Living in Australia - What you need to know

[ssiri]

I didn't think Aussies pronounced Wollongong as Wool...... Woolloomooloo is pronounced as in wool,
I don't have a problem with Wagga pronounced as Wogga any more than Derby as Darby!
Different pronounciations of words are the norm wherever you go. I only just found out that Gillingham in Dorset is NOT pronounced as the "G" in Germany as per the Gillingham in Kent?
The "Al" in Albany WA and Albury NSW are pronounced differently and I think the same is true of Coogee WA compared to Coogee NSW.

I've been corrected by my other half (an Aussie) and my Aussie work colleagues - was reliably informed it's as Woollen as sheep [emoji846]. Maybe it's regional accents, don't know.

As for Wagga, I was taking the mick. I find it all rather quirky and charming [emoji106]


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[MARYROSE02]

On 02/06/2017 at 17:22, ssiri said:

Not two "Woggas" but one! When I visit country towns I sometimes ask residents if they abbreviate and/or have a slang term for their town. (except for Dubbo which I sometimes tell fellow Pommie migrants was officially named Dubhampton but then the inevitable Aussie abbreviation came along, and they stuck with it.)

 

I've been corrected by my other half (an Aussie) and my Aussie work colleagues - was reliably informed it's as Woollen as sheep . Maybe it's regional accents, don't know.

As for Wagga, I was taking the mick. I find it all rather quirky and charming


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[Luisa Cannon]

Never turn up to a BBQ empty handed

If you are invited to a BBQ in Australia, whether at a house, park or beach, never turn up empty handed. Whether you make a salad dish, provide some meat for the BBQ, bring dessert, or bring some booze to go around (a bottle of wine or champers are excellent options), always turn up with a little something as a helping hand and thanks.

[evets]

55 minutes ago, Luisa Cannon said:

Never turn up to a BBQ empty handed

If you are invited to a BBQ in Australia, whether at a house, park or beach, never turn up empty handed. Whether you make a salad dish, provide some meat for the BBQ, bring dessert, or bring some booze to go around (a bottle of wine or champers are excellent options), always turn up with a little something as a helping hand and thanks.

emm, believe the same could/would be said if invited to a BBQ in the UK or any where else in the world. Same principle would apply to being invited to dinner/housewarming/etc, bring a bottle of vino or something for the hosts.

Same courtesy applies world wide, well IMO. Not really an Aussie specific thing.

[Evandale]

5 hours ago, evets said:

emm, believe the same could/would be said if invited to a BBQ in the UK or any where else in the world. Same principle would apply to being invited to dinner/housewarming/etc, bring a bottle of vino or something for the hosts.

Same courtesy applies world wide, well IMO. Not really an Aussie specific thing.

Quite right,  Alcohol for a BBQ or party is a huge expense so it is expected you bring your own which is a huge saving and you take home any "alcohol leftovers". we usually have a few slabs of beer/wine to start the part going but it invariably doesnt get used.

When I first came to Australia I was asked to bring a plate and a plate I did bring.... got some very strange looks

[bristolman]

5 hours ago, evets said:

emm, believe the same could/would be said if invited to a BBQ in the UK or any where else in the world. Same principle would apply to being invited to dinner/housewarming/etc, bring a bottle of vino or something for the hosts.

Same courtesy applies world wide, well IMO. Not really an Aussie specific thing.

Absolutely right, unless the host specifically says not to bring anything. A select few get invited to a Christmas do at a neighbour's and they provide everything and tell us not to bring anything at all, otherwise we would bring our own drinks or some food. 

[Stella Ravens]

More than 80 percent of Australians live within 100 kilometers of the coast. Beach life is important to us and surf lifeguards are revered.

[Stella Ravens]

Some of Australian's cattle stations are bigger than European countries. They need helicopters to round up the stock.

[Keith and Linda]

32 minutes ago, Stella Ravens said:

More than 80 percent of Australians live within 100 kilometers of the coast. Beach life is important to us and surf lifeguards are revered.

I think England can better that 80% figure

[Keith and Linda]

32 minutes ago, Stella Ravens said:

Some of Australian's cattle stations are bigger than European countries. They need helicopters to round up the stock.

Lazy beggars............doing people out of work too!

[calNgary]

On 6/13/2013 at 00:10, The Pom Queen said:

Now I do not want this thread turning in to a V's thread but thought it may be a good place to have advice for new arrivals, for example:

 

1) You have to park in the same direction as the flow of traffic.

