28 October 2014

"Canberra-ism"

28 October 2014 | SandyRiver

Hi all,

I have a friend moving out from the USA in early Dec and pulling together a pack on info to help her settle in. I’m including a list of “Canberra-isms” that people new to our city wouldn’t know (Civic, Parliamentary Triangle etc). Would appreciate any input both on this front, and on anything else you think a newcomer to Australia/Canberra would need to know 🙂 thanks!

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Queen_of_the_Bun11:23 pm 30 Oct 14

1. The Hill means the big house on the hill.
2. The Big House does not mean AMC.
3. AMC means jail.
4. Flex is what you accrue at work, not during a workout.
5. TOIL is what you accrue if you don’t accrue flex.
6. Monday is hospitality night. Tuesday is trivia. Wednesday is the big night for people from the Hill (see 1). For everyone else it’s karaoke night.
7. Thursday is uni night. STAY HOME if you are older than 22.
8. Oktoberfest is held in November.

Lazy I8:30 pm 30 Oct 14

Mandatory viewing before using the local bus service:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFED6HIUN0s

John Moulis4:39 pm 30 Oct 14

OzChick said :

Postalgeek said :

and Hyper D for a laugh.

“Hyper D is the place for you and me. Come down now and bring the family!” That ad just stuck in my head for some reason…

“Wannie, Wanniassa how I love ya …” (Wanniassa Shopping Centre 1980s)
“Down by the Riverside” (Riverside Plaza Qbn 1987)
“Where it all happens with a smile” (Woden Plaza 1974)
“The Happening” (Woden Plaza 1977)

OzChick3:14 pm 30 Oct 14

Postalgeek said :

and Hyper D for a laugh.

“Hyper D is the place for you and me. Come down now and bring the family!” That ad just stuck in my head for some reason…

Use “layby” instead of “layaway”

paservank8:47 am 30 Oct 14

Don’t forget that you can get some overpriced ACTION by waiting in a bomb shelter.

You should probably mention that taxis are bloody expensive here.

switch8:34 am 30 Oct 14

I think they’ll feel right at home. I even saw ANZAC biscuits in the cookie section at Woollies yesterday.

Catty10:31 pm 29 Oct 14

Acton said :

I knew a guy from Tuggers who was a bit of a booner, although his son was a cordie.
Went for the Raiders and would be spittin chips whenever he saw the skywhale in the Crimes.
Anyway, he was pube, an APS6 in DFAT, acting EL1 in DIAC.
Took a VR and bought an ex-govvie in Charny.
Turned out to be a Mr Fluffy.

Masquara said :

Different meaning for “thong/s”
It’s OK to order a short black
If she asks for “wahdurrrrr” she’ll get a blank look. War-teur
“to take away” not “to go”
No such thing as “cilantro” here …
Don’t say “rooting for” …

Oh yes. The “takeaway” vs “to go” always makes my blood boil. And it’s not “takeout” either…

curmudgery10:15 pm 29 Oct 14

Drive on the LEFT.
Using the horn is a very, very rare event.
The gap between cars is called an ‘idiot gap’ – the smaller the gap, the bigger the idiot.
Most handguns are held by the Police. To un-holster one requires two meetings, a form and a quiet nod from the Prince of Darkness.
Almost no-one knows the second verse of our National Anthem – and no-one seems to mind.
Welcome to Canberra.
Drive on the LEFT.

sepi10:00 pm 29 Oct 14

The entree is the starter, not the main.

Don’t ask for ice all the time.

Gas is not a liquid.

If you stand at a crossing cars will stop.

No need to tip except at restaurants.

Postalgeek1:56 pm 29 Oct 14

Gunners

Tuggers

Quangas

Skyfire

Kingo

and Hyper D for a laugh.

dungfungus12:50 pm 29 Oct 14

Acton said :

Acton said :

I knew a guy from Tuggers who was a bit of a booner, although his son was a cordie.
Went for the Raiders and would be spittin chips whenever he saw the skywhale in the Crimes.
Anyway, he was pube, an APS6 in DFAT, acting EL1 in DIAC.
Took a VR and bought an ex-govvie in Charny.
Turned out to be a Mr Fluffy.

For those, including our American friends, who require a translation:

I knew a rather uncouth chap who lived in one of the southern suburbs of Canberra.
His son was a young cadet with a high testosterone level attending the Duntroon Military College.
This chap was an avid supporter of the local rugby league team, called the Canberra Raiders.
He would become frightfully annoyed at seeing reports in the Canberra Times of a certain hot air balloon sculpture, termed’ skywale’ that would have the remarkable effect of causing either howls of derision or gasps of rapture, depending on one’s political persuasion .
He was an esteemed Commonwealth Public Servant, actually of middle ranking Australian Public Service Level Six classification, but was undertaking temporary higher duties of indeterminate duration at the even more important Executive Level One classification .
This chap was offered a Voluntary Redundancy separation package of extraordinary generosity from the Commonwealth Government, one which generated envy amongst his colleagues and unreasonable hostility from members of the general public.
With these funds he purchased a rather small and nondescript brick veneer home originally built in the 1970s for low cost rental to government employee, but now quite popular.
Rather unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately if the local government is now going to buy back his home in order to demolish it), this small and nondescript brick veneer home was filled some years ago by a company called ‘ Mr Fluffy with loose asbestos insulation of a type which, according to experts, is only slightly less dangerous to a person’s long term health than a deadly strain of virus originating from the west coast of Africa.

Perfectly translated into pubespeak.

Acton10:50 pm 28 Oct 14

Acton said :

I knew a guy from Tuggers who was a bit of a booner, although his son was a cordie.
Went for the Raiders and would be spittin chips whenever he saw the skywhale in the Crimes.
Anyway, he was pube, an APS6 in DFAT, acting EL1 in DIAC.
Took a VR and bought an ex-govvie in Charny.
Turned out to be a Mr Fluffy.

For those, including our American friends, who require a translation:

I knew a rather uncouth chap who lived in one of the southern suburbs of Canberra.
His son was a young cadet with a high testosterone level attending the Duntroon Military College.
This chap was an avid supporter of the local rugby league team, called the Canberra Raiders.
He would become frightfully annoyed at seeing reports in the Canberra Times of a certain hot air balloon sculpture, termed’ skywale’ that would have the remarkable effect of causing either howls of derision or gasps of rapture, depending on one’s political persuasion .
He was an esteemed Commonwealth Public Servant, actually of middle ranking Australian Public Service Level Six classification, but was undertaking temporary higher duties of indeterminate duration at the even more important Executive Level One classification .
This chap was offered a Voluntary Redundancy separation package of extraordinary generosity from the Commonwealth Government, one which generated envy amongst his colleagues and unreasonable hostility from members of the general public.
With these funds he purchased a rather small and nondescript brick veneer home originally built in the 1970s for low cost rental to government employee, but now quite popular.
Rather unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately if the local government is now going to buy back his home in order to demolish it), this small and nondescript brick veneer home was filled some years ago by a company called ‘ Mr Fluffy with loose asbestos insulation of a type which, according to experts, is only slightly less dangerous to a person’s long term health than a deadly strain of virus originating from the west coast of Africa.

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