The land where Vegemite is put on a sandwich, you know that fermented yeast spread that is pretty much a national institution in Australia made famous by that Men at Work song. He was six-foot-four and full of muscles. I said, “Do you speak-a my language?” He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich. The huge amount of media that comes from America makes a lot of people around the world embrace the American English dialect, more so than the British or Australian dialects. Most of the time I am able to understand what British and Australian people are saying, but my time spent in Scotland was very frustrating, as I had a real hard time trying to figure out what they were saying. The Scots are notorious for having a way with their words.
85% of Australians live within 50 kilometers of the coastline and I guess this is because most of this vast country is arid with deserts making up most of the land mass. Barbie is Australian slang for barbecue, but I have to give kudos to Fandango for letting me know that they don’t eat shrimp on the barbie, as they use the word prawn for shrimp, which I find to be spastically spiffy. Australians say mozzie for a mosquito and garbo is a garbage collector which both make sense to me. A bogan is a person whose speech, clothing, attitude and behavior are considered unrefined or unsophisticated.
I just started watching Secret City on Netflix last night which is an Australian film about a government scandal that a journalist discovered and she wants to expose it, but she has to cope with running into dead ends because of corruption and cover-ups. Amidst the rising tension between China and America over disputed territory that China just created, Canberra press journalist Harriet Dunkley (played by Anna Torv) forces her way closer to the truth, uncovering a secret city of interlocked conspiracies which will threaten her career, her life and endangers the freedom of every Australian. For the last few years, China has been building a string of artificial islands in the South China sea, which has brought criticism from other countries.
Written for, for Daily Addictions by rogershipp prompt Cope, for FOWC with Fandango – Kudos, for June Writing Prompts where today June 27 is Spastically spiffy, for Sheryl’s New Daily Post Word Prompt: Embrace, for Scotts Daily Prompt Criticism, for Teresa’s Haunted Wordsmith Three Things Challenge, where the three prompt words are “mozzie, garbo and Bogan”, for Weekly Prompts Your Second Chance to be Creative where the prompt is Frustrating and for Word of the Day Challenge Alternative haven the Prompt is Notorious.
“but I have to give kudos to Fandango for letting me know that they don’t eat shrimp on the barbie, as they use the word prawn for shrimp.” Well, at least that’s what some random guy from Australia who was standing behind me at the checkout line at the grocery store told me.
LikeLike
Yes I remember.
LikeLiked by 1 person
U r the master of prompts:) great text 👏👏
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Ray, but I owe so much to the prompts as without them I would not have a story.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Noooo I don’t believe you 🙂 but it’s fun of coz & u doing it great!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, I’ve learned some new things here. The only songs I associate with Australia are Waltzing Mathilda and “Click go the shears, boys, click, click, click.” 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pretty funny songs just listened to them. Loaded with Australian slang.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Great blend of the prompts, and I had forgotten about the song you mention in the opening .. we take our vegimite everywhere with us, it’s our secret weapon 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Google says that Vegemite tastes like sadness.
LikeLiked by 1 person
where is that, I need to change it ?
Still take vegimite sandwiches when have lunch away from home … so easy and delicious!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have never seen it before, but if I do I will try it on your recommendation.
LikeLiked by 1 person
oh please don’t try it .. it seems to be an acquired taste from our childhood, others dry retch just at the site and smell .. it’s very gooey black and the yeast has a foul odour that we don’t notice coz we love the taste 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You just talked me out of it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I knew about shrimps, prawns is also used as a derogatory term for aliens thanks to District 9 movie.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fookin Prawns.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Onya, Jim. Secret City is set in my town. My husband starting watching it last night but it was too much for him. Where the bloke jumped off the bridge is not the same place that the police found the body. They filmed the body discovery at a different part of the lake. The discontinuity was too much for him. 🙂
Vegemite is bloody brilliant. Don’t come the raw prawn with me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just finished watching all six episodes in Season One and it was a good series full of suspense, but I bet it would be more exciting seeing all the familiar landmarks around your town.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll have to give it a go.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow!! Clever Clogs!! I especially like the Bogan word, I may use it today in conversation
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like my dog barked at the bogan.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Loved all the new information… .again! I will now only use the Australian word for mosquito… Thanks for participating.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Roger and I agree mozzie is a pretty cool word.
LikeLiked by 1 person