Web teaser: Strine
In the second paragraph on page 209 you find the word “Aussie” which Australians use to describe themselves. Australians often put the sound “-ie” at the ends of words, e.g. “uni” for university and “barbi” for barbecue. Australian English is called “Strine”, from the way Australians pronounce “Australian” which sounds something like “Austrine”.
Here are some tasks to practise your Strine:
1)
What do you think these Strine words mean? (Hint: the first part of the word is from the beginning of the regular English word.) Make use of the first link below to find out.
- lippy
- garbo
- mozzie
- nuddy
- prezzies
- rellie
Phrases:
- get the pink slip
- kangaroos loose in the top paddock
- fair dinkum
2)
Now make a "Strine Quiz" for one of your classmates. Include at least ten words and five phrases. Swap quizzes and see who gets the higher score!
3)
Go to the second link below to read an article about how Strine has evolved and how it changing.
- How did Australian slang start to devlop?
- Why was there a big change in the 1970s and 80s?
- Why does the writer claim that it is no longer cool?
4)
Finally, check out the last link to find the origins of a word many of you probably use every day! Which word is it?
Links
-
Australian Slang Dictionary
(koalanet.com. au) -
The rise and fall of Australian slang (BBC Magazine)
(bbc.com) -
What Australian slang has given the world
(bbc.com)