I had a conversation today with three others - 2 that were kids in Qld (one in the 50's one the 70's) and another New South Welshman. Don't even know how it came up but I mentioned that I used to have to say alleigence to the Queen each week at assembly (school prayer, allegeince, national anthem) in primary school (mid 70's). They both said "ah you musta been at school in New South Wales, that never happend in Queensland (hey?) "

Comments? (apart that it's late and I can't spell properly at this time of night and your CUB shares went up tonight )

Tuck shop is typically British, no self respecting school was without one! A tuck shop isn't so much a canteen, it is a place for buying sweets and crisps - at least it was, I don't know if children can buy such things in schools these days.

I was in Sydney in the 60s too, but I'd never heard-togs before in my life-they were swimmers. Had cousins who lived in St.Mary's, Kingswood & Penrith, they all said 'swimmers'. As to tuck shop, my bros & I thought it a made up word until our Mum reminded us that "tucker" is Australian for food. Just goes to show how diverse our language really is, if one person living in the same area hears/says words/phrases so differently to others in the same area. Someone mentioned saying allegiance to the Queen, it's true, we always swore allegiance at assembly in New South and sang GodSaveTheQueen, but never in Brisbane. If someone of note died our flag was flown at half mast and we stood in silence, never in Brisbane.We said Yabby, Brissie kids said Lobby. Only just realised I say "here are" for here, I had no idea we said it like that until mentioned here on this forum.

I grew up in Perth with peanut paste, bathers, polony, and the canteen.

How do you pronounce dance - "darnce" or "daaance"?
Also moustache - "mus(pause)tash" or "mastash"?
These seem to vary across our wide brown land.

And Newcastle or Castlemaine?

Carsle.. or Cassle?

Daaance, Mastash and Carsle.

OK,

I grew up in country Queensland in the 1950s and we swore allegiance to Queen and country every morning on the parade ground. We had a tuck shop, wore togs, ate cheerios and drank Monza.

We also went trawling in the local dam for lobbies and packed our ports to go on holiday.

All perfectly normal activities really.

Togs? How about bathers and the great Aussie Cossie???

Pecks Paste is Anchovette as well as other flavours.

Could never eat peanut paste, but love peanut butter...lol.

Queensland houses are propped up on stumps.

Demountables, we called portables and all schools had them.

Newcastle is definitely Newcarsel, not Newcassel.

Mmmm Vogon, but what is the meaning of the underlying metaphor?

We called togs, cossies as well (we were very versatile), but I've always known demountables as demountables.

You'll find most of the things we've talked about here (I can't do that fancy thingo):

http://www.amazingaustralia.com.au/language.htm

Tasmanians wear bathers at the beach and buy their school lunches at the canteen. Carsel not cassel (except for my father and aunt for some reason).

Umm, if anyone cares devon/ fritz is called luncheon sausage in NZ