 

2) Manchester is not the place in the UK it is a name for bedding and towels

 

3) Flybys is a loyalty reward card https://www.flybuys.com.au/flybuys/content

Just quoting the OP again as some of you seem to have forgotten what it said....

Lets stay on track please

Cal x

[Wonderingaloud]

I wasn’t feeling too great at work once and when asked what the matter was, I said I thought it was just ‘trapped wind’. Following some strange looks it then took me 10 minutes to explain what that actually meant before conceding and just saying I need to fart!

No one knows what tippex is, here it’s whiteout.

Ordering a beer can be a challenge, not everywhere sells pints a schooner or pot is a much more common measure. Schooner is 425mls, a pot is 285mls.

Manchester is bedding, and a Doona is a duvet.

Capsicum is pepper, zucchini is courgette 

Whipper snipper is an edge trimmer/strimmer

Yoghurt is pronounced the American way which winds me up!! Especially when my daughter asks for a yOHgurt, no, say it properly and you can have a yoghurt!!! Maroon is pronounced marone, which also irritates me, data is darta, American pronunciation.

A rashie is a swimming top that covers your arms/back, like a waterproof jumper.

JPs are so easy to find and a completely free service, they’re in all the main shopping centres or library’s throughout the week. 

The postman whizzes around on a motorbike to deliver post and never actually gets off it to post letters.

You can buy a litre pump bottle of sun cream from supermarkets. 

Its quite common for a lot of people to be vitamin d deficient despite living in such a sunny place (observation from my workplace).

Im sure there are plenty of others that I can’t think of!

[roomummy]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this thread!! I'm an Aussie expat, never forget my first shopping experience in Tesco trying to find a 'pumpkin', closest you can find is a 'butternut', which the poms call 'squash'. And pomy squash to us aussies is called cordial...[emoji23] Can't wait to go home and rekindle my accent. My pomy kids are going to sound hilarious!

[ali]

I had brain drain at the self checkout the other day trying to remember what Mange Tout were called (snow peas).

[unzippy]

Despite being one country, driving isn’t Federal.

Each state has it’s own driving rules and driving licences 

[Bodsy]

Hi there - just decided to join this site after reading it for a couple of years.  

34 years in Queensland - originally from Sheffield in Yorkshire......... what can I add?

Off the top of my head: (some may be Queensland specific)

 - schoolbags in Queensland are called 'ports'

- the grassed part of what I would have called the back garden is called the yard - 'garden' refers only to the flowerbed - type part.  Eg Someone with half an acre of land may say that they don't have much garden, but a great big yard.  

- I'm sure someone will have mentioned the 'Durex is sellotape" problem - although I haven't heard the term 'Durex' for many years now.

- Australians are very particular about introducing everyone to everyone else (even though the meeting may be very brief).  

That's all I can think of for now

Happy New Year to all  - at least we get first shot at the fireworks, except for NZ - oh and Sydney and Melbourne, thanks to our lack of daylight saving !

 

[unzippy]

My observations moving from to SE London, been here (Hobart and Melbourne) three months now:

Australians aren't to be trusted - according to the government:

At the "Home of (Australian) Cricket" you are only allowed to buy low alcohol beer.  Compare this to Lords, The Home of Cricket where you can buy normal beer and are even allowed to take your own booze in.

Joining a motorway from a slip road - apparently Aussies need traffic lights to do this!

What else..

Bacon - it looks like cooked ham, presumably it's hot smoked?  Tastes fine.

Sushi - blimey, so cheap and so good!

Fruit - also excellent.

Driving - not very courteous, hardly anyone gives way.

[unzippy]

Oh, garnish on breakfast - wtf?

Every single breakfast I have had eating out has always had some form of green garnish.  Flat leaf parsley, normal parsley, coriander even chives.  Imagine that, chives on a fry up

[Goofy2018]

Waitstaff are like circling vultures...the minute you finish your food or drink (sometimes you haven't even quite finished yet) they'll clear your plate or glass even if others at the table are still eating. 

Not every cafe/restaurant has table service. You often need to order and pay at the counter. 

People carry a water bottle everywhere (here in Queensland anyway) because it is so hot. 

Although winter here is pretty mild it can feel colder than in Europe because older houses aren't insulated, don't have double-glazed windows and there is no central heating. 

There are a lot of creepy crawlies here, turning a visit to the park into a nightmare sometimes. Being outdoors requires sunscreen and from dusk also insect repellent (again, in Queensland). 

