Aussie and British slang

[Little Jack Horner]

Vv’s mention of ranga as Aussie slang for a red-headed person in the February thread, something I had not heard although I am a fairly frequent visitor to Oz (Queensland), has made me wonder how it is that some Australian slang makes its way to Britain and some does not. And how it is that some British slang is exported to Oz and some is not.

For example, I don’t think “uni” for university was heard in the UK, certainly not in my youth, until the television show Neighbours arrived here — It is now nearly universal and barbie for barbecue is now (fairly) common whereas I never heard it as a boy (we didn’t commonly have BBQs in those days). But servo for a petrol station is not heard, nor are bingle for a motor accident, Chrissie for Christmas, cactus for broken, crook for ill, duchess for sideboard, and many others which I have recently found on an Aussie slang website — all for things commonly found in both countries.

Equally, I see no references to many Britishisms in a list of Aussie slang. Do Aussies have butchers for look, pants for a rubbishy situation, miffed for somewhat annoyed, or lurgy (hard g) for a minor, uncertain illness? If not, why not?

This website www.independent.co.uk/life-style/british-phrases-english-language-sayings-britain-england-uk-different-a8138046.html lists a number slang terms which the author thinks are likely to confuse anyone not brought up in the UK. I wonder if any Aussies among/amongst us would like to cast their eyes over it and comment on whether they agree?

I must say that, as a native-born Englishman, I don’t recognise them all. For example, I have never heard pants used in the way listed. And I have never heard long, mingy and par used in the ways described. Maybe they are to be heard in the south-east? Or, maybe, I am just an old fuddy-duddy who is not up to sped with the modern world?

Thoughts, anyone? Does anyone know a website listing “British slang for Aussies”?

[Verbivore]

Feb 26, 2018 17:47:38 GMT Little Jack Horner said:

[...] Do Aussies have butchers for look, pants for a rubbishy situation, miffed for somewhat annoyed, or lurgy (hard g) for a minor, uncertain illness? [...]

To my knowledge …

a few sandwiches short of a picnic – yes (common); AU parallel is a bob short of a quid

anorak – yes (but relatively uncommon)

bagsy – not quite, but we bags something (e.g. the window seat on a train)

bee's knees – yes (common); AU parallels are duck’s nuts, ant’s pants

bender – yes (common)

blinder, pull a – yes

bloody / bleeding – yes (bloody is perhaps Australia’s number one profanity and is hardly regarded as poor style in most circles)

Bob's your uncle – yes (common; I’ve also seen/heard Bob’s your tranny aunty)

bog-standard / bog – yes (both common)

boot – yes (the standard term)

brolly – yes (common)

budge up – no

builder's tea – no (though we have bushy’s tea, which is much the same thing)

butchers – yes (reasonably common)

cack-handed – yes (common; also southpaw)

cheeky – yes (common)

Chinese whispers – yes

chinwag – yes (common)

chockablock – yes (common; also chokkers)

chuffed – yes (reasonably common)

clanger – yes (common)

codswallop – yes (common)

cost a bomb – yes (common)

cream crackered – no, but knackered is common

curtain twitcher – no

Dench – no

dim – yes (common)

dog's dinner / dog's breakfast – yes (common)

faff – yes

fag – yes (common; also dhurrie – from NZ))

fit – yes (common)

flog – yes (common)

full Monty, the – yes (common, but only since the movie)

full of beans – yes (common)

gaff – no

gallivanting – yes (common)

geezer – yes (common)

gobsmacked – yes (common)

gutted – yes

half past – yes (common)

Hank Marvin – no

innit – no (but understood)

leg it – yes

long – no

lurgy – yes (common)

Making random words past-tense to mean drunk:

    car-parked – no

    gazeboed – no

    smashed – yes (common)

    trollied – no (but off his trolley for crazy, sometimes because drunk)

miffed – yes (common)

minging – no

mint – yes, but not common except when referring to something used but in very good condition, e.g. a car, coin, or stamp

mortal – no

nick / the Nick – yes (common)

on it like a car bonnet – no

on the pull – yes (though not particularly common)

over-egg the pudding – yes (but rare)

pants – no

par – no

pear-shaped – yes (common)

pea-souper – yes (common)

pinch punch first of the month – yes (but usually confined to the school yard and children)

pissed – yes (common)

pop your clogs – yes (also cark it, fall of the twig, kick the bucket …)

poppycock – yes (common)

quids in – no

round – yes (common; also shout)

shambles – yes (common)

shirty – yes (common)

skew-whiff – yes (common)

skive – yes

smarmy – yes (common)

