Whatever happened to Australian, as she is spoke?
*By Ray Allan
Waltzing Matilda by John Williamson
It occurred to me – listening to the radio and viewing television – why have we become so Americanised?
In a world fast becoming globalised are we as Australians, going to lose “that which makes us unique”? It was only 70 odd years ago that we faced the prospect that we might all have to learn Japanese. Now, in a totally different way, and not through war, is television teaching us, and educating our young, to talk ‘McSpeak’?
Why have we lost so many of our beautiful, colourful and rich sounding words and phrases, like ‘Bonzer’, ‘Crickey’, ‘Gor’d Blimey’, ‘Corker’, ‘Fair Dinkum’, ‘Gander’, ‘Dinkie-Di’, ‘Cobber’, ‘G’day Mate’, ‘You Beaut’, ‘Boy what a slashin’ Sort’, ‘Curl the Mo’, ‘True Blue’, ‘Sheila’, ‘Fair crack of the whip’, ‘Get Cracking’, ‘More front than Myers’? And the list goes on!
Well, as I said earlier, it’s time we ‘Baby Boomers’ set about educating our Kids and Grand Kids. Whether it’s politically correct or proper English I’ll leave that for others to judge. But it’s time we started to act, before it’s too late, and we lose that which makes us unique as Australians!
I have included the word meanings for those who have forgotten what they are.
So come on ‘cobber’, let’s ‘get cracking’ – before it’s too late, ‘fair dinkum’, you’ll be ‘true blue’!
Some Common Word and Phrase meanings
*I am indebted to a long time friend and host of “Hanging out in a Men’s Shed” on 3WBC, Ray Allen, who wrote this sometime ago. Ray’s show helps people learn about the Australian Men’s Shed Association, which has over 900 sheds and 75,000 members around Australia, and brings men together in a friendly atmosphere for fun and fitness.
G’day, what a corker of an idea. My family and I are the typical Aussie family. We still speak Australian. We love a good yarn, chucking snags on the barbie and blow the froth off a couple with good mates. My dad is still very much the Aussie bush Larrakin and is always up to mischief but all in good fun. We’ll fight for our language just as the Aboriginals are fighting for theirs. It’s sad that people ‘evolve’ (either pushed or without realising) to our surroundings. Has much of Australia forgotten what Australia is and who we are? It’s time we remembered.
No worries cobber – she’ll be right!
Bewdy bottla Ros!