Questions tagged [australian-english]
Questions about English used in Australia.
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3answers
42 views
Why do U.S. Americans say “a good value” (using indefinite article “a”)
Take this example from the Airbnb website: "What would have made this listing a better value?"
This souds absolutely horrible and incorrect to my Australian ears (I would omit the "a"). I've also ...
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0answers
51 views
What is the history of the Australian slang word “sleeps” (meaning days)?
What is the history of the Australian slang word "sleeps" (meaning days)? I lived in Sydney many years ago and the term was not used then.
3
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2answers
114 views
Multiple pronunciations of “where”
I've been an Australian English speaker my whole life but this was pointed out to me recently. Apparently I've been pronouncing "where" differently or incorrectly? Most of the people around me ...
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1answer
35 views
On the double meaning of evaluation
I know that evaluation can refer to both the process and the result, but when you say something is an evaluation of another thing, like fact is evaluation of claim (forgive the choppiness, the ...
2
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1answer
88 views
Australian English: neighbor or neighbour?
Several sites (say, https://www.grammar.com/neighbor_vs._neighbour, https://proofreadmydocument.com.au/writing-tips/differences-between-american-and-australian-english, https://au.answers.yahoo.com/...
4
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2answers
120 views
Australian English: developed or developped?
According to https://proofreadmydocument.com.au/writing-tips/spelling-tips-the-doubling-up-rule/ and https://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/resources/view/resource/20/, we should spell the past ...
16
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5answers
4k views
Origin of “It's a fair cop”
After coming across the following questions, Origin of “All right, what's all this, then?!” and Origin of “Well, well, well. What do we have here?”, my curiosity was piqued to try and discover the ...
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1answer
228 views
How do you pronounce the word “array” in Australian English?
I am learning accents (differences in pronunciation), and I was wondering how to pronounce the word "array" in Australian English, and how it's pronounced in other variants of the language. Is it AH-...
7
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1answer
178 views
What connection (if any) is there in Australian slang between 'dinkum' and 'dink' (meaning a ride on bicycle handlebars)?
In an answer to the recent question, What is the American equivalent of a "backie"? site participant Chappo notes that in Australia the word dink is sometimes used as a noun to mean "a lift ...
0
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2answers
123 views
Usage of the word “spunk”
The word spunk is used to describe an attractive man. Can it also be used for a female? This is an Australian English word.
E.g. :
He's not really a spunk. I mean he's nice but...
1
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0answers
71 views
Why “idea-R-of” in Australia
I am not native english speaker
English is my 2nd Language
When I moved to Australia I noticed people here adding the letter R in between words that ends with vowel and the other that starts with ...
15
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5answers
2k views
Do native speakers of major English varieties actually say “a software” or “softwares”?
So I've looked up the word "software" around, and I've learned that -ware words are uncountable, and there's even a claim at the Wiktionary entry for this word that "a software" or "softwares" are a ...
2
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2answers
105 views
Why is it okay for word initial /ɪ/ to sometimes be voiced as a /ə/ but not always?
For example what is the rule that says that,
"Enough" (ɪˈnʌf) can be pronounced as /ənʌf/
But for "Introduce" (ɪntrəˈdjuːs) the /ɪ/ can't be pronounced as a /ə/?
0
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1answer
65 views
Help in deconstructing a sentence [closed]
This was a question posed by a friend. I'm myself curious of the answer. I apologize for the explicit content (I left it as is to remove ambiguity). I pretty sure that 'a yuppy fu@k' is a compound ...
2
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2answers
404 views
What is the meaning of “I’ll be up you for the rent”?
In this video at 1:43, Ray (the guy on the right), says something like:
"And if I ever hear you having your eyes lifted or something done to your chin I'll be up you for the rent too by the way."
...
1
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2answers
67 views
What does the phrase “chuck something in” mean?
I was doing the bilingual subtitling for a video recorded last year, on the first day of same-sex marriage debate in the lower house of Australia. There was a marriage proposal from an MP to his ...
