Language

I bought a book of maps of Sydney that is the analogue of the London A-Z or in other words, a street-by-street book of maps of the entire city and environs. It is called Sydway. I had been pronouncing it “sid-way” in my head because I assumed they took the “Syd” from “Sydney” but maybe they mean it to be pronounced “sideway”. Oh good, I’m being told what’s what by Sideways Freddie.

Lots of things are referred to by shortening names, like “postie” for postman or “rego” for registration, generally for a vehicle. The Manly Scenic Walk is the MSW, the Central Business District is the CBD and an antique indoor mall changes from the Queen Victoria Building to the QVB.

Australian English is somewhere between British English and American English. Australians say alyumineeum instead of aloominum but voytamins not vitt-amins. They say apartment not flat, but biscuit instead of cookie. In the newspaper they report on “Sport” (singular) and will talk about “blokes” in conversation. A telephone that you can use on the street or in the car is a mobile not a cell phone.

Some people refer to the last letter of the alphabet as “zed” but apparently the teenagers are starting to refer to it as “zee” to the annoyance of parents. The parents feel that the kids are losing touch with their Australian-ness.

When an actor has his first role in a movie it is called his “day-boo”.

The classic fear for the traveler in a new place or with a new culture is to inadvertently say something obscene or insulting. There are opportunities for this here in Australia. One of the more difficult ones for me is “rooting”. You know, as in, “I’m rooting for the Chicago Cubs to win the pennant.” In Australia you have said, “I’m having sex for the Chicago Cubs to win the pennant.” I have to remember not to ask people which team they are rooting for. Apparently there is a magazine in the US that is called “Route for Success”. A colleague for John’s was discussing this magazine as having some ideas they might want to emulate. As you guessed, she doesn’t speak with a mid-Western American accent calling it “Rowting for Success.” At my last job I worked with an engineer in London. He would pronounce “router” as “rooter”; had he come to Australia he would have even more difficulties. Gives Roto-Rooter a whole new meaning.

Another no-no is the word “fanny” which means the same thing in Australia that it means in London. If you’re not sure what it means, ask your mother. This is a family publication.

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Last revised: October 2003