as for Crocodile Dundee I cant stand him and as Unedited said "want another shrimp on the barbie" does have mixed reactions in Australia probally because everyone thinks we all speak like Paul Hogan. For some Australian Movies this link probally has a good number for reference.

As for words the page you provided a link to is a good one but some words that these websites provide are almost 'out dated' and not used often. I hope this helps.

Harvs

 

[Feathers in Hair]

Thanks, both of you! (Looks like a wonderful link, Harvester I'll be bookmarking it!)

Unedited, I swore to myself I wouldn't do that, hehe! (Glad to have Steve Irwin as a comparison, Harvester! Thankfully, a lot of people know better by now than to think everyone speaks like Paul Hogan... Or at least I would hope so! )

 

[Harvster]

Thankfully, a lot of people know better by now than to think everyone speaks like Paul Hogan... Or at least I would hope so! )

You would be very surprised at the amount of people that I have encounted from 'up yonder' that still seem to think that using his style is somewhat correct though they might be trying to make us mad, however when they do come over we tend to counter this by introducing them to Drop Bears and the like.:biglaugh:

 

[Bastet]

I'm doing a very cool sort of project with a Cane toad (which I hope isn't an offensive term for someone from that area).

No worse than calling someone from South Australia a 'crow eater' (I notice that's on your list...I'd never heard the cane toad one before, to be honest - we always went with 'banana bender' for Queenslanders).

I'm looking forward to eventually being able to reveal all the details, but something it involves is being able to create something with an "Ozzie" flavor. (Specifically in regards to language.)

BTW, it's pronounced "Ozzie", but spelt "Aussie". Unless you're talking about the cat I had as a teenager...she was "Ozzie".

That's a pretty good list on that site...I had a couple similar bookmarked, but I can't seem to find them at the moment. As Harvster said, quite a lot of words on those kinds of lists tend to be outdated, or not something that you'd say more than once in your life (and then probably as a joke or to get a laugh). For example, I don't believe I've ever said I'm "as dry as a dead dingo's donger" (although I remember it being used in a beer ad here years ago), but I have used the phrase "as mad as a cut snake" more than a few times. While never having eaten a "mystery bag" (well, I've eaten it, just not called it that), I do enjoy a nice cold "stubby" on a hot summer's afternoon/evening. And the night of my 18th birthday celebration, I very nearly went home in the back of a "divvy van".

I haven't seen 'The Dish', but 'The Castle' is a crack up. Please, please don't rely on Paul Hogan and Steve Irwin for Aussie accents or speech - I don't find either of them to be a true representation of the average Australian. One of my favourite Aussie movies is 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'. It's worth watching just for the frocks, darling! :biglaugh: If you're keen to see Hugh Jackman strut his Aussie accent, go for 'Paperback Hero', or 'Erskineville Kings'. All three are very different types of movie, but all worth a watch, I think.

 

[Bastet]

Just another thought...are there any Australian tv shows broadcast on cable (assuming you have access to cable, that is)? I have a friend in Texas who is addicted to 'McLeod's Daughters'. It might give you a better idea on speech patterns, accents, slang and the like. Any Aussie drama would do the trick - they don't tend to have the stereotypical "Aussie" like US shows do (that guy on 'JAG' was terrible! Sad thing was, he probably had a very normal sounding accent before he made a caricature of himself on that show).

 

[Feathers in Hair]

Ooooo! Hugh Jackman... (Sexier for a different reason was Elrond- I mean Hugo Weaving- in "Priscilla." I loved that movie!)

Glad to have my worries over the spelling of "Aussie" confirmed. I'd always heard/ seen it spelt that way in the States that way, but then the person was spelling it the other way, so I assumed I was mistaken. Thanks for the clarification!

 

[Bastet]

Ooooo! Hugh Jackman... (Sexier for a different reason was Elrond- I mean Hugo Weaving- in "Priscilla." I loved that movie!)

I think Guy Pearce was rather scarily good looking as a woman, meself.

Glad to have my worries over the spelling of "Aussie" confirmed. I'd always heard/ seen it spelt that way in the States that way, but then the person was spelling it the other way, so I assumed I was mistaken. Thanks for the clarification!

No worries!

 

[Malus 12:9]

What really bugs me is that Americans think we are all Crocodile hunters and say "CROIKEY", wither that or they mention something about dingoes and babies.

NOTE: HE IS AN EXAGGERATED STEREOTYPE

 

[Malus 12:9]

I feel like assasinating Steve Irwin.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

Ack! I'm sorry to hear so many people are not as kind as they should be when visiting. I was really hoping that they'd have more manners than that.

I feel like assasinating Steve Irwin.

Please don't. I quite enjoy him, especially when it comes to learning more about creatures. (And laying bets as to if Terri only married him for the insurance money, of course.)

 

[Malus 12:9]

Steve Irwin makes me trauma on the floor if he is on tv.

 

[Bastet]

Please don't. I quite enjoy him, especially when it comes to learning more about creatures. (And laying bets as to if Terri only married him for the insurance money, of course.)

Then I hope she's got her child(ren) insured too. Good ol' Steve fed a croc at his 'zoo' up north with his baby tucked under his arm. His enthusiasm far outweighs his common sense. There's some snake guy I've seen on tv a few times (also Australian), who reminds me of Steve Irwin in that respect. I watched a show where he was literally hanging onto this very poisonous snake by the tail, explaining to the poor sod who was with him how dangerous it was. The snake bit his nose. He's only lucky that it didn't inject much by way of venom into him, or he'd be dead. I have no time for stupidity, and people like that seem to have it in spades. :banghead3 It doesn't make them look brave; it makes them look like twats. /rant

 

[Bastet]

What really bugs me is that Americans think we are all Crocodile hunters and say "CROIKEY"...

When I went to the US, I took along some stubby holders as gifts for friends...one of the designs had a pic of a cockatoo saying "Crikey!" on it. They went down well lol.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

My Halloween costume two years ago (when I was in massage therapy school) was a white dress with huge wings (pretend butterflies in my hair) and all sorts of band-aids and fake bruises.

I was supposed to be Steve Irwin's guardian angel.

 

[Malus 12:9]

Another example is Paul Hogan..Crocodile dundee...was a trauma movie..

 

[Bastet]

Another example is Paul Hogan..Crocodile dundee...was a trauma movie..

Sure, sure...like you didn't run round school saying "That's not a knife...that's a knife" like the rest of us.