whinging = whining.  I like this because it can never be confused with wining and dining, something I would never whinge about.
flat out = busy as hell.  This is a personal favorite of mine because it conjures of the image of being flattened by a steamroller, which is how being busy as hell can feel from time to time.
full on = intense, holding nothing back.  If work is full on you might feel pretty flat out, but try not to whinge about it.
rug up = layer up.  Winter is coming so I’m going to have to rug up.  Since most of the housing in Australia lacks insulation, I’m even going to have to rug up in doors.  That is something I will whinge about.
rock up = show up.  It’s pretty much the opposite of bounce, the way New Yorkers say they want to leave.  I haven’t adopted either, so I’m not likely to rock up and then bounce from anywhere.

There are also a lot of words that Aussies use in ways that Americans tend not to use them in.  I believe it was a former boss (the same one who hated the expression “no problem”) who pointed out how rude it sounded to start your statement with look or listen.  Not that I ever did that, just a lot of other people I had to listen to him complain about.  I became quite sensitive to it after that.  It does, in fact, sound like you are starting your sentence with “look, dumb ass.”  But it’s very common practice in Oz.  Not only do you hear it in interviews, on news programs and in casual conversation, but politicians also use it during debates and press conferences.  Of course, to their opponents they may very well be saying “look, dumb ass.”

Americans also tend to think that scheme means something bad.  People are always coming up with hair-brained schemes on sit-coms, which tend to go very wrong.  In the States, criminals and crooked politicians scheme.  But in Oz, a scheme is quite literally “a plan, design, or program of action to be followed.”  Thank you dictionary.com.

And for our last lesson of the day, when an American might say knock on wood and Aussie will say touch wood.  I won’t get into why that would be misunderstood.  Just know that I’ve adopted that one too, so try not to laugh when I say it.

Mum = Mom
Bashing = Beating
Arvo = Afternoon
Brekky = Breakfast. This is just one example of a countrywide tradition of shortening words. This includes the names of people, places and activities. Almost any word that can stand to lose a syllable, will. So I’m still not quit sure why they attach the extra “s” to “maths.”
Re = Regarding and it is pronounced as a word and not each letter. Although, I have a feeling this shortened word didn’t become common until well into our current era of texts and e-mails.

And in the tradition of shortening everything as much as it can possibly be shortened and still understood, the Aussies have taken their own expression “Good on ya” and shortened it to a sweet and simple “On ya.” I guess the extra four letters make it just too long.

“Nice day for it” is often the response you will get in polite elevator speak. “Going to the beach? Nice day for it.” Yes, it is often a nice day for most things Oz.

Don’t ask what someone thinks but rather what they reckon. Aussies will also often tell you what they reckon. “I reckon it will be a nice day for it.”

If you like something then you’re probably keen on it. “I reckon we could go out for a beer this arvo if your keen. Nice day for it.”

“Hey” can be used like the Canadian “eh” and often is intended to pressure and unspoken agreement. “That was a good movie, hey?” Although, what I find confusing about the Aussie use of this particular expression is that it’s more often associated with the Kiwi’s (which, by the way, is also an accepted news term) as is the use of expressions ending with “as” like “he was drunk as,” “she is hot as” and “that was stupid as.” Whether Aussie or Kiwi in origin, I particularly like this expression because there really isn’t a need for the comparison that might follow the “as.” The lack of words paints it’s own picture. ‘Nough said.

But the occasional use of an expression that seems to float between the countries, doesn’t stop the Aussie’s from making fun of their neighbors for their grasp of the English vowels. I would love to see what they think of a southern drawl.

My next set of travels will take me to Queensland, a state so determined to be different from the others that it doesn’t even adopt daylight savings time, and then to the heart of the country where I’m sure everything will be different. I’ve no doubt those experiences will lead me to more accents and expressions I could never have learned about from a guide book. So stay tuned for continuing installments of “How to Speak Australian.”

I always ask if that’s why they start with the Canadian question, but most don’t admit it.  They simply say they just can’t tell the difference between the accents.  But without a tell tale “about” pronounced “aboot”, neither can I.  Despite the fact that I have picked up on many subtleties of the Australian accent since arriving here, including the tendency to say “reckon” a lot, end many statements with a cheery upward inflection and pronounce the letter H with an audible huff, I wouldn’t be able to tell a New Zealander from an Aussie unless they were wearing something bearing their respective flags which, I should mention to the Aussies, many Canadians do.

So, it’s not the confusion of the two countries that throws me off, as much as it is the way in which the question get’s asked.  It’s always either “Canadian?” or “American?”.  I can’t remember the last time I was asked “Where are you from?”.  Even when were were being asked by every Aussie we encountered “Are you on holiday?”  the follow up question was usually “Canadian?”. I don’t think I have ever asked someone where they were from by suggesting a country first.  Chinese?  Mexican?  Outer Mongolian?

Perhaps that’s because I’m keenly aware that I have no idea what subtle differences exist in the accents of certain countries and the many varied regions within them.  Even back in the States, I wouldn’t be able to guess what state someone was from unless they spoke with an accent worthy of an SNL skit or a Simpson’s character.  Although “hella” is a dead give away from a Northern Californian.  I guess you do pick up on these things after extended exposure.  I might be able to guess which continent you are from, but even then I’d be taking a stab at it.  I might even be wrong if I offered up a hemisphere, so I prefer to stick to the simple “where are you from?”.

I should mention that I have heard more than one Brit insult the Australian twists on English by saying “whose language is it?”.  Funny, I never heard that joke in the States.  Maybe they’ve finally let go of those colonies, or just desire to cut ties with us entirely.  Our neighbors to the North certainly want to.  I only hope they don’t feel about us they way these Kiwis feel about my new neighbors.

Flight of the Concords – Jermaine sleeps with an Australian

Watch the whole video.  The accent joke is the best.