Ostriches Let Us All Rejoice...

www.australiaday.org.au

Any Aussie bloke or sheila (cringe) would no doubt have dropped a slang or two during a chin wag. Is our slang, however, giving the world the impression the lot of us are unlearned bogans, talking in our own secret code that some surely would never understand? Do we really even care? It's the Aussie way I say, no worries!

I must say however, I cringe at some of the doosies that spring from some people's mouths. As you might have guessed 'Shiela' is one of these - cringe much! A word that conjures up images of a butch type figure with fag in one hand, stubby in the other, wearing too tight and too small a t-shirt. Add 'missus' to that list too. If I was ever referred to by some ocker (and there's another one, doesn't it feel unfinished?), as someone's missus within earshot, they would be dropped quicker than a hot snag straight off the barbie. I'm sure the other missuses and 'trouble and strife's' out there would agree with me!

On the whole though I think our special lingo is dinky di, be it head scratching to try and decipher for some. There are some Aussie words and phrases which should be apart of the Oxford dictionary they are so widely used. Some of my faves (with explanations for the foreigners):

Tall Poppy - A successful person the target of jealous comments by others.

Bris Vegas - Sounds like we have a city that is completely glamorous and 'sophisticated' in a ocean's 11 kind of way.

Best bib and tucker - Refers to your best kit. Oops I mean clothes.

Sanga - A sandwich. No not 'sarnie', 'sanga'. Now you Brits, what's a sarnie? That's just weird.

Tingle - A bell, a ring, a phone call.

Bingle - A car accident, usually just a scratch or a bump, nothing serious.

Chucking a sickie - Informing your workplace you are too ill to work today, cough cough.

Dead horse - Tomato sauce

Hit the Frog n Toad - Hit the road

There we go, some of our best. Although I'm sure I forgotten some classics.

Happy Australia Day!