Thursday, December 27, 2012

It's Not Language, It's Dialect

After being on driveabout for a few days, I saw a tiny smattering of this Island and talked to a lot of people... I have two takeaways from this little foray into the wilds.

First- Hey Australia- knock it off with the double Os.
Seems like when they were making up words and naming things, the common consensus was, if one O is good, two will make it better...
You can see it in some of the basic words that have become commonplace in US nomenclature-
Kangaroo, boomerang, cockatoo,etc.
But, man, take a drive in NSW and it seems like they went nuts when it came to buying vowels, especially Os.
Wahroonga, Koloona, Mooney Mooney (Not to be confused with Kangy Angy), Karool, Koolewong,  (right next to scenic WoyWoy), Footts Rd., Kooloora, School (no, wait...), Toohey's (A fine beer beeah, I hear heeah.), Cooranbong, Trooting Park Pakh, Wallaroo, Gooreengi, Booral, Boolambayte, Coolongolook (one of my personal favorites), Coopernook, Booti Booti, Goonook, Coorabak, Googly's Lagoon, Boorganna, Woolgoolga, Cooma, and Narooma to name just a few...

Still with me? Good.
Here's another thing-
Where the hell are all Rs going?
I man, they are right there on the sign... but no one here uses 'em.

Beer - pronounced "Beeah", Carins (a city in N Queensland - pronounced "Caans"),  Darwin (City in North Territories) is Dah-win, Forster (city in NSW) pronounced Fos-ta.

The last one almost got me in a fight...
"I'll be staying up the other side of Forster." (pronouncing both Rs in the name)
"Forrrsterrrr? Nevah heard of it."
"Past Newcastle- next to Tuncurry."
"Oh.. yer talkin' about Fos-ta. Ha- you heah this guy? Forrrsterrr. Ha ha! Typical yank."
(Under my breath) "You betcher ass, Bruce. This 'typical yank' owns enough firepower to sink this pathetic excuse for a continent tout-flippin'-suite. Keep screwin' with me and see how it all works out, ya buncha intervocalic alveolar flapping and yod-dropping cretins."


TBG- ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

3 comments:

doubletrouble said...

Wait..."beah" is correct.

Old NFO said...

LOL, another fun trip eh??? :-)

The Big Guy said...

DT:
You New Englanders have some odd ideas on pronunciation too...
So go paaak yer caaaah in the yaaaad, have anudda beah, and go get some diction lessons.

O'NFO-
It just goes on and on...
I'm not overly impressed- I was told that every girl over was a stunner.
This has not been the case.
Most of them remind me of London girls with better teeth and a tan.
Otherwise they are just annoying.
Gawd I'm getting old.