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Reports from Belo Interactive contributors at the Olympics in Sydney, AustraliaHow to speak Australian 09/07/2000 By Cathy Harasta / The Dallas Morning News | HOW TO SPEAK AUSTRALIAN |
| "If your Sheila thinks you're a bludger, buckle down and cut the macaroni." |
| It sounds like a food fight in the making, or a coded message meant for a secret agent. But, no, it is an example of Australia's way with words. Here's what we mean: |
Sheila: girlfriend
Bludger: a lazy-bones or a loser
Macaroni: nonsense
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| "You're a wimp if you're suss of bush tucker." |
| Hey, same to you, pal! Actually, it is not such an unreasonable assertion, for those well-versed in Australian slang. Here's what we mean: |
Suss: Suspicious
Bush tucker: Native foods; home cookin'
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| "Everyone likes to find a partner who is fair dinkum." |
| Those who succeed probably don't need a grasp of Aussie slang, or any other lexicon, for that matter. Here's what we mean: |
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Fair dinkum: Good, true, honest, genuine
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| "The sudden appearance of a bunch of fives is usually a bad sign." |
| In Australian slang, these fives aren't the kind you can spend
or take to the bank. Here's what we mean: |
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A bunch of fives: a fist
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| "Despite the carefully tended morsels on the barbie, a few guests ended up feeling crook." |
| If you had no grasp of Australian slang, you might think they made off with the good silver. But here's what we mean: |
Crook: Ill
Barbie: a barbecue or grill a fist
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| "No proper kitchen is complete without a billy for those late-afternoon pick-me-ups." |
| Heavens! It's not what you think! In Australian slang, such a statement is as innocent as pie. Here's what we mean: |
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Billy: a small tin bucket with a handle, used for brewing tea.
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| "Life in the big smoke leads some to speculate that the planet is bound for the Black Stump." |
| Especially during rush hour, you say - or those with a grasp of Aussie slang might say. Here's what we mean: |
Big smoke: big city
Black Stump: a mythical landmark emblematic of the end of civilization.
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| "A mate might be fair dinkum or just part of a conventional greeting." |
| The trick is to know which is which in Australian slang. Here's what we mean: |
Mate: A truly good friend or the recipient of the widely used
everyday greeting: "G'Day, mate"
Fair dinkum: Genuine, true, honest
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| "A doer will saddle up and then give it the herbs." |
| It's not a recipe for seasoned horsemeat, but a slice of everyday Australian slang. Here's what we mean: |
Doer: A hard worker
Saddle up: Get ready for work
Give it the herbs: Go faster; accelerate
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| "After a prang, some workers might decide a sickie is in order." |
| That's clear as a bell Down Under, where fluency in Australian slang is a must. Here's what we mean: |
Prang: a minor car accident; a fender-bender
Sickie: a day taken off from work, but not necessarily because of illness
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| "A bottler often receives lashings of praise, but still may become ropeable." |
| What sounds like a reference to the rodeo scene actually is Australian slang applicable to a variety of arenas. Here's what we mean: |
Bottler: an excellent performer
Lashings: large quantities; plenty
Ropeable: angry or irritable
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| "The boomer oil might turn out to be no more than bull's wool." |
| Easy for an Aussie to say! Australian slang is loaded with vivid expressions. Here's what we mean: |
Boomer: large or huge
Oil: news
Bull's wool: an unlikely story; baloney
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| "A dag might be likely to carry on and on about a bad trot." |
| It sounds as if somebody picked the wrong racehorse. In Australian slang, however, the expression might be heard on or off the track. Here's what we mean: |
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Dag: a boring or dull person.
Bad trot: a run of bad luck
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| "The best time for some spine bashing might be right after frolicking with the kids on the slippery dip." |
| It's not as bad as it sounds. This is a case in which it might be wise to make sure your audience understands Australian slang before dropping such a line. Here's what we mean:
|
Spine bashing: resting
Slippery dip: a child's slide
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| "No esky should be without a supply of fixings for sangers, including those leftover snags." |
| What sounds like a mouthful is actually a reasonable statement, spiced with Australian slang. Here's what we mean:
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Esky: A brand name for a portable portable icebox; often used generically
Sangers: Sandwiches
Snags: Sausages
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| "One way to avoid yakka is to wag it." |
| Hint: All yakka and no play is no way to spend time in Australia. That's why some decide to wag it. Then again, Australians can appreciate the virtues of hard yakka; someone put in long yakka hours creating the colorful Aussie lingo. Here's what we mean:
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Yakka: hard or heavy work
Wag it: to be truant or play hooky
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| "A lair might end up like a shag on a rock." |
| Then again, a lair could turn out to be the life of the party in Australia. It all depends on whether the lair puts on too many airs. Here's what we mean:
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Lair: A flashy dresser or a person who is behaving ostentatiously
Like a shag on a rock: totally alone
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| "Don't slam the boot with such force, or the bumper bars will fall off and the duco will peel." |
| Australians can drive you crazy when they talk about their cars, because they traffic in some odd words. Here's what we mean:
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Boot: Car trunk
Bumper bars: Car fenders
Duco: Car paint
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| "Should a bluey start a blue with a bloke, anything could happen." |
| In such an event, any reasonable Australian would prepare to stand clear, unless the "blue" happened to be the alternate definition in Australian slang. Here's what we mean:
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Blue: an argument or a mistake
Bluey: a nickname for any red-headed male
Bloke: a person, usually a male
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•
Track star 
1996
swimming gold medalist Ryan Berube 