Sod's law – no

spanner in the works – yes (common)

spend a penny – yes

splash out – yes

swot – yes (common; but usually just the verb form)

takes the biscuit – yes

take the Mickey – yes (common)

tickety-boo – yes (but uncommon)

tinkle – yes (common)

waffle – yes (common)

wally – yes (common)

wangle(d) – yes (common)

whinge – yes (common)

wind your neck in – no (but pull your head in)

wind-up merchant – yes (but not common)

zonked – yes (common)

[Verbivore]

Here are some Aussie slang websites:

Awesome Australian slang terms 

Nine Australian slang words you should know 

Australian slang 

Australian slang words 

Australian slang 

Australian slang phrases 

Aussie slang 

And a YouTube video

[Little Jack Horner]

Thank you for all that, Vv.

I am intrigued that, despite the article’s headline, most of the words and phrases are at least known in Oz. It seems from my perspective that around the same ratio of known-unknown expressions applies to the UK. There are certainly several that I don’t know and even more that I would certainly not use even in the most relaxed situation. I guess some of my more genteel friends would know and use fewer than I or me. It has become apparent that there is a class and north-south divide operating here. I wouldn’t have known mortal, par, wind your neck in, long and fit for example, at least with the meanings given, although I would have guessed them, especially in context.

I am interested in distinguishing between slang and merely the informal register. I don’t often use what I would call slang but certainly do use informal language in an informal situation. And I do mean “informal” and not indecent or profane. In regard to the north-south divide, it is not always obvious whether a term is slang or colloquial or dialectical. As a northerner, I use the word “ginnel” (hard G) for a narrow passageway between houses but I have seen it described as slang whereas I think it is one the few dialectical words I commonly use. And I say, “I’ll have to give you back word” when I have to cancel an arrangement only to discover in my sixties that southerners had no idea what I meant. I still don’t know if that is dialect, a colloquialism or slang.

I have found many videos aimed at explaining the meaning of British slang to Americans and American slang to Brits but none explaining British slang to Aussies. And, as you illustrate, Vv, there are several sites explaining Strine for Brits. I suspect that the use of slang by Aussies is part of the way of life and comes naturally.

Thank you.

[Verbivore]

LJH: You mentioned Strine. Have you read the Afferbeck Lauder* books Let Stalk Strine (1965) and Nose Tone Unturned (1967)? They are brilliantly insightful as well as hilarious. They present Australian written phonetically to appear as another language.

He also wrote Fraffly Well Spoken (1968) and Fraffly Suite (1969). Those lampooned the clipped variety of upper-class English speech.

I bought each when it was first published and still have them all – battered and well used.

Some sample entries are:

Strine (Australian)
spewffle climber treely = it's a beautiful climate, really
emma chisit = how much is it?
egg nishner = air-conditioner
dismal guernsey = decimal currency

Fraffly (English) 
fraffly = frightfully
egg wetter gree = I quite agree
gray chooma = great humour
Essay, may heff wonner yours igrets? Ay fleft mane a term. = I say, may I have one of your cigarettes? I've left mine at home.

* Afferbeck Lauder = alphabetical order pronounced Strinely; nom de plume for Alastair Ardoch Morrison

[Little Jack Horner]

Yes, I have indeed come across, and been amused by, the work of Afferbeck Lauder in quotations, but not in an original book. I have read that it was inspired by a report in a newspaper that the novelist Monica Dickens, at a book signing, misunderstood the question, “emma chisit?” for the customer’s name and duly signed the book “To Emma Chisit, Monica Dickens”. Maybe it’s true — if not, it ought to be.

[Verbivore]

Here's an article from ABC News Online about A history of Australian slang terms for sex.

[Verbivore]

Today's torrential rain required the use of a great Strine garment: a plesty-bloody-crinecoat.