Social Science Australian dialects

[Scotland]

I find not understanding other English speakers weird. A thick Irish/Glaswegian/Yorkshire accent is hard work, but your average Californian or Canadian or Kiwi etc. all speak 99% the same words. Even when people from Melbourne make things up like 'nature strip' you still work out what they're saying. It's not like speaking to a German or something who uses a different syntax.

 

[Gough]

I find not understanding other English speakers weird. A thick Irish/Glaswegian/Yorkshire accent is hard work, but your average Californian or Canadian or Kiwi etc. all speak 99% the same words. Even when people from Melbourne make things up like 'nature strip' you still work out what they're saying. It's not like speaking to a German or something who uses a different syntax.

If you a native speaker you don't realise how fast you speak. I remember talking to a German guy in a pub once and he asked me to slow down because I was speaking too quickly, and I've always found the same with the French, I speak a few words and can understand a little but bloody hell they speak quickly.

 

[Scotland]

To be fair, Kimmel's show is always going to show the most absurd answers - assuming they aren't paid to say them.

But yes, they are more insular because they can afford to be. What interest should Goliath have in little David?

There's a whole world out there.

I'm content knowing that I can get a better baguette in Paris than I can in Perth. I'm content knowing that I can go to parts of Japan that get 15 metres of snowfall a year whereas if I drive 4-5 hours and hike to the top of Bluff Knoll there might be a couple of cm depending on the year. I don't think it's healthy to just blindly assume everything you have is the best because 'Murica. I'm also content knowing that I live in a safe city with first world amenities, beautiful weather etc. and places I've been are totally ****ed by comparison.

 

[Scotland]

If you a native speaker you don't realise how fast you speak. I remember talking to a German guy in a pub once and he asked me to slow down because I was speaking too quickly, and I've always found the same with the French, I speak a few words and can understand a little but bloody hell they speak quickly.

Going to Europe definitely improved my English. A Spanish friend told me I speak too quickly for her to understand, but listening to her speak Spanish to other locals was going at about 1000 words a minute. I have a conscious focus overseas to use actual words and speak clearly. Here I'll just mumble and yeahnahyeah etc.

As an Australian you get lazy with abbreviations and slang which non English speakers understandably have a lot of difficulty with. But I still think Americans should be able to understand us.

 

[Papa G]

Going to Europe definitely improved my English. A Spanish friend told me I speak too quickly for her to understand, but listening to her speak Spanish to other locals was going at about 1000 words a minute. I have a conscious focus overseas to use actual words and speak clearly. Here I'll just mumble and yeahnahyeah etc.

As an Australian you get lazy with abbreviations and slang which non English speakers understandably have a lot of difficulty with. But I still think Americans should be able to understand us.

Years ago I stayed in hotel in New York and had to give our home address in Adelaide. At the time we were living in Mile End. Months later we received some correspondence from them and the suburb address on the envelope was Marland.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

I got the same thing when I was there, if you didn't sound like Crocodile Dundee you often got mistaken for being English, we also say a lot of similar words like calling candy "lollies" and cigarettes "****" which just adds to the confusion.

I live in Britain and they don’t call candy “lollies”. The work crew looked at me like I was insane when I said “lollies”.

 

[RelaxMax]

I live in Britain and they don’t call candy “lollies”. The work crew looked at me like I was insane when I said “lollies”.

Sweets?

 

[Tarkyn_24]

My Australian drivers license came in handy when I got pulled over by the cops one time in San Diego, there was some road works which were confusing and I ended up driving on the wrong side of the road for a while. Some cops pulled me over and were typical narky cops until I showed them my Australian drivers license and they were suddenly all nice to me and told me to enjoy my holiday there. If I was just a regular American I might have copped a fine.



I guess most Poms would call them "sweets" but I've also heard them say "lollies" as well and to Americans it still sounds like a very English type of word.

Only context I’ve heard lollies is an ice lolly, which I think - but am not 100% - is like those fruit Splices that we stock.

As comewhatmay has alluded to, every Brit I’ve spoken to has called lollies sweets.

 

[Scotland]

From my experience English people say sweets for lollies and iced lollies for icy poles.

Americans tend to use a blanket 'candy' for anything in the confectionery aisle. Not sure what they call a Calippo or Zooper Dooper or something. Probably just 'ice cream'.

 

[Spongebob]

Americans call those big swirly lollipops on a stick lollies.

Everything else is candy.

And, of course, Kinder Surprises are illegal imports. Possibly because they have little toys inside and not guns.

 

[GreyCrow]

I ended up driving on the wrong side of the road for a while, some cops pulled me over and were typical narky cops until I showed them my Australian drivers license and they were suddenly all nice to me and told me to enjoy my holiday there, .

