Clearly I need to read more Australian books. The vocabulary in I’ll Tell You Mine felt quite alien. I’d say everything (apart from “daggy”) is pretty clear from context, or from conversations I’ve had with Australians and New Zealanders I’ve met in Singapore.
Still, I had no idea until I looked it up why a truck would be called a “ute”. (It’s a strange word, one that would sound like Vinny in My Cousin Vinny saying “youth”.) The first time I saw “ute” on the page, it looked like a typo that was meant to be a longer word, or an acronym that was meant to be put in all caps, or at least a brand name that was meant to start with a capital letter. But no, “ute” is a word that’s short for “utility”. Apparently it refers to something that might be a pick-up truck or something like a cross between a normal car and a pick-up truck. Such vehicles are said to have “trays”. Learn something new every day.
Update: I have now been to Australia and seen a ute. Behold!
Other stuff that sounds weird to an American, even one with expat friends:
- chemist (pharmacy)
- lollies (any sweets or candies)
- bogged (rather than “bogged down”)
- pies (for savory meat pastries)
- jumper (sweater)
- to dob (to snitch or tell on someone)
- schmick (new/stylish)
- tatty (opposite of schmick)
- living out of home (living away from home)
- holidays (vacations)
- cuppa (cup of presumably tea)
- a chinwag (a chat)
- a barbie (a barbecue grill, or the event)
- brekkie (breakfast)
- bikkie (biscuit, which might or might not be a cookie)
- loos (bathrooms/restrooms)
- mates (friends)
- plaits (braids)
- dodgy (sketchy)
- pinboard (bulletin board, cork board)
- tuckshop (snack bar/convenience store)
- texta (permanent marker, like a Sharpie but not)
- turps (turpentine, for cleaning off Sharpie writing)
- shops (stores)
- bathers, swimmers (bathing suit, swimsuit)
- daggy (okay, I can’t really explain this one; ask Wikipedia)
I love the word “dodgy”, but I dislike all the Ozzie diminutives. I’ve pretty much stopped saying “vacations” since no one around me says it, and as I’ve mentioned, it’s getting harder for me to call a place where you buy something a “store”.
I’ve left out (or “missed out”) words relating to school stuff (Year Elevens), place names (Wagga Wagga), and sports (netball).
These days I don’t even notice most British spellings (organisation, centimetre, flavour), though “gaol” is still pretty strange.
I wish I’d kept a list of interesting words and expressions as I was reading the book. The list would be twice as long!
When and Why I Read I’ll Tell You Mine
This Australian author is in my YA writing group.
Genre: fiction (Young Adult)
Date started / date finished: 28-May-17 to 29-May-17
Length: 254 pages
ISBN: 9780702239380
Originally published in: 2012
Amazon link: I’ll Tell You Mine
