Australian Slang
What does it all mean?

Australian Slang! - that colourful language we speak in Australia that seems to baffle other people no-end. Why?

Well, when you think of Australia, chances are you think of Desert, Kangaroos and Paul Hogan. And when you think of the way we speak, you probably think of "g'day", "mate", and the phrase popularised by Paul Hogan, "Throw another shrimp on the barbie!"

Whilst these words and phrases are somewhat true, only they're prawns, not  shrimp , they are a limited view of the Australian version of English; and yes it may surprise you that the official Australian language is English, er, well, kind of.

Australia Slang, Aussie Slang, or Strine as it is sometimes called, is a reflection of the harsh Australian land, and the no-nonsense "lets get on with it" attitude of the Australian people. So a lot of corners are cut both with what we say and how we say it.

So really, the best way to learn about Aussie Slang is just to jump in. I suggest you start with the basics, and then have a look through the Aussie Slang Dictionary.

Along the way, have a look at the feature articles which will give you some more insight into the traditional Aussie Character.

Read on and Enjoy!

Onya!
Woz