Aussie English from the sticks

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODEG'day! Welcome back Are you a subscriber to my podcast? Did you realise there is a full transcript for you to read along with? Just visit my blog at aus-eng.blogspot.comI'd really like to read your comments too, so please leave them on the blog.Before we get started I should explain the title of this podcast. Aussie English from the sticks! I guess you already know what Aussie English is - that's what I'm speaking now. What does From the Sticks mean? Well in Aussie English, "the sticks" is a term referring to a remote or rural part of Australia. If I say "I live out in the sticks", it means I live in the country side.So, next question. What do you call those nasty little insects that suck your blood in the summer time? Mosquitos!In Australia, we like to shorten words and make them, you know, kind of cute. So you'll hear us call these insects Mozzies. E.g. "Far out! There's flippin mozzies everywhere!"You see, Australians become AussiesMosquitos become MozziesMen in motorcycle gangs riding Harley Davidsons are called BikiesMichael becomes MikeySo let's say Michael joined an Australian motorcycle gang called the Mosquitos. You know what that would mean?It means: Aussie Mozzie Bikie Mikey rides a HarleyDon't worry, you probably won't hear anything like that too often.But we certainly like to shorten words.Cockroach becomes cockyA drug user becomes a druggie or druggoFootball becomes footyMy son Clayton gets called ClaydieAnd we call our daughter Amalia, Marlie.So expect to hear words modified in this way - especially names.Do you have any questions? Or want to hear something discussed in an Aussie accent? Post your requests on the blog. Thanks.Before I nick off, let me tell you a quick joke - cos everyone knows Aussies are funny buggers.A chicken goes to a public library and says "book, book, book". The librarian gives the chicken three books which the chicken then takes to a pond and passes them to a frog. The frog takes one look at the books, throwing each one away as he croaks "readit, readit, readit!"Thanks for listening! Come back again next time... cya later.Words you might wanna know:The Sticks: in a rural, remote area.Mozzies: MosquitosFar Out!: exclamation of disbelief, like "WOW" or "Oh my goodness"Bikies: Motorcycle gang membersMikey: Short and friendly for MichaelCocky: CockroachDruggie/Druggo: A drug userFooty: Football (Rugby League, Rugby Union or Australian Football League - NOT soccer)Nick off: To get lost, go away.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODEHey friends!Well, it's been a flippin' long time since my last post. I had great intentions of reviving this blog and giving you all some interesting content, but life has been rather interesting for me personally!So now there are a couple of really big changes in my life. Firstly, I'm living in Siberia! Yep, I moved my wife and four nippers (children) across the globe to the so-called "frozen wasteland". Though, in fact, you'll be happy to know that Siberia is actually a beautiful part of Russia. We love it here.Me and my boys in the gorgeous Siberian wildernessAustralia is still our beloved homeland. We still have our family, friends and house there. But we're having a little adventure right now.The next huge surprise was when we had an unplanned addition to our already-big family. So now we have another baby (which we travelled home to Australia to have). She was born in June 2014, and now we are the "Seven in Siberia".What I plan on doing in the future is making a consistent effort on producing content for this blog. It won't necessarily mean spoken podcasts, as they take a lot of effort in producing. Though I will do some recordings as time allows.The rest is up to you. What do you want to see? What topics do you think apply to tourism and moving to Australia? I want to help you get your Aussie English up to scratch and ready for your great Aussie adventure!Give us ya feedback!Flippin' / Flipping: Very (e.g. I caught a flippin' huge yellow belly at the river mate!); Also used as a non-offensive substitute for that offensive expletive starting with F (e.g. You flippin' idiot!)Nipper: A child, kid.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE G'DAY YOU MOB!Well it's been ages since I whipped up a Podcast, hasn't it!? It seemed to me that I didn't have time to spare writing out and recording podcasts for a small audience.But recently I had a bo-peep at the visitor statistics over the past few months, and at the comments people had been leaving, and I was stoked!Thanks for all your friendly words. I'm glad you like what's been done so far.Can I ask you all to do me a favour? Give me your ideas. What do you want to hear? Have you ever experienced Aussie lingo personally? How did you find it? Did you wonder what the heck the person was on about?What can I teach you all?As a student of the Russian language, I find that idioms are the toughest part of any language to learn. You can have a whoppin' load of words in your vocabulary, and a whole stack of grammar rules down pat, but idioms are often so whacky that they are impossible to translate.So... I'll try and chuck in a few Aussie idioms here and there. Let me know if you've heard one and want me to explain it.Stay tuned, here she comes!Words/Idioms you might wanna know:To whip up: Prepare (something) quicklyHave a bo peep: Take a look (at something)Stoked: To be very pleased; Excited; Encouraged.How did you find it? What did you think about it?On about: To be talking about/referring to.Whoppin': A large amount/sizeStack: A lotTo have something down pat: To have mastered something; To be a pro at something.Whacky: Strange; WeirdTo chuck in: To include; To throw in.She: often used instead of "it" in colloquial Aussie English. Example "See my new car? She's a beauty, ay!" (It's a good one, isn't it?)

