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And Just WHAT Do We Speak Here In The Land Of OZ?

© Kath Hobson

G'day all.

This month I thought I would explain one or two Aussieisms for you, just in case any of you are wondering what on earth I am talking about half the time. Here in Australia although we do speak English we have our own unique version called Strine.

In most cases, Strine is a form of rhyming slang, however it can also be a shortened or abbreviated version of a word, a word borrowed from the aboriginal language and the slang of the early British settlers or even a made up word. For example if someone were to tell you that is a great "Bag of Fruit" you are wearing, they mean a suit or if they ask "how's the Trouble and strife?" they mean "how's the wife?".

Unfortunately with the advent of media a lot of our traditional slang is dying out as the younger generation latch onto American style street talk . Most young Australians would look at you like you had gone round the twist if you talked Strine to them these days. The only Aussies who use true Strine now are the die hard Bushies in the outback. Rhyming slang is virtually lost in the dust of antiquity, however there are some words and phrases that will probably never die out.

The first thing I thought I would explain is Good Tucker.......Tucker is food and Good Tucker is really good food.

I am afraid that in most of the Road Houses (large petrol stations, usually trucking stops, that also have "restaurants" attached) good tucker is considered to be a meat pie with tomato sauce (ketchup to those of you who live in America) or a steak sandwich with or without the lot, a hamburger also with or without the lot. The lot consists of fried egg and fried onion, beetroot, lettuce, bacon, pineapple and tomato sauce and usually washed down with coke. YUK!!!!

If you are really lucky you should also be able to get a lamington (small square of sponge cake coated in chocolate icing and coconut) or a vanilla slice which is two wafers of puff pastry with thick bright yellow custard in the middle and topped with pink icing. These don't taste too bad but are commonly referred to as snot blocks.

ENJOY!!!!!!!

However in a really good cafe of which there are plenty and more and more springing up everyday