{"id":6307,"date":"2013-02-19T08:00:27","date_gmt":"2013-02-19T08:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/?p=6307"},"modified":"2013-02-18T23:09:37","modified_gmt":"2013-02-18T23:09:37","slug":"the-11-best-australian-terms-and-expressions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/2013\/02\/19\/the-11-best-australian-terms-and-expressions\/","title":{"rendered":"The 11 Best Australian Terms and Expressions"},"content":{"rendered":"<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-6307-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2013\/02\/The-11-best-Australian-expressions-part-1.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2013\/02\/The-11-best-Australian-expressions-part-1.mp3\">https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2013\/02\/The-11-best-Australian-expressions-part-1.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2013\/02\/The-11-best-Australian-expressions-part-1.mp3\">Download audio<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When a person says they want to learn English, they usually think they are going to learn either \u201cBritish \u201cor \u201cAmerican\u201d English.\u00a0Sure, you can base English on those two types for academic purposes, but English is such a cool and interesting language that it\u2019d be a pity if you only knew about these two styles.\u00a0In this article, I\u2019m going to diversify your English knowledge and understanding by teaching you 11 popular Australian terms and expressions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is Australian English<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Because Australia was colonized by the British, the way we speak has evolved from Old English (the English people spoke around 200 years ago), to current Aussie English. Aussie English (Ausssie = Australian) has changed a lot since then. We use a lot of slang terms, our accent is totally different, we generally speak quite fast and we use a lot of cultural references when speaking.<\/p>\n<p>These 11 expressions are my favorites expressions, just thinking of them makes me laugh and miss Australia. Incorporate them into your vocabulary now, you never know when you\u2019re going to meet an Aussie!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mate<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Mate is a colloquial word for friend. This would be similar to other American terms like; man, dude, buddy. <em>Mate<\/em> is used to reference a man but you\u2019ll even hear some Australian women using this word.<\/p>\n<p>A: Hey <em>mate<\/em>, what are you gonna do tonight?<br \/>\nB: Ahh, one of me (my) <em>mates<\/em> is having a Barbie (barbecue). You wanna go?<br \/>\nA: Nah, I\u2019m alright <em>mate<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>G\u2019day<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is an abbreviation for \u201cgood day.\u201d Most of the time you will hear this being used with mate. \u201cG\u2019day mate\u201d has become a very stereotypical greeting and is a way to immediately spot an Aussie.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; G\u2019day mate! Did you see the footy (football) last night?<br \/>\n&#8211; G\u2019day Baz, you wanna go see a movie?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cheers<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In Australian English \u201ccheers\u201d isn\u2019t just used to celebrate before drinking with your mates, it is also used as a way to say thank you. Cheers can also be heard in other English speaking countries but is definitely most prominent in Australia.<\/p>\n<p>A: Here\u2019s that money I owe you.<br \/>\nB: Ahh, cheers mate!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6346\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter post-item__attachment\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2013\/02\/chad-australia.jpg\" aria-label=\"Chad Australia 300x224\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6346\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-6346 \"  alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" \/ src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2013\/02\/chad-australia-300x224.jpg\"><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-6346\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">After four years abroad, Chad goes back to Australia and finds the beach in Perth closed due to sharks!<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>You \/ Ya reckon?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The word <em>reckon<\/em> is a synonym for <em>think<\/em>, but is only used for asking for opinion about something. You\u2019re going to hear a lot of Aussies using this word in every day conversation. This word is also uses in British and American English but, people often associate this word with someone who isn\u2019t very well-educated.<\/p>\n<p>A: Hey do you reckon we should have a Barbie this weekend?<br \/>\nB: I don\u2019t know, it looks like it\u2019s gonna rain.<br \/>\nA: You reckon??\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cya this arvo<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As you can probably see, Australians really like to abbreviate words which can be really confusing. \u201cSee you this afternoon\u201d is abbreviated to \u201ccya this arvo.\u201d Australians use the expression <em>arvo<\/em> to refer to afternoon in all situations.<\/p>\n<p>A: Hey Robbo, are you gonna go to the pub (bar) this arvo?<br \/>\nB: Yep, should do mate! (yes, I probably will go)<br \/>\nA: Alrighty, cya this arvo.<\/p>\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-6307-2\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2013\/02\/The-11-best-Australian-expressions-part2.mp3?_=2\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2013\/02\/The-11-best-Australian-expressions-part2.mp3\">https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2013\/02\/The-11-best-Australian-expressions-part2.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2013\/02\/The-11-best-Australian-expressions-part2.mp3\"><strong>Download audio<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Thongs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Be very careful when using this term. <em>Thongs<\/em>, in Australian English are rubber sandals which are more commonly called <em>flip flops<\/em>. If you were to use this expression in the United Stated they would be very confused because \u201ca thong\u201d in the U.S is small female underwear which we call <em>a G-string<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>A: Ahh, the beach sand is so hot here!