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODEG'day! Welcome to my podcast - Aussie English from the sticks!I've been very encouraged by some of my listeners, who have sent messages asking when the next episode will arrive. Well here it is! This is episode four.As I mentioned in the introduction to this podcast, I will record something ocasionally when I find time. I'm a married man (sorry ladies) with four children. And that keeps me flat out.First off today I'm gonna give you a few words in Aussie English, then I'll give you all a bit of homework. Reckon you can handle that?OK, here we go. First off, listen to these words and see if you can notice something strange about Aussie English.ShowerMister (Mr)HerePlumberRiderRoller coasterCaterpillarAre you noticing something here? Something about words ending in the R sound? We're kinda lazy and leave it off.It's funny, cos when I was in Russia, one day I found my translators chatting together and laughing... they were mimmicking the way we say "SHOWER" and having a good old giggle about it.Our British friends have a similar issue, maybe not as strong. Now compare those words to how an American might say them.Alright, time to put on my American voice... it'll be close enough for this example - all I really need to do his pinch my nose, haha! (it's a joke)ShowERMistER (Mr)HeREPlumbERRidERRollER coastERCaterpillAROh yeeee!OK, that should prepare you for what you might hear if you are speaking to an Aussie. Especially if they say "G'day mate. That shower's blocked by a caterpillar, but I can't get hold of the plumber cos he's stuck on a roller coaster".You never know, it could happen!Rightio, we come now to the part where I give you a homework assignment. Have you got a microphone? There's plenty of free audio recording programs at FileHippo.com - the one I use is Audacity.Now I want you to record your best effort at saying: "G'day mate, howzit goin?"Let me slow that down so you can copy me carefully."G'day mate, howzit goin?"Email your mp3 file to auseng.podcast@gmail.com, and I'll pick a few of the best and put them in my next podcast.--- LATER ---Well here I am at work, and you may be able to hear the noises of my work environment in the background. I thought I better finish off the recording so I can post the podcast.It's been a while, it seems it's very difficult to find time to sit down at the computer. So, I'm using my iPod to finish off this recording.Earlier I recorded some sounds of birds outside my house. I thought you might enjoy that as a little excursion. Enjoy this, and we'll see you in the next podcast.--- EXCURSION OUTSIDE ---Cockatoos. Traffic. Magpies. That's a PeeWee. And crows. There's a crow. You can hear the magpies and the peewees. I can also hear a bullen bullen (note: commonly called Mallee Ringneck Parrot, see picture on the left). Well there goes a car, I'm sure you've got those. And sparrows. Sometimes we hear kookaburras.And babies :-)I'm holding baby Amalia right now.Words you might wanna know:Flat Out: Very fast; Very busyReckon? Do you think?Rightio/Righto Okay; Sure; No problems!

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODEAaaah, that good old Aussie tune, The Road to Gundagai, played by clarinetist Alex Hutchinson.G'day and Happy Australia Day!Yeah, that's right... today is the 26th of January, 2010. We celebrate Australia on this day every year.So, what about Australia? What is it we celebrate? Well, for some it isn't a celebration at all. In fact, some Australians call it "Invasion Day" - especially the Aboriginal people.You see, in January 1788 the "First Fleet" arrived from Britain carrying over 1,400 passengers and crew who would be the first white inhabitants on this beautiful island continent.But this was no luxury cruise, these passengers were mostly convicts. It was not only the first white settlement, but the first penal colony.There are many songs about that day, and many songs about poor Englishmen and Irishmen who were convicted of a crime and were "Bound for Botany Bay".You know, even today a lot of English call Australians "convicts", and regard Australia as a barren, desert island.Well that's a load of hogswash. What would those poms know anyway? We flog 'em at whatever sport they invent or try to dominate! Cricket, rugby league, rugby union, swimming, tennis...Righto, I better back off a bit, I think I'm gettin' a little patriotic.Anyway, what better way to celebrate Australia Day than to honour the Australian Anthem?We have a pretty snazzy anthem, says me. Some people want to change the anthem to Waltzing Matilda, which I think is a totally stupid idea, because Waltzing Matilda says nothing about our country. It doesn't even say the word "Australia" in it. It's just an Aussie folk song, which is good in itself, but not for an anthem.So here is our National Anthem. Please follow along to Advance Australia Fair!Australians all let us rejoiceFor we are young and freeWe've golden soil and wealth for toil,Our home is girt by sea:Our land abounds in nature's giftsOf beauty rich and rare,In history's page let every stageAdvance Australia fair,In joyful strains then let us singAdvance Australia fair.That was beautiful...Well it's been great having a good old chinwag with you, but I better hit the sack, cos tomorrow it's back to work! (Unless I chuck a sickie).Enjoy your Australia Day! Seeya later when ya legs are straighter!Words you might wanna know:Aboriginal, Aborigine: Original inhabitants of a country. Native.Convict: Convicted criminal, prisoner.Hogwash: False talk, lies, silly rumours.Flog 'em: To beat them (in sport, games etc), conquer them.Snazzy: Very impressive, nice.Chinwag: Chat, friendly talk.Hit the sack: Go to bed.Chuck a sickie: Have a day off work due to sickness (but usually when you are not truely sick)

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODEG'day stranger!Are you looking for somewhere to casually learn Aussie-style English? Or are you perhaps wanting to prepare yourself for a visit down under?Well, if you thought Aussies spoke just like the Poms or Yanks, you've got a lot to learn! Luckily you will be able to begin learning it right here. I hope that's why you came.As well as just training your ear to catch the Australian accent, we'll have some fun and learn some real Aussie slang and colloquialisms too.For now, I'll be uploading the occasional podcast with a written transcript and word list. It will depend on how popular the podcast is, as to how regular they become.So, are you ready? Bonza! Let's get crackin',Words you might wanna know:G'day: Hello. (The friendly Australian greeting EVERYONE should know)Pom: British person (some British find it offensive, but it's not really a nasty name)Yank: American personBonza: Great! Excellent! (an exclamation of excitement)Get Crackin': To hurry up and get started. (crack the whip)Wanna: Want to