Sounds like our GF experience. Turn right into some street in Melbourne only to have tram officials yelling at us until they see the SA plates. Found a gap and got onto the car road

 

[Catfish Alley]

Only about 35% of them have passports. They are raised with the notion that they are from the greatest country on Earth so many can be insular. As a percentage, they have as many idiots as any other country. Plenty of good people though.

Everyone’s opinion is based on their own experience I guess. Personally, I’ve found South Africa, Russia and even Ireland to have higher proportion of w***ers.

 

[Silent Alarm]

Are we just going to brush over what Scotland looks like?

Jesus christ, he's like what I reckon people think I look like.

I thought he was like old and washed up and had a short back and sides but he's like... wow.

 

[Catfish Alley]

From my experience English people say sweets for lollies and iced lollies for icy poles.

Americans tend to use a blanket 'candy' for anything in the confectionery aisle. Not sure what they call a Calippo or Zooper Dooper or something. Probably just 'ice cream'.

Popsicle.

 

[Plugger35]

Only about 35% of them have passports. They are raised with the notion that they are from the greatest country on Earth so many can be insular. As a percentage, they have as many idiots as any other country. Plenty of good people though.

The USA is such a huge and diverse country that they don't miss out on much from never leaving their country from a nature point of view at least.

If I had to choose to spend my entire life in one country it would probably be the one I'd choose, the only drawback is that their sports mostly suck.

Are we just going to brush over what Scotland looks like?

Jesus christ, he's like what I reckon people think I look like.

I thought he was like old and washed up and had a short back and sides but he's like... wow.

I doubt that's his photo, brave posting it up here if it is.

 

[The Speaker]

Are we just going to brush over what Scotland looks like?

Jesus christ, he's like what I reckon people think I look like.

I thought he was like old and washed up and had a short back and sides but he's like... wow.

It's the first image of that version of the licence that comes up on Google images.

 

[Catfish Alley]

Happened to me again just before. Called a place to book some accommodation and noticed the woman was Aussie. I asked where she was from and she just said ‘Australia’. I said ‘Yeah, me too. But where abouts?’. She was from Townsville. She said she didn’t pick my accent at all.

 

[Damon_3388]

Melbournians definitely switch e's and a's depending on what is said in front of it. For eg. a lot of Victorian commentators pronounce Brandon Ellis as Brandon Alice. Melbourne is pronounced as Malburn. The Adelaide Crows is often pronounced as The Edelaide Crows. Garry Lyon, Nat Edwards, Richo & Cal Twomey are probably the worst offenders.

Anthony Hudson loves a "Malbern" pronounciation as well.

 

[iluvparis]

It's the first image of that version of the licence that comes up on Google images.

And old SA puts him self out as the greatest seer on big footy

 

[Bomberboyokay]

As an Australian you get lazy with abbreviations and slang which non English speakers understandably have a lot of difficulty with. But I still think Americans should be able to understand us.

Outside individuals we don't really have a cultural impact on America. Nobody there is watching the AFL or ******* Packed to the Rafters.

 

[Papa G]

Outside individuals we don't really have a cultural impact on America. Nobody there is watching the AFL or ******* Packed to the Rafters.

This why Australians really shouldn't be surprised or annoyed that the majority of Americans don't know jack s**t about us outside some famous people and stereotypes.

Earlier I used Switzerland as an example. Outside of Roger Federer, Swiss Cheese, Chocolate, Clocks, The Alps, Banking and Neutrality, what does the average Australian know about Switzerland? In fact I'd say most Australians would struggle to come up with a list that long.

 

[GreyCrow]

This why Australians really shouldn't be surprised or annoyed that the majority of Americans don't know jack s**t about us outside some famous people and stereotypes.

Earlier I used Switzerland as an example. Outside of Roger Federer, Swiss Cheese, Chocolate, Clocks, The Alps, Banking and Neutrality, what does the average Australian know about Switzerland? In fact I'd say most Australians would struggle to come up with a list that long.

Every adult male is registered in the Army. Switzerland therefore has the highest gun ownership in the world. Swiss Army Knife. Smoke on the water is based on events on Lake Geneva

 

[GreyCrow]

Getting back to Australia do Victorians still take their port on holidays?

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Only about 35% of them have passports. They are raised with the notion that they are from the greatest country on Earth so many can be insular. As a percentage, they have as many idiots as any other country. Plenty of good people though.

Most of them have two weeks or less holiday a year and paid worse than somebody doing the same job in Western Europe or Australia. Met a few there who told me they'd never come to Australia because of the flight time. And there is a logic to that. How many Australians would visit New Zealand if it took a day to get there?

 

[Bomberboyokay]

The subject of American arrogance is interesting. One that gets much less attention here is English arrogance. It's like the Empire never really ended for shitloads of them. It was part of the core of the Brexit cake and eat it too delusion, that Britain could have whatever it wants and its 27 closest allies would happily go along.