Plain Talking

I got reminded again today of how much Australian slang I use day to day.

My experience with Americans so far has been that they speak very plainly and get quite confused if you don't as well. The stereotypical Australian playfulness with language doesn't translate very well. Any sort of reference or pun leaves them stumped. Service staff in particular get derailed.

I recently replied to an email late at night asking the recipient to get back to me "when he was vertical again". I wouldn't really consider that Australian slang but if you were to say that back home most people would work out what you meant.

At the end of a meeting I was in yesterday one of my colleagues asked that an agenda item be added.

Work out what DQ meant by 'keen as mustard'

I didn't even realise I'd said it until he mentioned it. One of the other Aussies in the room, Woz, looked at me blankly and mouthed "they don't know?".

No they don't. I'd covered the etymology of keen as mustard in a previous post and explained. They just looked at me blankly.

So today we were sitting on the balcony drinking whiskey (it's Whiskey Thursday after all) and I said something in Australian slang again. Yet another Aussie, Astrid, commented that I did use a lot of it. Well, of course, I haven't been here long enough for brain rot to set in.

Besides, if they think I'm gonna arse about and talk like a bloody seppo they're a few tinnies short of a six pack. ;)