<br \/>\nB: You should\u2019ve brought your thongs.<br \/>\nA: Yeah, I always forget me bloody (damn) thongs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fair dinkum<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll probably hear the older generation of aussies using this term. <em>Fair dinkum<\/em> is used when someone says something and you respond with surprise. It would be the same as saying \u201creally?!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A: Did you see the footy last night? The kangaroos beat the Eagles. (Australian football teams)<br \/>\nB: Fair dinkum!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dunny<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Many times I\u2019ve said to my American friends \u201cI gotta go to the dunny\u201d and they just look at me with a very confused look on their face. <em>Dunny<\/em> is another word for toilet.<\/p>\n<p>A: Hey, where\u2019s Robbo?<br \/>\nB: He went to the dunny and hasn\u2019t come back yet.<br \/>\nA: Fair dinkum, he mustn\u2019t be feeling to good.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Spiffy \/ snazzy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Both of these words are alternatives to saying that something is new and in most cases of high quality.<\/p>\n<p>A: Check out my snazzy new thongs!<br \/>\nB: Wow they look pretty spiffy mate! Where did you get them?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pissed<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The slang word \u201cpiss,\u201d is a vulgar way to say urinate. You\u2019ll probably hear the word used this way all around the world. In Australia, to say that you are <em>pissed<\/em> means that you\u2019re drunk. This can be confusing because in the U.S., where if you\u2019re <em>pissed<\/em> it means you are really angry.<\/p>\n<p>A: How was your night?<br \/>\nB: Mate, I can\u2019t remember a thing, I was so pissed!<br \/>\nA: I hope you weren\u2019t driving, it\u2019s so dangerous to drive pissed!<br \/>\nA: Nah, I got a taxi home.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Yobbo<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>And lastly, an Aussie <em>yobbo<\/em>. A <em>yobbo<\/em> is a stereotypical Australian, who is always drinking a beer and talking about his old car. A <em>yobbo<\/em> is always wearing thongs and a flannel shirt, and most people consider them to be lazy. Although you\u2019re probably thinking it has a negative connotation to be called a <em>yobbo<\/em>, surprisingly many people are very proud of it.<\/p>\n<p>A: G\u2019day mate! Howz it goin? U wanna beer? (How is it going? Do you want a beer?)<br \/>\nB: A beer, it\u2019s 11 a.m.! you\u2019re such a yobbo!<br \/>\nA: Ahh, cheers mate.<\/p>\n<p>So there you have it, 11 expressions you can apply into your vocabulary right now. Remember all of them and really impress the next Australian you see!<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t forget the importance of learning English, not just British and American, but from other countries too. Learning language and learning about culture together is the most effective way to attain fluency. The good thing about learning English is that there are so many cultures that use it as their first language, you\u2019ll never run out of cool and interesting new ways to practice.<\/p>\n<p>Have you thought about South African English? I wonder how people speak in New Zealand!<\/p>\n<p>Learn more about Australian English with other RLE articles:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/reallifebh.com\/australian-english-for-your-life\">Learning English with Australian Media<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/reallifebh.com\/learn-english-with-men-at-work\"> Learn English with Music- \u201cMen at Work\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>About the author<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2013\/02\/chad.jpg\" aria-label=\"Chad\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-6337\"  alt=\"\" width=\"95\" height=\"117\" \/ src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2013\/02\/chad.jpg\"><\/a>Chad Fishwich was born in Australia and lived there until his early 20\u2019s. From an early age he became very interested in Brazilian culture through music and Capoeira. Trying to understand the culture motivated him to learn Portuguese, and even brought him to Belo Horizonte, Brazil, where he lives today. Chad, along with his friends Josh, Justin, Trevor and Ethan, run the <a href=\"http:\/\/reallifebh.com\/\">Real English BH community.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<img width=\"350\" height=\"261\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2013\/02\/chad-australia-350x261.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image tmp-hide-img\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2013\/02\/chad-australia-350x261.jpg 350w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2013\/02\/chad-australia-768x574.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2013\/02\/chad-australia.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><p>Download audio When a person says they want to learn English, they usually think they are going to learn either \u201cBritish \u201cor \u201cAmerican\u201d English.\u00a0Sure, you can base English on those two types for academic purposes, but English is such a cool and interesting language that it\u2019d be a pity if you only knew about these&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"post-item__readmore\"><a class=\"btn btn--md\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/2013\/02\/19\/the-11-best-australian-terms-and-expressions\/\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":6346,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[225062],"tags":[225876,226730],"class_list":["post-6307","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-intermediario","tag-artigos-cultura","tag-artigos-vocabulario"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6307"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6307\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6345,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6307\/revisions\/6345"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/ingles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}