Sandy's Say: Speaking Strine
...Australian culture is generally renowned for its absence of a class structure and some areas are noted for their lack of class altogether. Whilst the former gives us freedom from pomposity and equal opportunity for all, the latter results in some fairly earthy and explicit sayings. So, if you are of delicate sensibilities then I suggest you cease reading about here...
Sandy James brings us an introductory lesson in that gloriously inventive and rebellious language - Strine.
As with any country, Australian language or "Strine" reflects the culture (or lack of culture, depending on your opinion) and lifestyle of its inhabitants. The very fact that "Australian English" is shortened to "Strine" is indicative of the laidback, laconic attitude which Aussies are famous for.
Those who are envious might label this as "lazy" but why say, "The fat, ugly girl, who was at the thuggish rugby game, had calves which became feet without any definition of ankles" when it can be condensed most succinctly into, "The fugly girl, who was at the thugby, had cankles." Of course, those in the know will point out that the 'f' in fugly does not stand for' fat' but I am mindful of the fact that my mother reads this column and she does not approve of swearing.
Which makes the rest of this discussion a bit tricky because Australian culture is generally renowned for its absence of a class structure and some areas are noted for their lack of class altogether. Whilst the former gives us freedom from pomposity and equal opportunity for all, the latter results in some fairly earthy and explicit sayings. So, if you are of delicate sensibilities then I suggest you cease reading about here.
Humour is very much part of the Aussie psyche and the quintessential ingredient in most Australian expressions .The following examples should give you a feel for it.
* As nervous as a mother roo in a room full of pickpockets.
* As happy as a bastard on Fathers' Day (i.e. very miserable)
* As useful as tits on a bull.
* As useful as a pork chop at a Jewish barbeque.
* As flash (ostentatious) as a rat with a gold tooth.
* As long as a streak of pelican's s**t.
* Off like a bride's nightie (i.e. at great speed)
* Off like a bucket of prawns in the midday sun.
* As rare as rocking horse s**t.
* He had a head like a dropped meat pie/ a half -sucked mango (i.e. extremely ugly)
* He had a head like a smashed (drunk) wombat's armpit / a head like the south end of a northbound camel / a mouth like a camel driver's crotch (i.e. serious hangover).
There are also some fairly amusing, alternative words for well known things:
* axle grease = Vegemite
* rat coffin or maggot pack = meat pie
mystery bag = sausage
* bum nut = an egg (Think about it for a bit)
* Bondi cigar = floating, faecal matter in the sea (Doesn't' bear thinking about at all)
* skid lid = cyclist's helmet
* shark biscuit = flimsy, small surfboard
* Chinese safety boots = rubber flip-flops
* dunny budgies/butcher's canaries = large, bothersome blowflies
As if this colloquial slang isn't difficult enough for a foreign visitor to understand, it is also habitually spoken with a rising intonation at the end of each sentence, which makes all sentences sound like questions or surprised remarks.
I did once overhear an Aussie basher, in the pub, joking that the reason why Australians speak like this is because they are in fact surprised - surprised that they have managed to reach the end of a coherent sentence. Such a feeble attempt at humour. I can only think that he must have been either a sheep-lover (a New Zealander), from that place where men are men and sheep are nervous or a bath-dodger (a Brit) who was a Tim Tam (delicious, chocolate biscuit) short of a packet.