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0answers
2k views
Idiom: Origin of the phrase “a bit how ya going” to mean questionable or 'not quite right'
In Australia, where I live, it is not uncommon for people to describe something as "a bit 'how ya goin''" to mean that it's a little bit dodgy, or not quite right. An example is
"Hey don't you have ...
0
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2answers
74 views
How come Australians refer to Aboriginal citizens as 'Aboriginal peoples', not 'Aboriginal people' [duplicate]
I've noticed in a lot of proceedings that Aboriginal citizens in Australia are referred to as 'Aboriginal peoples', not 'Aboriginal people' - is there any specific reason?
0
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2answers
300 views
Metalanguage and Sentence Structure (help!!) [closed]
I got my assessment back on Friday, and my teacher said I need to work on metalanguage and sentence structure. I don't understand what she means. I have looked on the internet for past 20 minutes ...
4
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2answers
157 views
What is the UK equivalent of 'murica and 'straya?
There is a pejorative phrase in the United States for country hicks that has recently arisen:
'murica
Implying that that user of the phrase doesn't pronounce their words properly and doesn't ...
0
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2answers
39 views
Is saying “But if I try I can't remember” good English?
Is saying "But if I try I can't remember" good English?
I feel like there is something wrong with this sentence (apart from the use of "but" at the start of a sentence - it's a song lyric).
However,...
0
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0answers
45 views
What does it mean “do entertainment stories”
Actually I’m biggest fan of sia and I usually enjoy watching her interviews. anyway I watched the nightline interview,
and she said “you don’t really do entertainment stories really that much.” and ...
0
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1answer
185 views
Expressions about a phone call and its quality
I was listening to a radio program and there was an interview going on over the phone between the anchor and the listener. But I heard the disturbing sound from the phone call and the anchor said,
"...
0
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0answers
62 views
Is the phrase 'TV show' (for series) often used in English language varieties other than American English?
I am aware of the common use of the phrase 'TV show' (for series, usually of several seasons) in American English. I am not really interested in elaborations on other terms (series, season, programme, ...
4
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2answers
105 views
Arcing up: cats or electricity?
In Australian English slang, the expression "to arc up" means "to become upset or angry" (Wikitionary), e.g. "he arced up at his boss after being denied a promised pay rise", or "it was just a joke, ...
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1answer
98 views
Global socially acceptable way of acknowledging that I'm being a “pedantic w****r”?
I'm Australian and would not hesitate to call myself a "pedantic wanker" in public (because, well... I often am!).
There is a very small chance that someone (most likely elderly or particularly ...
2
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1answer
122 views
“'ve” contraction in Canadian and Australian English
I'm wondering if in Australian or Canadian English you can use " 've" before a noun phrase in informal style:
I've a car.
They've a great time.
The question is somewhat related to this one. The ...
17
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2answers
3k views
Was Zink ever valid spelling for Zinc?
On the Genealogy & Family History Stack Exchange I asked What might 'pitt Zink' in 1873 South Australian diary mean? and the first answer I received more or less aligns with my thinking that Zink ...
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3answers
314 views
Is“peanut” is pronounced as “pienut” in Australian English?
This morning on NHK Japanese National TV there was a short feature on an Australian person who is running an English school, teaching language and cooking at the same time.
As a part of the scenario ...
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1answer
183 views
What are roach motels (the insect trap) called in Australian English?
In Australian English, what are the insect trap known as "roach motels" called? Wiktionary and Wikipedia (also this link) don't mention what it's called in Australian English.
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1answer
664 views
The phrase “to get the run around”
Is "get the run around" a US idiom or is it widely understood throughout the English-speaking world?
I'm an American and recently I was in Argentina making a domestic flight connection from Buenos ...
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3answers
893 views
Is Waltzing Matilda comprehensible outside of Australia? In Australia?
I'm American, but it seems to me that when I’ve encountered Australian speech or writing, I didn’t have much trouble understanding it. The words are mostly familiar to me. So what’s going on in the ...
2
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1answer
75 views
Is the phrase “great pickup” a regional (Australian?) thing?
I am someone who grew up in Canada, and been mostly exposed to Canadian, American, and British English.
When speaking with some Australians, I've been noticing the use of the phrase "great pickup", ...
