http://wisehat.com/random/main/electricchair.jpg

We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art, and very often in our art, the art of words.

Ursla Le Guin (1929-2018)

National Book Foundation speech, 2014

Australian Slang

The more you know, the less you need.

Australian Aboriginal saying

This sheet is a simple word matching exercise. Students match words in a grid with slang from the box. Here's the text from the introduction:

Australian slang is known as strine. Some words can be found in British English, others are unique to Australia. A key feature of strine is the way words are often shortened.

See if you can match the words in the box with the list of words in the table. The word that's left is the smallest room in the house.

Australian Slang
Suggested Procedure:

Start by asking what the class knows about Australia. Ask if anyone knows any Australian sayings or expressions and write them up on the board. Then hand out the sheet and read through the introduction together. Then fill the sheet in. With a small group students can take turns suggesting answers and offer an explanation for their choices. With a large class have the students divide into pairs and fill the sheet out together. Then have the pairs form fours so they can compare answers and come to an agreement about differences. Finally go through the sheet together so everyone can make sure they have got the right answers:

afternoon arvo
barbeque barbie
candy lollies
complain whinge
dinner tea
dodgy iffy
expensive exy
friend mate
great ripper
hello G'Day
idiot box TV
mosquito mozzie
an English person limey
sunglasses sunnies
sweater jumper
swim suit togs
thank you ta
trash rubbish
vegetables veggies
very full chocker

Dunny, the remaining word, means toilet and refers to an outhouse. "Going to the dunny" means a visit to the toilet.

Last revision June 2018

getfile: Australian Slang

B5 Size, 1 page (1.88 mb)
Post A Comment
Name [required]
Email [required]
Retype Email [don't]
Message [required]

All comments and questions will be added provided they are on topic in some way and have content. Praise or disdain without explanation will probably be ignored.

Spam will be binned.

Email Addresses submitted with comments will not be published, bought, sold, traded or used in anyway except for direct personal replies.

Menu