Letters about Janglish
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from: David Porter 2003/1/30 Gidday Mate I read your information about differences between Janglish and US or UK usage .. well a lot of Japanese tourists head Downunder for a holiday and we have our own style of English .. here are some differences I noticed .... panty stocking >> in Aus we call them "panty hose" .. stockings don't have the "panties" part so that is why we don't use stocking .. hose is a general term for socks and stockings and all. swimming pants >> in Aus we mostly call them "swimmers" but in some places they are called "cossies" which is taken from the "costume" as in "swimming costume" .. we also use "swim suit". high socks >> if the socks are for men then they are called "walk socks" but if they are for women then we call them "knee highs" but not many women would wear long socks Downunder .. pants >> "underpants" are generally called "knickers" for women and "jocks" for men .. "jocks" comes from a familiar brand name "jockeys". T-back >> .. *laughing* .. Downunder this is called a G-string .. what we call a "thong" is a very popular form of footwear made mostly from rubber and sometimes from leather .. if a girl asked for a thong here she would get a very funny surprise. fry pan >> in Aus a "fry pan" is an electric appliance for cooking but a "frying pan" is a round flat pan with low sides used for frying food on a stove .. we rarely use "pan" on its own maybe because it used to refer to a disposable sanitary toilet. video camera >> we use the same term and don't use "camcorder". sharp sign >> if you mean the sign # .. then we call this a "hash mark" or sometimes a "hash sign" .. I think the reason it is not called a "sharp" is so that it is not confused when being used in areas other than music. after-service >> we would refer to this as "after-sales-service" or as being "under warranty" if the service is free. mansion >> we are increasingly using "apartment" although people will still refer to living in a "flat" or a "unit" .. "mansion" here has a very different meaning and refers to a very, very large multi-million dollar property. spanner >> when we use the word "spanner" it refers to a tool that is a fixed size .. a "wrench" is an adjustable spanner. pincette >> wow this is a mixed group .. in Aus "tweezers" are a small personal tool used for say plucking hairs out or removing splinters from a cut .. "forceps" are a medical instrument most often associated with giving birth .. "pincers" are a woodwork tool used for a variety of jobs like pulling out nails or snipping wire. unit bath >> I am not sure what you mean here .. we have a "bathtub" which you fill with water and then sit or lay in and wash yourself .. it is found in a "bathroom" which is one room in a house .. a "handbasin" is a small basin, often fixed to the wall with its own tap, where you can wash your face and hands .. it may be in a bathroom or sometimes is in the toilet. baby car & buggy >> we have "strollers" and "prams" .. "strollers" are collapsible and can be folded up for easy carrying in the car .. a "pram" is a much more solid carriage and cannot be folded up .. they are not very common these days in Aus .. "strollers" cover a wide range of vehicles and can be very basic in construction or quite large .. currently the 3 wheel stroller has evolved and is associated with parents who want to take the children when they go jogging. baby bed >> we say "cot" .. your friend would ask for a "cot" if he was staying at a hotel here .. "crib" means to "study" (verb) or it is a "worker's lunch" (noun) .. an old fashioned usage would be a "child's bed". OL/office lady >> we would refer to these women as "clericals". cellophane tape >> in Aus this is "sticky tape" .. "Scotch tape" is a particular brand of "sticky tape". ball pen >> we use a "biro" although we would understand what is meant by a "ballpoint pen". front glass >> Downunder you would talk about the windscreen. bonnet >> we stick with you on this one and use "bonnet" as the area above the motor but remember we call the space at the back the "boot" and not the "trunk". gasoline stand >> in Aus this is a "petrol station" or "service station" .. *laughing* .. although you don't get much "service" at a "service station" these days with everything being self-serve. highway >> a "highway" in Aus is a main road but it can be pretty rough in some parts of the country .. it is a free road .. for the large major high speed roads we use the term "expressway" and often there is a toll to use the road. number plate >> we stick with you on this too. auto-bi(ke) >> this is called a "motorbike". RV >> looking at the brand names you refer to we call these vehicles "four-wheel-drives" or "4-by-4s" quick turn >> in our swiming pools we would do a "tumble turn" in a race. yacht >> in Aus a "yacht" is a large "sailing boat" that has a deck and usually a cabin below decks .. they can range in size from about 4 metres upwards .. smaller open boats with a sail are called a "sailing boat" or by their class name, eg "sixteen-footer". Coca-Cola Lite >> *smile* .. we have Diet Coke, Vanilla Coke, Lemon Coke and Coke but I don't think we have "Lite Coke" .. I prefer Pepsi Max .. *smile* . fried potatoes >> we say "chips" .. they are larger cut than "french fries" which are a MacDonalds (YUK YUK YUK) thing .. "potato chips" are different and come in packets and various flavours. American coffee >> Downunder we have developed our own styles of coffee based mainly on the Italian tradition .. we use mostly Italian terms, eg espresso, latte, machiata, afagatto but have also developed short blacks, flat whites and long blacks. hamburg steak >> we call it "mince meat" .. meat that has been put through a grinder .. it can be beef, pork, veal, chicken or turkey. toilet >> is a "toilet" is Aus too .. although I must say that the "American" terms are often used in tourist locations .. asking for the "loo" is generally the best thing to do .. "toilet" refers both to the room and to the actual thing you sit on .. if you wanted a real Aussie term you would ask for the "dunny". bed town >> this is not common in Aus but we do use the term "dormitory suburb" to refer to a place where lots of people live and commute to a major centre for work. "arbeit"er >> we refer to people as "casuals" if they have a part-time job. .. well mate I hope you can use this information .. I will be happy to help with any other words you might want to know about for people who are coming Downunder for a holiday .. or just for your information .. Take care and watch out for blokes in their stubbies (shorts) and thongs. David Wizard of Oz. |