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If you are unsure what an expression means, it
is acceptable to ask the person who said it, as most Australians are happy to
explain.
Some common expressions are:
- bring a plate
- when you are invited to a party and asked to "bring a plate", this means to
bring a dish of food to share with your host and other guests. The food can be
brought to the party in any type of dish, not just a plate, and it is usually
cooked. This is common for communal gatherings such as for school, work or a
club. If you are unsure what to bring, you can ask the host.
- BYO
- when you are invited to a party and told to "BYO", this means "bring your
own" drink. If you do not drink alcohol, it is acceptable to bring juice, soft
drink or soda, or water. Some restaurants are BYO. You can bring your own wine
to these, although there is usually a charge for providing and cleaning
glasses called "corkage".
- arvo
- afternoon. "Drop by this arvo" means please come and visit this afternoon.
- barbeque, BBQ, barbie
- outdoor cooking, usually of meat over a grill or hotplate using gas or
coals. The meat is usually served with salads and bread rolls. It is common
for a guest, when invited to a BBQ, to ask if they should bring anything.
- snag - sausages. Usually the raw type cooked at a BBQ. These can be made of pork, beef or chicken.
- chook - chicken.
- loo or dunny - toilet.
- fair dinkum - honest, the truth. It can also be used as a question "fair dinkum?" meaning
"is it really true?".
- to be crook - to be sick or ill.
- flat out - really busy.
- shout - to buy someone a drink. At a bar or a pub (publican's house ) when a group
of friends meet, it is usual for each person to "shout a round", meaning buy
everybody a drink. Each person takes a turn at buying a "round". It is also
acceptable to say that you do not drink (alcohol) by saying that you are a "teetotaler".
This also means you are not obliged to shout.
- How ya goin? - or 'How are you going?' means how are you, or how do you do? It does NOT
mean what form of transport you are taking. Sometimes it can sound like "ow-ya-goin-mate".
The above information, from
http://www.immi.gov.au/settle/states/customs.htm is used by us in a
non-commercial way.
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