How do all the Australians ever understand each other??

Just been going through the Word Map by Kel Richards abnd the McQuarie Dictionary with all the different words and phrases that are said in different areas of the country. There are people that don't know what I mean when I say "did you bring your togs?" or know what a demountable is(I tested these out on a 17 year old from another area).

And on the other hand, if it weren't for this book I wouldn't know what Queenslanders mean when they say "lobby" (I call them a yabby) or I wouldn't know that Brisbane kids were in trouble when they'd do a "emu walk" (although it does sound much better than 'scab duty'!)

But by far the best - and I can't imagine how such a useful word has never spread - is Perth's kittle: "the mess of empty stubbies and used beer cans which accumulate on a table during a drinking party" Great word. I shall use it often.

It would be interesting to find out how the word "kittle" came into use Copago. The only thing I can think of is that it`s maybe an abbreviation of "kit and cabooble".

Well, having been born in Perth and having lived here for the best part of half a century, I can honestly say I have never heard of the word kittle in this context (or any other, for that matter)!

Sometimes I wonder where people who write books like this dredge up their information.

As a teacher I have given out plenty of scab duty in my time, but what's an 'emu walk'?

>>> but what's an 'emu walk'?

same thing apparently It makes sense though, you can see kids bobbing down to pick something up looking like it. The 17 year old i was testing things out on knwew of an "emu parade" where a bunch of kids would all line up and pick up rubbish across the quadrangle or playground.

>>>> Sometimes I wonder where people who write books like this dredge up their information.

It was done through ABC on-line and Macquarie dictionary "we had selected 6,000 contributions to gn on the site from about twice that number of unedited offerings, and another 6,000 people had commented on the listed items"

http://www.abc.net.au/wordmap/ I've not delved too far into the site but it seems to be basically the book

As much as I hate the thought of flat beer Eraser that`s certainly how I pronounce it [epecially if it`s not drunk quick enough ],even after drinking too much and being flat on my ear I still say it that way.

LOL. Just the answer I expected from you roos The defining answer will come from MG, I suppose.

"MG would pronounce it bee are. Am I right?"

Nope, you lost that bet!

MG, are you from Perth?

Yes, born and raised here. And here rhymes with beer.

Bugger

Anyone else say 'here' with two syllables? Is that an Australian thing?

Do you mean, like, He Are?

Yep

Eraser I must make a slight admission and I hope no-one hates me for this. I`m not a great example of Australianess when it comes to pronounciation, more people than not seem to believe when they first meet me that I`m English!

Now those that I had drinks with at the Funtriv booze-up might disagree but it has happened to me so many times that I have had to accept it as a fact. I have been asked if I was English,Irish, New Zealander and a few have thought that I may be from South Africa.

My nickname at school was "Bonny Scotsman" and it was widely thought that because my parents were both Australian accented I must have been adopted!

I have had people that I worked with express amazement at the fact that I wasn`t English after having known me for months, the comment that usually follows is "well I didn`t want to say anything because I thought you were trying to hide the fact that you are English". I didn`t berate them for being mistaken as I thought they presented a fair enough reason.

While we on this subject, what does the rest of the country call Fritz?

Devon here (NSW)

Lol, um a cat?

"While we on this subject, what does the rest of the country call Fritz? "

Polony.

In Adelaide it is called 'Bung Fritz' similar to Fritz but not quite the same, Melbourne we called it Devon and in Qld I haven't seen it - closest I can find is stras.

No Fritz in Queensland?? What are those kids eating for school lunch???

Is Stras strasbourg?

OK, I'll bite, what IS a demountable?

I have honestly never heard the word "fritz" used when describing devon, though I have heard it being used to describe broken electrical items.

The word demountable is generally used to describe a "temporary" school building made from aluminium Sue. Easy to set up and easy to pull down and move. I spent 2 years being taught in one and boy was it hot with no airconditioner. The one I was in looked like the third one down on this page.