Questions tagged [australian-english]
Questions about English used in Australia.
142
questions
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1answer
61 views
How can one use 'would' and 'could' both, consecutively?
I encountered a sentence in an article. The writer (an Australian) has used both 'could' and 'would' consecutively in a sentence.
The sentence is
But I was determined to make a statement: would ...
2
votes
1answer
54 views
Exactly what does “range” mean in “to range the bride costume”?
In a news article from Australia, a Kmart spokesperson said, "Kmart Australia regrets the decision to range the bride costume."
I checked various dictionaries including OED, but I could not find an ...
2
votes
1answer
62 views
Is “swap” an accepted alternate spelling for “swab” in Australian English?
A client from Australia sent us some documents that pretty consistently use "alcohol swap" to describe disinfecting wipes.
So no, this is not a "what do I use if I don't have gin" type of situation; ...
3
votes
1answer
56 views
Is “crib bag” the Australian equivalent of “carryall” in AmE?
I have seen bags labeled "crib bags" on Australian websites. I never really understand what they are precisely or whether "crib" refers to the material or the shape of the bag.
It seems the bags that ...
4
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1answer
126 views
Origin of the saying 'It's a soda'?
We say that something is easy (in Australia at least) by saying that 'it's a soda?' What is the origin of this please? Why soda?
0
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0answers
67 views
Are “one” and “won” homophones in Australian English?
My friend and I are both native speakers of Australian English.
He thinks "one" and "won" sound different and feels "a one-liner" sounds wrong and should be "an one-liner". He does think the two ...
-1
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1answer
31 views
the wording specific to Australia [closed]
Please tell me the wording specific to Australia.
・Carrying on like a pork chop
・Chuck a sickie
etc.
thank you.
3
votes
4answers
243 views
What is the difference between ‘Is it free’ and ‘Is it on the house?’
One of my friends said, ‘Is it on the house?’ in Australia, but some felt a little awkward.
Do Australians not usually use the expression, ‘on the house’?
1
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3answers
77 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 ...
1
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0answers
150 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
votes
2answers
122 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
44 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
210 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
307 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 ...
17
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5answers
5k 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 ...
0
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1answer
399 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
351 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
426 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
103 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
votes
2answers
121 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
75 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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1answer
880 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
vote
2answers
138 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 ...
2
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2answers
4k 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
91 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
394 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
votes
2answers
245 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
60 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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3answers
420 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 a disturbing sound from the phone call and the anchor said,
"...
4
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2answers
130 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, ...
1
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1answer
146 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
143 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
votes
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 ...
1
vote
3answers
425 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 ...
1
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1answer
203 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.
1
vote
1answer
1k 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 ...
7
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3answers
1k 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 ...
1
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1answer
87 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
votes
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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2answers
578 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?
1
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1answer
2k 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
102 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
votes
1answer
473 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
55 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.
-1
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1answer
94 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 ...
4
votes
3answers
704 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: ...
0
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1answer
114 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 ...
15
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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
147 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?
