Just Coz We're Aussie, Doesn't Mean We Can't Understand Each Other

As usual, my extreme un-organization (is that even a word? well, it is now) has left me sitting here racking my brain, trying to come up with something to post about today. I nearly forgot I was meant to be here, so you're all lucky I even turned up.

When I was preparing today's guest post to go up on my own blog (check out my interview with HC Brown on the tour loop), I found myself slipping into Aussie slang, as I sometimes do on my blog. More than once I've sent an email to someone in America and gotten a confused reply, or had a person comment on my blog asking me what on earth I'm talking about.

So instead of talking about my Timeless Desire novella, Savior, I've decided to share some Aussie-ism with you all. Because surely we're not talking a totally different language…?

So to start off, here's some basic facts. Downunder, we call our kids ankle biters. Do they actually bite our ankles? Maybe sometimes yes. Still, most children 'round these parts are pretty harmless, so don't think if you come to Australia you'll be set on my a bunch of toddlers determined to chew your boots off.

We don't have prom or homecoming. No, we have a B&S ball. Now, this might sound all nice and civilized. And you might see young men and women dressed up in after five formal wear. But the mode of transport to arrive will be a beat-up Ute (or pickup truck, I believe they're called in America), the venue will be a shearing shed (large shed where sheep have their wool shorn off) decked out with a few balloons and streamers, and the drink of choice is beer, beer, or more beer. By the end of the night, many couples will end up naked and/or passed out in the back of the aforementioned Ute.

In Australia, when we call you a bastard, we don't mean it as an insult, it's actually a term of endearment. If we ask you about bathers, we're talking about a swim-suit and if we talk about the big smoke, we don't mean a giant cigar, we mean a city like Melbourne or Sydney.

When we go for a leisurely drive in a national park, its called a bush bash, usually out in whoop whoop (the middle of nowhere). To do this we might have chucked a sickie — called in sick to work even though we're perfectly healthy. In fact, chucking a sickie has become a national institution. Often this will be done the day after a big night out, when one has rocked up (arrived) to a party that was going off (in full swing, everyone having a good time). If you're a two pot screamer, then it doesn't take much to get you drunk. You could drink a stubbie of beer, and any other alcohol is called grog or piss. Once you've had a couple, then you're off your face. If you're not careful, you might come a gutser (have an accident) or get picked up in the divvy van (police car). If you do, your mates will help you out by singing "you're going home in the back of a divvy van." Accompanied by clapping.

Want some insults? Easy, we've got all kinds:

Bludger - someone who is lazy. You might also hear of a dole bludger, a person who has no job and lives of government payments. These people also often fall into the category of bogans. They wear ugg boots (slippers) out in public with trackie-daks (a tracksuit) and spend the money they do get on their souped-up cars (usually a Holden Commodore with extra accessories added.), which they refer to as fully sick (really cool). In their cars, we call them hoons and you can find them outside Maccas (McDonalds) at 2am doing doughnuts and illegal drag racing.

Drongo - someone lacking intelligence.

No hoper - someone not likely to get very far in life

Ratbag - someone constantly up to no good.

Dropkick - someone not very smart, always getting into trouble and not likely to get far in life.

And just for your references, you also may need to know the following:

Rack-off - you're being asked to leave.

Hoo roo - we're telling you goodbye. If you don't go, we might get into a blue (argument) and you'll get an earbashing (yelled at).

Cactus - dead, as in, "she's cactus."

Cark it - to die as in, "she carked it and now she's cactus."

Ropeable - very angry. May also be referred to as spewin'.  

Shonky - something not reliable.

…after reviewing the above, I've come to the conclusion that maybe we are talking a different language. Now I've finished this post, I'm off to veg out (relax). Hope my Aussie-ism come in handy next time you can't understand what the heck an Australian person is talking about!

 Cadmiel, the Angel of Destiny, knows better than anyone what a bitch fate can be. Five hundred years ago, the only woman he ever loved was killed, shredding his soul and leaving a void in place of his heart. Now Archangel Michael comes to him with a shocking and forbidden proposal. He wants Cadmiel to travel back in time and save Emilyn. Though Cadmiel wishes beyond all reasoning to do as the archangel asks, messing with time goes against his own beliefs and the very foundations of angel lore. But Michael doesn't give Cadmiel a choice and thrusts him through time and space, back to 2012.
The first time Emilyn saw the gorgeous man, she was affected on a level she couldn't comprehend. Cadmiel isn't like any other guy she's ever met, and he makes her wish love at first sight were true. But there are forces at work she never dreamed real. In the space of a day, she goes from normal, every-day college student, to a pawn in an apocalyptic war between angels and demons.
Emilyn's very life is in Cadmiel's hands. Will he risk the future of the entire universe to save her, or let her die and destroy himself in the process?

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