(or: What the hell is he trying to
say?)
When I wrote my first story, I stuck a few terms into it that would be immediately recognizable to Australians but may prove a problem to other readers. So in the interest of better comprehension among readers everywhere, I present the following.
From 'The Gift':
Flat: noun. Apartment.
Seppo: noun, slang. Semi-affectionate
term for an American. 'seppo' is short for
'septic tank', which is rhyming slang for 'Yank'.
(Note: the author is well aware that
not all Americans are Yankees, and that some
find the term offensive. Most of us
foreigners don't give a toss about the distinction.
Sorry.)
Ratbag: noun. A disreputable person.
Whinge, whinging: verb, pronounced
winj. To complain, especially in a whining
manner. An activity which is anathema
to most Australians and which we associate
with our English friends.
Pacific Peso: noun. Disparaging
term for the Australian dollar, which, along with the
Euro and most other currencies, is copping
a beating right now from a certain eight-
hundred pound gorilla called the US dollar.
(Update, July 2001: nothing has changed!)
Flying Fox: noun. Type of fruit-eating
bat native to Australia. The biggest bats in the
world.
D&M: adjective, noun. Stands
for 'Deep and Meaningful'. A conversation that is...
well... deep and meaningful.
From 'Snoozebar':
Schooner: noun. Three-quarters of an old Imperial pint. A large beer, if you live in New South Wales.
Schmick: adjective. Neat, clean, spiffy.
QANTAS: noun, acronym. Queensland And Northern Territory Aerial Service. The national airline; the second oldest airline in the world.
Festival of Light: noun. Christian Fundamentalist
pressure group.
From 'Nightmare':
Buckley's, Buckley's chance: noun. To have 'Buckley's chance' is to have no chance at all. To say 'two chances, none and Buckley's' is simply to add emphasis by repetition.
Write to me if I've missed anything!