It’s a common misconception that Australians speak a language known as English. The work of Professor Afferbeck Lauder is largely forgotten now, which is a terrible shame. More than any other explorer of the spoken word, we owe a great debt to Affebeck Lauder for his discovery of the uniquely Antipodean dialect Strine.
Many non-speakers are easily put off by Strine. This is a great pity! With a little patience, and imagination, the language is soon mastered. Here are a few common phrases, with their English equivalents.
STRINE
Scona beer a gloria sty
ENGLISH
It’s going to be a beautiful day
Laughter
Love to
Less jar soap
Let’s just hope
Emma chissit
How much is it?
Nair doncher wurry
Now, don’t you worry
Ease dregs
Easter eggs
Snow ewe smite
It’s no use, mate
Bra sharp
Brush up. As in, ‘Bra sharp your Strine.’
Kannew ka minnear
Can you come in here?
Soym gwynn butter dinsim carmairt
I saw him go in, but I didn’t see him come out
Carmen awards
Coming towards
I wonna go woam
I want to go home
Yuma sketcher rare cut
You must get your hair cut
Gnome or gnus
No more news. As in, ‘Gnome or gnus, calm bear klyter.’
More phrases can be found here, but even with a basic vocabulary the novice Strine speaker will now recognise the first part of this note’s title as a Nike advertisement.
Neat! I’ve never heard of that before and although it’s probably nowhere close to Scots, that’s what reading it put me in mind of. It seems somewhat recognizable as English, but one might have to concentrate really closely and still not get it all.
By: strangecousinsusan on January 28, 2012
at 2:23 PM
As this item shows, it all began with Emma Chissit.
By: gregoryno6 on January 28, 2012
at 3:04 PM
hmmm….these sound more noozillanderish or sethefrican ta me.
By: melbrackstoneMel on January 28, 2012
at 2:31 PM
Sethefrican? Is your name Mel Brackstone or Phyllis Stein?
By: gregoryno6 on January 28, 2012
at 2:53 PM
I’d love to get my hands on a book we had at home about how to speak Strine…absolutely wonderful.
By: Lorraine on January 28, 2012
at 4:56 PM
It’s been reprinted! The link on the prof’s name goes to the publisher’s page. Looks like they have combined the two books about Strine and the two books about Fraffly into one volume.
By: gregoryno6 on January 28, 2012
at 5:56 PM
Yes…That’s the other one we had.. Fraffly Well Spoken. Mum may still have them. I’ll have to look for that one when I ead north again.
By: Lorraine on January 28, 2012
at 9:04 PM
Off topic, but this picture of our Dear Bogan Leader is begging for a caption: http://images.smh.com.au/2012/01/28/2922684/ipad-art-wide-p9-20gillard-s-420×0.jpg
By: sdog (@s_dog) on January 29, 2012
at 12:38 AM
Comes from a story in the SMH titled “How I’ll Slay Abbott.”
Relying on her government’s economic credentials? She’d be better off sprinkling pixie dust on our cornflakes.
By: gregoryno6 on January 29, 2012
at 5:32 AM
It’s hot in Perth, but it’s bearable if you have an egg nisher.
By: sdog (@s_dog) on January 29, 2012
at 12:39 AM
Yeppet eye doanavenegg nishner.
By: gregoryno6 on January 29, 2012
at 5:27 AM
What English sounds like to non-English speakers:
By: sdog (@s_dog) on January 29, 2012
at 4:46 AM
Talk about lost in translation…
By: gregoryno6 on January 29, 2012
at 5:25 AM