Australian slang
The readers of BBC News Magazine shared some of their favourite expressions. Here are a few of them:
Kangaroos loose in the top paddock – eccentric or not very bright. I love this phrase because it evokes the achingly silent dry desert heat and open space of the great Australian outdoors. Adrian Fisher, Durweston, Dorset
Knock up – wake up. When I was staying with a host family in South Australia, the host father told me he would knock me up in the morning. His innocent Aussie English meant knock on my door to wake me up but as an American I was quite shocked since to me it appeared he planned to get me pregnant. Bethani Ann De Long Vehapi, Choex, Switzerland
Thongs – flip-flops. While holidaying in Nice, my mate and I got friendly with and Aussie and a Kiwi. While on the beach, the very pretty Aussie asked me to pass her a thong. I naturally hesitated, but then stated she should probably come and get her own underwear. She nearly fell over laughing, and in between gasps for air, managed to explain that thongs were flip-flops, and she only had one on. She was asking me to pass her the additional flip-flop, not some skimpy underwear. Stu Wilson, Harrogate, UK
Go off like a frog in a sock – go berserk. Barton Mills, Suffolk
Find out more expressions on the website of the BBC: click HERE.
