A swag of snags â where Aussie English came from
The convict author of Australiaâs very first dictionary would be delighted to know many âflashâ terms from his day still linger on in our everyday lexicon.
If you say there are swags of snags on the barbie, youâre using âflashâ language.Â
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A nation is defined by its dictionaries. So it is somehow appropriate that Australiaâs first lexicon guide was a dictionary of slang and was written by a convict.
If you call your clothes your âdudsâ or your âtogsâ, ask for a âdollopâ of ice cream on your dessert, say you have âswagsâ of sausages for the barbie, or call a drunk a âlushâ you are talking like a convict â using âflashâ words. There are hundreds of examples of convict slang still alive and functioning in the Australian language today.
International Talk Like a Pirate Day was invented in 1995 by two Americans, John Baur and Mark Summers, as a parody of all those endless United Nations proclaimed days dedicated to terribly noble causes. In order to Talk Like a Pirate you greet everyone with Ahoy maties or Ahoy me hearties in a growling accent and throw in the occasional Aye, Jim lad while pretending to have a parrot on your shoulder. That works for pirates, but what about convicts? How can you talk like a convict? Talking like a pirate is so 1995. convict-speak is where it’s at. Probably by talking exactly the way you are now. No change is needed. If you grew up speaking Australian English you are using far more convict words than you realise.
The 12 convict terms Aussies still use themorningbulletin.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from themorningbulletin.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.