“After tucky we played bob-down-tiggy!” That’s what my friend’s daughter said to me yesterday. Most of you reading will understand exactly what that means, but even after four years of living in Australia I still come across words and colloquialisms that don’t even resemble English.
When I first moved to Australia I didn’t understand half of what you guys were talking about in bunch rides. I just smiled politely and Googled these things when I got home. I still can’t pull off a “maaaate“, but I’m learning what these sayings mean and some are even creeping into my vocabulary.
For all you who are thinking of visiting or moving to Australia, here’s a guide to some of the things that you’ll hear in the peloton:
“I gotta stop at the servo and go to the dunny.” No cyclist actually says or does this unless they gotta go #2.
“I raced yesterday and had a prang.” What at least 10 C-graders say after their Sunday morning crit (sorry C-graders…).
“Fair dinkum mate!“ The response I get when I try to BS someone about how many races I’ve won.
“We’re just racing for sheep stations now.” The period of my cycling career my wife keeps telling me I’m in.
“I’m creeping.“ Not to be confused with “I’m creepy“.
“We’re all the way out in Woop Woop” It’s gonna be a long ride back. Should I call my wife?
“that race was bloody hard yakka!“ Aren’t they all?
“You’re as useless as tits on a bull” I get this a lot…
“You can stick that up your clacker!“ No thank you, I’m not going to race the Warny again this year.
“I’m rooted after that effort!” I’ve adopted this one and use it regularly in most situations.
“Those new wheels are sweet as…“. Sweet as what???
“Will wallaby there? I’ll go if dingos. Not if I platypus” Still haven’t figured out a deeper meaning to this one…
Have a great weekend, ride hard, and go watch the UCI Track World Cup if you’re in Melbourne!
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Have a ‘bo peep’ at this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h56wXdZoCY
Will wallaby there – will Wal be there?
Ill go if dingos – I'll go if Ding goes
Not if I platypus – not if I pat a puss. (not sure about this one.)
This is from an old comdey routine called 'Australiana' by Austen Tayshus (somehow don't think that was his birth name?!?). It actually went to number 1 back in early 80s, along with such classics as 'Shuddupa ya Face' – what a wonderous decade eh? The guy played on Australian words and names in a short story about going to a BBQ with mates. As Daniel just noted, things like:
Sittin' at home last Sunday mornin' me mate Boomerrang Said he was havin' a few people around for a barbie, Said he might Kookaburra or two.
I said, “Sounds great, will Wallaby there?”
He said “Yeah and Vegemite come too”.
So I said to the wife “Do you wanna Goanna?”. She said “I'll go if Dingos”.
So I said “Wattle we do about Nulla?”
He said “Nullabors me to tears, leave him at home.”
Ahh, classic Aussie culture
This is from an old comdey routine called 'Australiana' by Austen Tayshus (somehow don't think that was his birth name?!?). It actually went to number 1 back in early 80s, along with such classics as 'Shuddupa ya Face' – what a wonderous decade eh? The guy played on Australian words and names in a short story about going to a BBQ with mates. As Daniel just noted, things like:
Sittin' at home last Sunday mornin' me mate Boomerrang Said he was havin' a few people around for a barbie, Said he might Kookaburra or two.
I said, “Sounds great, will Wallaby there?”
He said “Yeah and Vegemite come too”.
So I said to the wife “Do you wanna Goanna?”. She said “I'll go if Dingos”.
So I said “Wattle we do about Nulla?”
He said “Nullabors me to tears, leave him at home.”
Ahh, classic Aussie culture
Here, have a bo peep:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h56wXdZoCY
dont you mean a captain cook?
Did you see Anna Meares last night? She went like shit off a shovel. Don't be confused CT, this is Aussie speak for going really fast
Did you see Anna Meares last night? She went like shit off a shovel. Don't be confused CT, this is Aussie speak for going really fast
Its good when your team is 'all pissing down the same straw'
Im as dry as a dead dingo's donger.
Stay up, stay up…normally used at a swingers party.
Im pissing into the wind.
Dont get on that wheel.
Club racing…yes its all about sheep stations.
As a pom, I find a lot of aussie slang is the same as English… e.g Anna Meares going like “shit off a shovel” would still be heard trackside in the UK. Excep it would be Victoria Pendleton. Some Aussie colloquialisms are a bit confusing though… e.g ” I drank so much piss last night I spewed”. Ummm… why were you drinking urine? etc etc.
Ct, Once you master Aussie slang you can start abbreviating your slang. This works particularly well with rhyming slang. The beauty with abbreviating the already indecipherable is that only the truly initiated can understand what the hell you mean i.e:
Drunk = Molly the Monk = Molly
Goal = Sausage Roll = Sausage
Change (as in $) = Kembla Grange (town in NSW) = Kembla
Go for a #2 = Kangaroo = Kanga
Good $ in it = Nice little earner = Bunsen Burner = Bunce (courtesy of David Brent – UK rhyming slang)
It was so hot this morning, I wasn't sure if I had piss sweating out of me or sweat pissing out of me. Luckily I had a quick kitchen sink and was right as rain, No pork pies!
…and I thought I had heard them all. I feel like I'm right off the boat again!
Join the club maaaaaaaaaaaate
And those mechanics in the TDF that adjust the bikes on the fly: “Hell they had better watch their Onkaparinga's”
Pickle me grandmother, woke up and felt as crook as a dog because me and a cobber got absolutely maggoted at the local watering hole. It was choccaz in there. Fair dinkum. Ran into this bloke, built like a brick shit house.I told the fella to pay for the damages. But he told me to bugger off, I was talking a whole bunch of bull dust and told me to shut my bunghole. Think he had a few roos loose in the top paddock.Then he chundered all over his mates clobber and passed out. I saw he was up the creek without a paddle, should lay off the turps me thinks. So I just called it a day. It was an absolute Barry. No porkies.
Did I tell ya almost rode over a joe blake the other day. Lucky for me old mate decided to get the flock outa there. So no wuckaz, she was apples. Anyway, I could keep talking under water with a mouthful of marbles, but flat out like a lizard drinking. Best hit the frog and toad. Gotta go give birth to a politician. Hooroo!
I could swear I was reading A Clockwork Orange when I read your post.
“You’re as useless as tits on a bull”
My parents are from Newfoundland and they say this all the time… wonder who started it first? The aussies or the newfies??
Hilarious WW.
For this post you can have all 3 nights at the UCI track meet :)
I was able to decipher most of that after a few tried except for “she was apples”. ???
Pretty much means everything's fine… ie –
She'll be apples. (Australian informal) also She's apples. (Australian informal)
something that you say in order to tell someone that they do not need to worry and that everything will happen as it should
yougotit
I think my dad still has this on Vinyl. Its is so funny. Gotta love Australiana!!!!
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