5
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1answer
2k views
Why “smashed avocado” rather than “mashed avocado”?
In the context of gastronomy, what is the difference, if any, between "smashed" and "mashed"? I'm familiar with "mashed" being used, such as in "mashed potato", but hadn't heard of "smashed" being ...
2
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1answer
332 views
Pronunciation of the letter “c” or “ce” in Australian English
In an Australian TV program the disease "encephalitis" was pronounced "enKephalitis." Is there a rule about the pronunciation of the letter "c" in Australian English?
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1answer
1k views
Popular usage of 'c*nt' as a reference to a mate
For those unfamiliar with Modern Australian English (MAE), the British loan word 'Cunt' provides at least two popular meanings. While one of these is offensive, the other's best equivalent would be ...
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1answer
100 views
Common word for level and area
Suppose that a building is divided in levels (floors) which are further divided in areas.
How would you them both with one word? (preferably in Australian English)
Best word I could think of so far ...
7
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1answer
396 views
Strange pronunciation of “door”
I have just heard Australian-English actor Rob Inglis repeatedly pronounce the word "door" so that it rhymes with "poor".
In what dialect is that pronunciation found? Is it Australian?
Edit - ...
0
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1answer
50 views
Does “expire” have to be followed by “on”?
I found this on someone's resume:
expires 12/10/2017
Is this correct or should it be
expires on 12/10/2017
If it makes any difference, this resume is from someone in Australia.
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1answer
89 views
What's the word for the person (or party) making a proposition?
The word I'm after would apply in a situation where one party proposes that another do something, and the second party accepts of rejects the proposal. In this situation, the proposal is proffered by ...
3
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2answers
578 views
Is “Announceable” as a noun an Australianism?
I just heard of the word "Announceable" being as a noun. This word was announced as a Word of the Year candidate in 2011 by the Macquarie Dictionary. An example from 2010, albeit using sneer quotes: ...
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1answer
106 views
Australian English for items that are discounted, on sale, or on clearance?
US English user looking for help with AusE. How would you describe to a friend something you bought that was on sale, discounted, or on clearance? Would it be with those terms, or variations on those ...
13
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3answers
4k views
Date as a synonym for anus
In the Song "Ten Foot Cock And A Few Hundred Virgins" Tim Minchin uses the phrase "it's a sin to take it up the date, even if it's great, even with your cowboy mate". I'm not a native English speaker -...
0
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3answers
137 views
Are there local differences in the definitions of cleaning and tidying?
Do the words cleaning and tidying translate differently in different English speaking countries? Specifically, would vacuuming always be considered part of tidying AND cleaning?
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3answers
395 views
How did the term “bolshie” come to be applied to birds?
This question is prompted by a term in http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/73108561/Council-warning-threatened-falcon-species-launch-fists-of-fury-against-walkers
Falcons were bolshie birds, ...
32
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9answers
5k views
Is “best” still a superlative in “best friend”, as in can you have more than one “best friend”?
I was speaking to a 15-year-old native English speaker (in Australia), who referred to someone as her "best friend". Later, she revealed that this wasn't her only best friend. She had four best ...
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7answers
17k views
How to express someone's height in metric
If someone is 169cm tall, what is the most common way of saying their height in metres and centimetres in American/Australian/British English?
I'm not interested in converting metres (meters) and ...
4
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1answer
174 views
“He could do X for England”. Are there similar expressions in other parts of the English-speaking world to this derogatory sentence?
In Reginald Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe novels, I've read the phrase: "He could [do x] for England. It is always derogatory. It is a lovely phrase!
Because I can't put my finger on a quote from these ...
1
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1answer
68 views
Does “three corner” refer to South Australia? [closed]
In the NHK program Somewhere Street (Japanese: Sekai Fureai Machiaruki) on Adelaide, a lifesaver was quoted as saying what sounded like (pideo.net link at 14:25):
Born down the road ... after going ...
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4answers
2k views
“I usually knock off at 6”
"I usually knock off at 6", i heard an english gentleman say that. Does it sound odd only to me? In fact, what I heard was "I usually masturbate at 6"
Did some research:
found a book (i'm guessing ...
