Remember my last blog with Aussie slang? Well, I'm referring to my comment about a shit-carter's hat and why it's so flat. I'll leave you with a question which will give you the answer.
The shit-carter has to collect the tin container from the stand-alone toilet to fit on his vehicle like a drawer. Guess how he carries the full container from the toilet to the vehicle?
Welcome to Australia!
My blog was created to document my experiences and life on a farm in Australia. Having been brought up as a city girl all my life, my experiences at the farm has its charms and "culture shocks". You'll know what I mean when you read my posts. Enjoy!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
The Colour In Aussie Colloqualism - Part 2
I've gathered more words of Aussie slang for your reading pleasure:
In the days of old, when the sewage system was nowhere similar to what we have nowadays with the flush and all. In those days, the loo was basically a tall wooden structure, similar in size to the broom closet, with a roof and a raised floor with a "hole" in it. Beneath this "hole" sat a tin container. A person needing to visit the loo will have to enter this "closet" and stoop over the "hole" (it was oval in shape, long and as broad as the width of your hips) to do the necessary through the hole into this container (I know, I know, too much info!). Obviously someone had to take it away once it was full and replace it with an empty one!
One guess as who a shit-carter is! I'm guessing that his hat was really flat & no one could really tell me why it was so if it was so!!!! I really have my doubts about what the flatness of the hat had to do with the job he had to do! Oh well....
Welcome to Australia!
- Pop-off - FART
- Dag - SHIT THAT HANGS ON THE WOOL OF A SHEEP'S BUM!
- A bit ho-hum - NOT SHIT HOT/JUST AVERAGE
- Howz ur dad? - SAME AS 3 ABOVE (I really don't see how it's even related!!! - told ya confusing bunch!)
- Six of 1 or 1/2 dozen of the other - SAME THING/NO DIFFERENCE
- Bunging it on - FAKING IT.
- She can talk underwater with a mouth full of cement - SHE TALKS INCESSANTLY
- As flat as a shit-carter's hat - FLAT AS A SHEET OF PAPER
- Hoo Roo - GOODBYE
Monday, January 10, 2011
Arachnophobia
Summer is the time for spiders & snakes in Australia, so I've been told. Well, I don't hope to see snakes but I've seen enough spiders to last me a lifetime!
Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, Farm Stud's mother, let's call her Horse Rider, came a calling. She needed to go to the loo and I was in the kitchen waiting for the water to boil to make us a pot of tea.
I spilled something on the floor & reached out to tear a segment off the roll of kitchen towel sitting on the microwave oven. After I tore the piece off, there sitting on the vertical side of the roll was this wolf spider, big, brown & menacing-looking. Of course, you can guess what happened next! I screamed!
Horse Rider (from the loo): What? What? What happened?
Tractor Chick: (screaming again) Aaaaarrrrrggggghhhh!
Horse Rider: (coming round the corner): What is it?
Tractor Chick: There's a huge spider on the kitchen towel.
I turned around to look at Horse Rider & there she was standing with the front part of her knickers up while the back part was down! I couldn't stop laughing.
Tractor Chick (still laughing): It's ok, I think you have time to finish what you were doing. The spider doesn't seem to be going anywhere.
The Horse Rider finally came out of the loo all tidied up and she saved me from the spider.
WELCOME TO AUSTRALIA!
Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, Farm Stud's mother, let's call her Horse Rider, came a calling. She needed to go to the loo and I was in the kitchen waiting for the water to boil to make us a pot of tea.
I spilled something on the floor & reached out to tear a segment off the roll of kitchen towel sitting on the microwave oven. After I tore the piece off, there sitting on the vertical side of the roll was this wolf spider, big, brown & menacing-looking. Of course, you can guess what happened next! I screamed!
Horse Rider (from the loo): What? What? What happened?
Tractor Chick: (screaming again) Aaaaarrrrrggggghhhh!
Horse Rider: (coming round the corner): What is it?
Tractor Chick: There's a huge spider on the kitchen towel.
I turned around to look at Horse Rider & there she was standing with the front part of her knickers up while the back part was down! I couldn't stop laughing.
