Aussie English lesson #3

1. “How you going?” – how are you? Similarly, Aussies also like to say “how’d you go last night?” meaning, how was it last night? Or how were you last night?

2. Brekky – short for breakfast. I initially thought this was a sms/text-message generation thing but apparently not. Many restaurants will advertise “BREKKY 5AM”. Including Hungry Jacks. For those of you that don’t know, Burger King is called Hungry Jacks here in Australia. It’s the same menu with the same fries but just called Hungry Jacks. I can differentiate the major fast-food restaurant solely from their fries. Probably not something to boast about. >_<

3. You’re alright – used often in response to an apology. For example, as I pass through the aisles to get to my seat I’ll say “pardon me” or “I’m sorry” and the Aussie that’s sitting will say “you’re alright!”

4. Tomato sauce. Tomato sauce refers to ketchup here. No such thing as ketchup. And you know how back home we can say to(MA)to or to(mae)to? Here it’s all to(MA)to. “You want some toMAto sauce with your fries?”

5. Take-away – no not subtractions. It refers to take-out food. “What’d you have for dinner last night?” “Oh, just some Chinese take-away”. Funny how one little word makes such a huge difference. And if you think about it “take-away” makes sense too. But it just doesn’t seem right.

6. Pike – to bail, to let-down, or to be a no-show. If someone is absent from a party… “where’s Emma?” “Oh, I think she’s piking.” “Why is she being such a piker?” … “I’m sorry I piked last Friday guys, I just had way too much work!”

7. Prank – to call and hang up. This is just the same as back home but used in slightly different circumstances. Let’s say I’ve met a new friend and want to exchange phone numbers. I’ll recite my number as she punches it into her phone. Once she’s done, she’ll offer to prank me. She’ll call me and then hang up so that I can get her number off of my call display. Make sense? We do that in Canada too but we don’t call that “pranking”.

8. Sausage sizzles – these are sausages or hot dogs served not in hot dog buns but rather just in plain ol’ white sliced bread. It’s got to be white. It can’t be whole wheat. I kid you not. Condiments? Just ketchup. *shakes head* i mean... toMAto sauce. I’ll put up a pic of a sausage sizzler the next time I have one.