As with any area, there is a local "dialect" - similar to "y'all" when in Texas, Brisbane is no different. We all speak English, but some of the words and phrases are slightly different, have different meanings or different pronunciations.
Some of the items I have run across are (spelled for pronunciation):
Rosemary vs Rosemarie (the spice)
OREGano vs OreGANo
AllIANce vs ALL-e-ance
How are you vs How ya going (for a casual greeting)
To bundle up vs Rug up
Ice chests/coolers vs eskies
Cans of beer vs Stubbies
Koozies are (obviously) Stubby holders
black coffee vs long black
breakfast vs brekkie
motorcycle rider vs bikie (although this was used in reference to a gang member. I'm not sure this is a generic term or specific to gang members???)
more expensive vs dearer
On restaurant menus, there are share plates or grazing plates (appetizers) and mains (our entree equivalent). I am not sure what an entree is yet. It comes between grazing plates and mains. Guess Robert needs to take me out to dinner more. :)
And I'm not entirely sure what I said the other day other than "may I have a sack" and I was corrected and told it was called a "bag".
It is very apparent when I open my mouth, I am not from around here. But I have had only two people look at me and say "where are you from?" and they generally guess Canada (What's up with that?). So - was I that hard to understand? Did I say something really offensive? Or do they just not get foreigners in the local stores in my neighborhood?
I hope I have accurately described things and not misrepresented the local terminology. I honestly think it is fascinating and forces me to pay attention and listen closely when having a conversation. Not yet having had the good fortune to spend any time outside of Brisbane, I
don't know if this is local to this area or standard across the
continent. I plan to find out!
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