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

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

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

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