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Australian Slang
Authors: Anon
|
Australian Slang celebrates and interprets Australia's rich and vivid language. It is intended for locals as well as visitors, because many Australians have no idea quite how alien and incomprehensible their native language can be to outsiders, even to other English-speakers./ Australians do speak English, of course. But to many tourists (and even some locals), Australian English has only tenuous links with the mother tongue. Our speech is peppered with words and phrases whose arcane meanings are understood only by the initiated. It is these colourful colloquialisms that Australian Slang sets out to explain. Australian slang has a few marked features. An obvious one is the habit of abbreviating words and adding 'o' or 'ie' to the end. Thus 'workers compensation' becomes 'compo', 'afternoon' becomes 'arvo' and aggressive becomes 'aggro'; while 'barbecue' becomes 'barbie', 'blowfly' becomes 'blowie' and 'budgerigar' becomes 'budgie.' A large proportion of our slang seems to centre on a small number of topics, notably sex, alcohol (particularly beer), and intoxication – who would have thought there could be more than 30 terms for 'drunk' and 18 for 'vomit'. At the same time, the seemingly endless number of personal insults are more often than not jocular, affectionate even, rather than truly aggressive. A range of books and dictionaries were consulted during the research process for this book, and a necessarily sceptical and discriminating eye cast over the trash and treasure trove of the internet. Language overheard being used in everyday life was also included. It is fascinating to discover the myriad and contrasting ways terms and phrases are defined and used by different people and sources. The Australian language is certainly an ever-changing and evolving entity. Some of the terms in this book might surprise Australian residents, who never would have imagined that seemingly mundane words such as 'manchester', 'removalist' and 'fossick' could be unique to the Australian vernacular. Whether you hail from OS or from the Lucky Country itself, this book is sure to offer you new insights into the Australian language – whether it's learning a new way to insult a mate, or discovering the true meaning of 'dip your eye!' |
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| Published: | 2 June 2008 |
| Format: | Paperback , 264 pages |
| RRP: | $16.95 |
| ISBN-13: | 9780143009115 |
| Imprint: | Penguin |
| Publisher: | Penguin Aus. |
| Origin: | Australia |
| Category: | Language |