Tractor Chick (still laughing): It's ok, I think you have time to finish what you were doing. The spider doesn't seem to be going anywhere.
The Horse Rider finally came out of the loo all tidied up and she saved me from the spider.
WELCOME TO AUSTRALIA!
The Colour In Aussie Colloqualism
This is for those who are ever planning to live in Australia.
When I first started visiting Oz, not only was it a struggle to cope with the lazy Aussie drawl, I also had to deal with the "colour" in the words they used. So, being the charitable human being, I've decided that I'll share some of what I've learnt with you. The interpretation will, of course, be the Singapore version.
So far so good that I can remember that many! I'll surely update you with more as & when I gather them.
WELCOME TO AUSTRALIA!
When I first started visiting Oz, not only was it a struggle to cope with the lazy Aussie drawl, I also had to deal with the "colour" in the words they used. So, being the charitable human being, I've decided that I'll share some of what I've learnt with you. The interpretation will, of course, be the Singapore version.
- A few roos short in the top paddock - SCREW LOOSE.
- Furphy - A LIE.
- Porky Pie - A LIE (again).
- Yesty - YESTERDAY.
- Arvo - AFTERNOON.
- Bull Dust - DON'T BLUFF.
- Uhming & ah-ring - UHM, AH.
- Fair dinkum - HONESTLY, TRUTHFULLY.
- Spuds - POTATOES.
- Dunny - TOILET.
- Dunny roll/paper - TOILET ROLL/PAPER.
- Bum nuts - EGGS.
- Tub up - BATH/SHOWER.
- Pain the pinny - STOMACH ACHE.
- Chook - CHICKEN.
- Tea - DINNER.
- Dinner - LUNCH.
So far so good that I can remember that many! I'll surely update you with more as & when I gather them.
WELCOME TO AUSTRALIA!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
The Galapagos House - Part 2
Before I went to bed last night, I had to use the loo, as usual. This 150-year old house in Maitland is not ensuite so a walk through a short hallway was necessary to get to where I needed to go. Before I could get halfway, I noticed something on the floor. It looked very much like the round fluff of dog hair + dust from under the sofa, fridge, etc. It looked a bit strange so I decided to take the other route through the lounge and out the other door to the loo. Doing this it allowed me to bypass the thing on the floor, just in case it was alive.
As I got to the door of the loo, I looked again at this thing on the floor and this ball of fluff looked like it had a pair of eyes looking away from me. The lighting wasn't very good, obviously, because I couldn't make out what it was.
Tractor Chick: (yelling out) Hey Babe! There is something here that looks strange.
Farm Stud: (From the bedroom & yelling back) What is it?
Tractor Chick: I don't know but it has fur on it & I think it has a pair of eyes on it.
Farm Stud: Is it a rat?
Tractor Chick: No no it's only small, not as big as a rat.
Farm Stud: Is it a mouse?
Tractor Chick: No no it's sitting too still to be a mouse.
Farm Stud: Is it a spider?
Tractor Chick: No I know what a spider looks like.
Farm Stud: What is it?
Tractor Chick: (yelling louder) I don't know!
After doing the deed, I came out of the loo and continued to stare at this ball of fluff. I took one careful step toward it & it did the unexpected; IT JUMPED!
Tractor Chick: (screaming) IT JUMPED!!
Farm Stud: (yelling louder) WHAT IS IT?
Tractor Chick: (still screaming) I DON'T KNOW BUT IT'S GOT FUR!
Farm Stud: (running from the bedroom) What is it? Hahahahaha...what is it? Oh, it's a frog & it's covered in fur!
Tractor Chick: See I told you it was something weird!
Farm Stud: (going after it till he caught it in his hands) It's only a baby green frog. it won't hurt you. Come, have a look.
Tractor Chick: (running back through the door towards to the bedroom) NOOOOOO!!!!!
Farm Stud: (releases the frog into the garden) Hahahaha I've never seen a frog with fur!
Tractor Chick: Yeah I definitely haven't!
