What are some words or phrases that are only used in your region?

By: | Post date: 2017-06-01 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: English, Linguistics

Let us now praise Australian hypocoristics. Or Diminutives in Australian English. I’ve seen hypocoristic used here, because the Australian forms aren’t used like normal diminutives, to indicate that something is cute or small; hence bikie “member of a motorcycle club, with a connotation of involved in criminal activity”. Of course, hypocoristic is just Greek for baby-talk (‘under child do’), which these aren’t either; but whatevs.

Have a look at that list linked above. Yes, we really do talk like that. It’s not just about throwing a shrimp on the barbie (and we call them prawns anyway).

We really do get aggro when cut off by some drongo in traffic, unless it’s an ambo or a firie; and sometimes that can end up in a biffo, especially if it’s some truckie in a semi from Tassie or Newie or Rocky. We really do like to have a bikkie or a sanger in the arvo with a cuppa, and a smashed avo toast with mushies for brekkie. And sometimes we head out to pick some grog up at the bottlo to chuck in the esky; we’d be devo if there’s no Crownies there. My wife has just got a job with the Salvos, but she does not deal directly with deros or povvos or housos [that last one is not in the Wikipedia list]. Tracey Bryan talks like that in Brissie; it’s a shame I didn’t catch up with her for Chrissie, but I had to stick around with the relos.

Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi.

Gotta get back to work from my (non-smoking) smoko; we got fined for not paying our rego last week, on the way to the servo, and I gotta pay it off. It’s enough to make you put on your sunnies and chuck a sickie, I tell ya. The pollies upped the rego price for revenue; that’s what the journos say. The Seppos would never fine you like that, tell you what.

(This is actually not that exaggerated. And I don’t see what the fuss is about with Crown Lager; I’ll take Cab Sav over that any day.)

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