22 ms·

what is it with Australians and having the cheesiest names for everything? pokies. electricians are sparkies. bikkie. spewie. budgie. brekky. it's like a bunch

what is it with Australians and having the cheesiest names for everything? pokies. electricians are sparkies. bikkie. spewie. budgie. brekky. it's like a bunch of babytalk only it's said by literally everyone.

smaudet 2y ago
I posit that its due to hardship - not to suggest all Australians are super hard off, but it is certainly true that acronyms/shortened words are more common in rural (think high intensity physical labor) or speed-sensitive contexts (think Wall Street, engineering jargon in a engineering context, such as software, or SMS text-messaging). Given their origins as a prison labor camp, coupled with a legitimately difficult environment (hot, arid, isolated by thousands of miles of ocean, fairly wild/aggressive wildlife such as crocodiles, snakes, kangaroos), their propensity to shortened, almost mono or duo-syllabic words makes plenty of sense in that context.
- Joker_vD 2y ago
  And finally I've seen the (variation of the) argument usually applied to the Russians, about their slavish nature ("During the Stalin's reign, half of the country was in jail and the other half was the jailers" etc.) leading to the impossibility for them to form a civilized and liberal society, which is usually retorted with an example of the Australians... being applied to the Australians itself. No, one doesn't need to be of good breed to be freely able to speak multisyllabic words.
  - smaudet 2y ago
    > No, one doesn't need to be of good breed to be freely able to speak multisyllabic words. Eh? Not what I'm saying at all. Breed has nothing to do with it... circumstance has much more to do with word shortenings... not sure what I got downvoted for...
- fian 2y ago
  Shorter words mean less time with your mouth open which means less chance for the flies to get in.
settsu 2y ago
Maybe an equallly interesting question to ask yourself is why you associated those with "babytalk".
- Solvency 2y ago
  [flagged]
  - 082349872349872 2y ago
    > it's like a bunch of babytalk only it's said by literally everyone. They must be doing it intentionally to infuriate you (the only cocky in Oz with sufficient snags for the barbie).
  - settsu 2y ago
    You assume I haven't been around babies because I asked why you attributed an entire country's slang to baby-talk? Fascinating. Guess intellectual curiosity isn't everyone's forte. That's fine.
- verteu 2y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diminutives_in_Australian_English https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diminutives_in_Australian_Engl...
brainwad 2y ago
Because it's fun to have diminutive version of many words. And because it differentiates us from boorish Americans - or as they are also known in Oz, seppos.
- bitwize 2y ago
  I once saw a sign in Australia warning about crossing train tracks. In the land of the free, the sign would have all the coziness of a Secret Service agent: KEEP OFF TRAIN TRACKS - $100 FINE PER VIOLATION But this was Australia. So it actually read something like this: "Cross tracks safely and only at the provided walkways. Or cop a $100 fine. Don't say we didn't warn you, mate!"
  - seabass-labrax 2y ago
    For comparison, the standard text in Great Britain is exactly as follows: Warning Do not trespass on the Railway Penalty £1000
    - brainwad 2y ago
      The actual signs in Sydney look like Danger Don't cross the tracks - use the bridge. Fines up to $5,500 apply. (https://railgallery.wongm.com/cache/sydney-suburban/F121_5407_595.jpg https://railgallery.wongm.com/cache/sydney-suburban/F121_540...)
      - seabass-labrax 2y ago
        That's arguably a lot better than the British ones: - They give an safe, alternative action, which might not be obvious to some people. - They state the authority by which the fine is issued (too small to read fully from the photograph, but something like "...Regulation 2003"). Interestingly, a historical railway sign preserved at Beamish has the name of the officer by whose authority the fine would have been issued at that time[1]. - The fine is given as 'up to' the maximum. As I understand it, the British fine is only £1000 if it can be proved that the violation was made wilfully, and non-wilful trespassing is usually (perhaps always?) only subject to a fine if done subsequent to having received a warning. [1]: https://www.deviantart.com/rlkitterman/art/NER-Public-Warning-at-Beamish-Rowley-Station-732777096 https://www.deviantart.com/rlkitterman/art/NER-Public-Warnin...
jdietrich 2y ago
Australian slang represents something important about Australian values - mateship, the Anzac spirit, a fair go. Aussies don't talk like poms, because they aren't like poms.
- Ylpertnodi 2y ago
  ...or other English speakers.
VelesDude 2y ago
Spoken like a real Gronk! Nah, your cool. I suspect it is just something we picked up from our British heritage, the whole slang thing. Apple and Pairs, Up the Stairs - all that. I do find it funny when some folks have been here for a few years and they have picked up all the slang. Someone I used to know had been here for 10 years but still had a very thick Italian accent. It was always a joy when he would bust out a sentence like "I took the mars bar up the Tulla but it was right chockers. All I wanted for a Chook!". Translated, "I took the car up the freeway but there was a traffic jam. I wanted a hot chicken."
relaxing 2y ago
Wait til you hear what the Germans call a cellphone.
pimlottc 2y ago
I agree, other cultures are stupid.