Queenslanders are terrible drivers. The minute there's even the slightest drop of rain they really forget how to drive, resulting in lots of accidents and traffic delays. 

 

 

[Toots]

16 minutes ago, Goofy2018 said:

Waitstaff are like circling vultures...the minute you finish your food or drink (sometimes you haven't even quite finished yet) they'll clear your plate or glass even if others at the table are still eating. 

Not every cafe/restaurant has table service. You often need to order and pay at the counter. 

People carry a water bottle everywhere (here in Queensland anyway) because it is so hot. 

Although winter here is pretty mild it can feel colder than in Europe because older houses aren't insulated, don't have double-glazed windows and there is no central heating. 

There are a lot of creepy crawlies here, turning a visit to the park into a nightmare sometimes. Being outdoors requires sunscreen and from dusk also insect repellent (again, in Queensland). 

Queenslanders are terrible drivers. The minute there's even the slightest drop of rain they really forget how to drive, resulting in lots of accidents and traffic delays. 

 

 

After reading that, I'm glad I live in Tasmania though Tassie drivers aren't the best either.

[Marisawright]

On 1/1/2018 at 21:35, Bodsy said:

- I'm sure someone will have mentioned the 'Durex is sellotape" problem - although I haven't heard the term 'Durex' for many years now.

Oh boy, I'd forgotten about that.

I came across it shortly after I arrived, in my first job.   My manager (good-looking, but I could tell he fancied himself) had asked me to help him organise our training materials.   We went to a big boxroom out the back, alone, miles from the office.  We were busily packing some of the stuff into boxes when he said, "Where did I put the Durex?"    I froze.  

What seemed like an age later, but was probably only a few seconds, he said, "Ah!  Here it is", and held up a roll of sellotape.  I was so relieved, I got a fit of the giggles.

What made me laugh even more was the thought of a Brit going into an Australian shop and asking for Durex.  When the salesperson handed him the sellotape, I could imagine him looking at it and thinking, "Crikey, these Aussie blokes must be tough!" 

[Toots]

6 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

Oh boy, I'd forgotten about that.

I came across it shortly after I arrived, in my first job.   My manager (good-looking, but I could tell he fancied himself) had asked me to help him organise our training materials.   We went to a big boxroom out the back, alone, miles from the office.  We were busily packing some of the stuff into boxes when he said, "Where did I put the Durex?"    I froze.  

What seemed like an age later, but was probably only a few seconds, he said, "Ah!  Here it is", and held up a roll of sellotape.  I was so relieved, I got a fit of the giggles.

What made me laugh even more was the thought of a Brit going into an Australian shop and asking for Durex.  When the salesperson handed him the sellotape, I could imagine him looking at it and thinking, "Crikey, these Aussie blokes must be tough!" 

I've never heard of sellotape being called Durex here.  At my work place it was just called sticky tape.

[Marisawright]

12 minutes ago, Toots said:

I've never heard of sellotape being called Durex here.  At my work place it was just called sticky tape.

This was in Victoria.  I moved to Sydney a year later and have never heard it called Durex since, so I'm guessing it might be a Victorian thing.    Different states have different slang for things.

Edited March 4, 2018 by Marisawright

[MARYROSE02]

3 hours ago, Marisawright said:

This was in Victoria.  I moved to Sydney a year later and have never heard it called Durex since, so I'm guessing it might be a Victorian thing.    Different states have different slang for things.

Durex for sticky tape or rather Cellotape as I used to say. Maybe I still do. I recall Aussies referring to a "wet-check" but I have not heard that lately perhaps because I'm moving in more "celibate" circles. I know a bunch of young guys who are always on Tinder (Rather embarrassingly I asked them how Tinder works) and I shall ask them what the slang of choice is though most of them are Pommies or Irish anyway.

[unzippy]

4 hours ago, Goofy2018 said:

Queenslanders are terrible drivers. The minute there's even the slightest drop of rain they really forget how to drive, resulting in lots of accidents and traffic delays. 

Melbourne too.  Except I've yet to drive in the rain.  I don't know if they really could be any worse!

Flat out zero consideration of other road users - cars/bikes/cycles.  It's like no one else exists, maybe that explains why they drive so close - they don't think you exist?

 

This morning I was at a T junction waiting to turn left but couldn't as there was a tram there dropping passengers off.  The cretin behind me honked.  They should be handing their licence back if they couldn't see a tram.

I've seen better, more considerate driving in Cairo.