Australian Language Lesson - Lesson 4
Like a Summer dance smash, i must sound repetitive, but these language lessons aren't how to speak like an American view of Australians, they're more practical.
Today's Lesson: Australian Dialects
In many foreign countries, the language forks off into different dialects according to region. This is not different at all in Australia as the english language becomes twisted and manipulated into exciting new flavours.
- "Baby Boomer-ese"
Most heard: on talk-back a.m. radio
These people use so many dated expressions that if you actually stop to think about what they're saying then it proves to be hilarious. Things like "Bonza" (means 'yay'), "Smack it down my gob" (means 'eat'), "In like Flynn" (self-explanatory) or rhyming slang. Their grandchildren will also use these expressions until they're socialised enough to correct themselves.
- "Tweenese"
Most heard: in a T-shirt that says "Sassy Bitch"
Most of the expressions of Tweenese are fairly easy to work out
"That was a trek and a half!"
"OH MY GOOD"
"Aight"
"And I was like.."
However their SMS/Online language is one of their own. It makes you worried about the state of the schools today. It comes in different stages of incoherence.
Mildly Readable Stage: OMG r u serious? Lee is hot!
Slippery Finger Stage: OMG U SERIUS? LEE IZ HAWT!!
Hyper Clumsy Stage: oMg R u SerIuS???!??!?!111 LeEEEeeEEeE iz SOOOO hawwt omg!!11
ADHD Stage: 0/\/\6 2 U 53410U5!?1/!? 133 5 -4\/\/7!!!!1/1/1
The 1s appear after the ! because the tween releases the "shift" key before releasing the "1" key.
- "Boganese"
Most heard: in Lowes
Such a free and spirited language without any concern for outside opinion or the rules of grammar. A typical Bogan has a very limited vocabulary including one verb of "to get".
"Let's get to the shop to get some VB so we'll get drunk and after we'll get to getting to the pub"
There too much to write on Boganese, so for now note:
- Every "I" sounds like in "my" and "die" sounds like the "-oy" in "boy"
- The words Our, Ah, Are, Arm, Harm, Alms, Hour, Um, Up and the letter "r" all sound nearly indistinguishable
- Every "s" sound as a "z" sound
At the same time however, the bogan accent can be charming and at least it's better than a seth efriken eccent en whetch evereh vewel sends lek en eh
- "Neighbours-ese"
Most heard: on Neighbours and Home & Away.
Apparently there's an upward intonation at the end of every non-question sentence. Anyone who knows where I heard that from recently should be equally as ashamed as I am.
Most Australians will only say expressions like these every so often..
And "Come in for a cuppa!" is definitely not interchangeable with "Hello"
Neighbours-ese sounds more enunciated than most dialects, the vowels are cleaner generally. So if any foreigners out there have ever had trouble understanding the mumbling Australian accent of the Ramsey Street people, then you won't stand a chance in Cairns. Future inept ventriloquists of the world, they are.
I remember hearing on the radio one time, some British man who had moved here and was complaining about his disappointment that Australia wasn't like Neighbours.
- "Yewnese (Uni-ese)"
Most heard: in Op shops on Oxford Street and Newtown
Some Uni vocabulary was previously discussed here.
Yewnese has the most infuriatingly chirpy intonation you could ever imagine. But it's infectious and makes you happy for some strange social psychological reason.
Everything in Yewnese sounds like weekend chatter except of course the tumultuous political debates in Manning Bar between two 20 year old Arts students who know exactly what this country needs. Linguistically, Yewnese isn't much different to normal Australian but it has a dominant content fixture.
Monday - Wednesday:
- "How was your weekend?" discussion.
Thursday - Friday:
- "What are you doing on the weekend?" discussion.
Which means that through logic and the philosophy of Neiztchs Nezisitche Neitchzzsh... Freud, there must be complete silence on the weekends.
Previous language lessons: #1 #2 #3
Understand them all? What's your favourite? What did I leave out? Add a comment..