Shallots. An Australian uses the term ‘shallot’ for what we Brits would call a ‘spring onion’. I especially like this one, as it throws up a quandary: given that the term ‘shallot’ has been re-allocated, what do you then call shallots?

I have asked quite a few people this question. Mostly the problem is solved by not selling shallots, or not knowing what they are. However, the actual response is that they are ‘eshalots’. Pronounced eh-shal-ots.

In other words, the Australians use the French term for shalots, pronounced in the manner Jude describes above.

This then further confuses me when you start talking about aubergines or courgettes . . .

For the most part, the slang ‘Australian’ name was usually ‘Strayan’ or ‘Straya’ Being a slack jawed way of pronouncing ‘Australian’. Most notable is when people are poking fun at Australia day.

The reason you haven’t heard anyone say ‘Throw a shrimp on the barbie’ is because, well, Crocodile Dundee is a pile of crap. We actually call Shrimps “prawns”. No one walks around with bowie knives, and the amount of people who actually own a cowboy hat is usually limited to people that actually live in the country. In fact, most people don’t walk around with weapons at all. I’m yet to be confronted by an angry person waving a gun or a knife and I often put myself in remarkably dangerous situations.

Also, you would cook a christmas turkey in a barbequeue by using a long metal skewer through the middle of the turkey, placing said skewer on hooks inside the barbequeue to keep it elevated, seasoning it as per normal and closing the lid on the barbequeue for the desired amount of time, checking it and turning it as necessary. It’s essentially a gas oven with a different door, in this instance.

I’m not sure how these things go straight over the heads of people from other countries, but I suppose things like declawing cats or keeping a baseball bat beside your bed provoke the same kind of ‘WTF’ from me. Or even television registration fees. I can’t get my head around that one. Or In America, how there are federal taxes and state taxes…

Strewth is generally only used by older people, generally ones that are from slightly more regional areas… I’ve never used this term before.

Capsicums are bell peppers… I know they can be used as a general over the thin chilis and the bigger ones, but as a rule, Australians will call long thin ones chilies

Our idioms can more often than not be deciphered by considering what the word itself means. ‘Across’ being one you’ve mentioned… If something is across another thing, it’s covering it – I.e. I’m across my deadlines at work.

Flick- when you flick something it shoots in another direction. Flick it to me- send it my way.

I tend not to use a lot of Australian idioms that others use which is probably why I find it so funny when people make amused posts about them on the internet. I’m sure I’d make an amused post at all the British people talking about having a fag (but on the odd occasion I smoke, I tend to call them fags). I’m a fan of British slang far more than Australian slang… British slang, to me, sounds just a little bit classier than American or Australian slang. I like New Zealand slang, too…

I’m frequently mistaken for Canadian or British… So maybe it’s just that I actually speak my words properly as opposed to others that tend to use the broad, and loose Australian accent. I’m also not exactly proud of being associated with the rest of the people in my country, so maybe that’s why I’m always so amused when I read about how bizarre Australian idioms are to others.

Hope you, Joy and the cats are well x

Looking forward to catching up in a couple of weeks.

I hope you put “The Queen’s English” in the language spoken at home question in the census

They have shipped their ‘barbie’ over and gone to the trouble of finding an adapter so it can use English gas canisters (which turn out to be different) and are intending in all seriousness to cook their Christmas turkey on it. I have warned her that this is foolish.

My office is fond of tracking as well as traveling: “how you tracking with that?” Although there’s less room for confusion with that one…

Also just added thongs as it’s way too good to leave out!