Farm Stud: (comes back into the bedroom still laughing) I know what it is. The frog must have landed on or through a ball of fluff from somewhere and it got stuck to its body & hopped around with it. Hahahaha. This is the best incident yet! I'll never forget it for a long time. Hahahaha.
Welcome to Australia!
As I got to the door of the loo, I looked again at this thing on the floor and this ball of fluff looked like it had a pair of eyes looking away from me. The lighting wasn't very good, obviously, because I couldn't make out what it was.
Tractor Chick: (yelling out) Hey Babe! There is something here that looks strange.
Farm Stud: (From the bedroom & yelling back) What is it?
Tractor Chick: I don't know but it has fur on it & I think it has a pair of eyes on it.
Farm Stud: Is it a rat?
Tractor Chick: No no it's only small, not as big as a rat.
Farm Stud: Is it a mouse?
Tractor Chick: No no it's sitting too still to be a mouse.
Farm Stud: Is it a spider?
Tractor Chick: No I know what a spider looks like.
Farm Stud: What is it?
Tractor Chick: (yelling louder) I don't know!
After doing the deed, I came out of the loo and continued to stare at this ball of fluff. I took one careful step toward it & it did the unexpected; IT JUMPED!
Tractor Chick: (screaming) IT JUMPED!!
Farm Stud: (yelling louder) WHAT IS IT?
Tractor Chick: (still screaming) I DON'T KNOW BUT IT'S GOT FUR!
Farm Stud: (running from the bedroom) What is it? Hahahahaha...what is it? Oh, it's a frog & it's covered in fur!
Tractor Chick: See I told you it was something weird!
Farm Stud: (going after it till he caught it in his hands) It's only a baby green frog. it won't hurt you. Come, have a look.
Tractor Chick: (running back through the door towards to the bedroom) NOOOOOO!!!!!
Farm Stud: (releases the frog into the garden) Hahahaha I've never seen a frog with fur!
Tractor Chick: Yeah I definitely haven't!
Farm Stud: (comes back into the bedroom still laughing) I know what it is. The frog must have landed on or through a ball of fluff from somewhere and it got stuck to its body & hopped around with it. Hahahaha. This is the best incident yet! I'll never forget it for a long time. Hahahaha.
Welcome to Australia!
The Galapagos House - Part 1
The "wildlife" in Maitland never ceases to amaze, surprise and shock me.
Some weeks ago when the rains were upon us for days and days, I spotted on the wall in front of me something that looked like a small snail leaving its slimy trail; with one exception! It was houseless!
Tractor Chick: Hey Babe, there is a snail on this wall that doesn't have a house! This is the first time I've seen a house-less snail. It must have lost its house in this pouring rain. All the snails that I've ever seen all had houses on their backs.
Farm Stud: (Decides to have a look at this thing) Hahaha! That's a slug.
Tractor Chick: A slug?! I thought slugs only live in the sea?
Farm Stud: No no here it is called a slug.
Tractor Chick: But it has those retractable eyes on its head just like an ordinary snail does! So how can it be called a slug? This is so weird! Do slugs here have to look for houses?
Farm Stud: Nooooo....slugs don't ever have houses. They are exactly that - house-less.
Tractor Chick: Eeeewwww it's gross!
Farm Stud: Welcome to Australia!
Some weeks ago when the rains were upon us for days and days, I spotted on the wall in front of me something that looked like a small snail leaving its slimy trail; with one exception! It was houseless!
Tractor Chick: Hey Babe, there is a snail on this wall that doesn't have a house! This is the first time I've seen a house-less snail. It must have lost its house in this pouring rain. All the snails that I've ever seen all had houses on their backs.
Farm Stud: (Decides to have a look at this thing) Hahaha! That's a slug.
Tractor Chick: A slug?! I thought slugs only live in the sea?
Farm Stud: No no here it is called a slug.
Tractor Chick: But it has those retractable eyes on its head just like an ordinary snail does! So how can it be called a slug? This is so weird! Do slugs here have to look for houses?
Farm Stud: Nooooo....slugs don't ever have houses. They are exactly that - house-less.
Tractor Chick: Eeeewwww it's gross!
Farm Stud: Welcome to Australia!
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