Aussie Speak

It’s the slang that will get you in Melbourne. Aussie Slang, or “Strine” as it’s sometimes called, is said to be a reflection of the harsh Australian land and the no-nonsense "let’s get on with it" attitude of the people. Some say the slang -- and the accent in particular -- came about because people had to learn to talk while keeping their mouths open as little as possible because of the flies. In fact, the term “Aussie salute” means to brush away flies with the hand. A person who has a strong accent and uses a lot of slang is said to talk real “ocker”.

You learn easy slang like ‘G’day’, ‘no worries’, and ‘mate’ and you think you’re set. But then the next day someone is telling a story dripping with slang and people are crying because they are laughing so hard and you’re sitting there…. just not quite getting the joke…you look like an idiot.

If it’s not the slang, it’s the accent. You know the word exactly but it’s how they’re pronouncing it that you can’t quite pick up -- so you look like an idiot.

I was in a meeting with a consultant and he told me one of our client contacts was in charge of procurement and SLAs.
“Essellays?” I asked, “I’m not familiar with that term – is it Australian?”
“SLA?” came the reply, “isn’t that fairly standard globally?”
“Um.” I respond nonchalantly -- I want to ensure I come off as internationally attentive to my new colleague, “say it again… the term is “essellays”?”
“Yes. S-L-A. Service Level Agreements.”
“Oh. S-L-A. Yep. I know that.”
“Uh-huh.”
These people think I’m an idiot.

Another day I went to meet with our finance person to discuss Melbourne accounting processes. I sat at her desk across from her – between us were papers, files, and other work. She pushed aside the papers and moved some folders and said,
“Here, let me clear you some farting room.”
“Excuse me?” I asked
“I just want to move my work so you have some farting room.”
“I’m sorry…some farting room?” I pronounce “farting” the way she did – more like “faah-ting”.
She nodded. “Don’t you fancy a bit of “faah-ting room”?”
“Um.” I look around as if I’m going to find an appropriate answer in the Xerox printer or the florescent lighting.
I grab a piece of paper and write the word, F-A-R-T-I-N-G and hand it to her.
“Are you saying, “farting”? You want me to have some farting room?”
I ask in my flat, nasally American accent.
Her head snaps back in laughter. Now her head nods forward. She pounds the desk (and my farting room) with her fist. She can’t speak. I look at her mutely. She gasps….more fist pounding… shaking her head she grabs the piece of paper and writes out:
F-I-G-H-T-I-N-G
“Fighting room? As in elbow room? That’s what you’re trying to say?”
She nods. Tears streaming down her delighted face.