Australian lexicon can leave you a few roos loose
Well, I guess I better get busy learning how to speak Aussie since I'll have a test to pass if I want to become a citizen.
Australian lexicon can leave you a few roos loose
By Jonathan Standing Mon Jan 1, 6:01 PM ET
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Summer in Australia wouldn't be complete without a trip to one of the country's famed beaches.
Take your togs or cossies, your esky packed with amber fluid and maybe a dog's eye for a snack. Bend the elbow too much? Stop off for a long black, a short black or a flat white to make sure you don't end up a few kangaroos (roos) loose in the top paddock.
Translation: Take your swimwear and cooler box full of beer and a meat pie to eat. A bit too much to drink? Have a small or large black espresso coffee or a white coffee to make sure you are fully compos mentis when you get home.
Welcome to the Australian vocabulary.
Beyond the stereotyped "G'day" (hello) of souvenir T-shirts and "Crocodile Dundee" movies, are many words rich in tradition that define the Australian identity and give continuity to the variety of voices and experiences that shaped the country's history.
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