smaudet 2y ago

I posit that its due to hardship - not to suggest all Australians are super hard off, but it is certainly true that acronyms/shortened words are more common in rural (think high intensity physical labor) or speed-sensitive contexts (think Wall Street, engineering jargon in a engineering context, such as software, or SMS text-messaging). Given their origins as a prison labor camp, coupled with a legitimately difficult environment (hot, arid, isolated by thousands of miles of ocean, fairly wild/aggressive wildlife such as crocodiles, snakes, kangaroos), their propensity to shortened, almost mono or duo-syllabic words makes plenty of sense in that context.

Joker_vD 2y ago
And finally I've seen the (variation of the) argument usually applied to the Russians, about their slavish nature ("During the Stalin's reign, half of the country was in jail and the other half was the jailers" etc.) leading to the impossibility for them to form a civilized and liberal society, which is usually retorted with an example of the Australians... being applied to the Australians itself. No, one doesn't need to be of good breed to be freely able to speak multisyllabic words.
- smaudet 2y ago
  > No, one doesn't need to be of good breed to be freely able to speak multisyllabic words. Eh? Not what I'm saying at all. Breed has nothing to do with it... circumstance has much more to do with word shortenings... not sure what I got downvoted for...
fian 2y ago
Shorter words mean less time with your mouth open which means less chance for the flies to get in.

settsu 2y ago

Maybe an equallly interesting question to ask yourself is why you associated those with "babytalk".

Solvency 2y ago
[flagged]
- 082349872349872 2y ago
  > it's like a bunch of babytalk only it's said by literally everyone. They must be doing it intentionally to infuriate you (the only cocky in Oz with sufficient snags for the barbie).
- settsu 2y ago
  You assume I haven't been around babies because I asked why you attributed an entire country's slang to baby-talk? Fascinating. Guess intellectual curiosity isn't everyone's forte. That's fine.
verteu 2y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diminutives_in_Australian_English https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diminutives_in_Australian_Engl...

brainwad 2y ago

Because it's fun to have diminutive version of many words. And because it differentiates us from boorish Americans - or as they are also known in Oz, seppos.

bitwize 2y ago
I once saw a sign in Australia warning about crossing train tracks. In the land of the free, the sign would have all the coziness of a Secret Service agent: KEEP OFF TRAIN TRACKS - $100 FINE PER VIOLATION But this was Australia. So it actually read something like this: "Cross tracks safely and only at the provided walkways. Or cop a $100 fine. Don't say we didn't warn you, mate!"
- seabass-labrax 2y ago
  For comparison, the standard text in Great Britain is exactly as follows: Warning Do not trespass on the Railway Penalty £1000
  - brainwad 2y ago
    The actual signs in Sydney look like Danger Don't cross the tracks - use the bridge. Fines up to $5,500 apply. (https://railgallery.wongm.com/cache/sydney-suburban/F121_5407_595.jpg https://railgallery.wongm.com/cache/sydney-suburban/F121_540...)
    - seabass-labrax 2y ago
      That's arguably a lot better than the British ones: - They give an safe, alternative action, which might not be obvious to some people. - They state the authority by which the fine is issued (too small to read fully from the photograph, but something like "...Regulation 2003"). Interestingly, a historical railway sign preserved at Beamish has the name of the officer by whose authority the fine would have been issued at that time[1]. - The fine is given as 'up to' the maximum. As I understand it, the British fine is only £1000 if it can be proved that the violation was made wilfully, and non-wilful trespassing is usually (perhaps always?) only subject to a fine if done subsequent to having received a warning. [1]: https://www.deviantart.com/rlkitterman/art/NER-Public-Warning-at-Beamish-Rowley-Station-732777096 https://www.deviantart.com/rlkitterman/art/NER-Public-Warnin...

jdietrich 2y ago

Australian slang represents something important about Australian values - mateship, the Anzac spirit, a fair go. Aussies don't talk like poms, because they aren't like poms.

Ylpertnodi 2y ago
...or other English speakers.

VelesDude 2y ago

Spoken like a real Gronk! Nah, your cool. I suspect it is just something we picked up from our British heritage, the whole slang thing. Apple and Pairs, Up the Stairs - all that. I do find it funny when some folks have been here for a few years and they have picked up all the slang. Someone I used to know had been here for 10 years but still had a very thick Italian accent. It was always a joy when he would bust out a sentence like "I took the mars bar up the Tulla but it was right chockers. All I wanted for a Chook!". Translated, "I took the car up the freeway but there was a traffic jam. I wanted a hot chicken."

relaxing 2y ago

Wait til you hear what the Germans call a cellphone.

pimlottc 2y ago

I agree, other cultures are stupid.