{"id":36403,"date":"2015-07-23T12:17:22","date_gmt":"2015-07-23T17:17:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?p=36403"},"modified":"2018-02-28T16:59:46","modified_gmt":"2018-02-28T22:59:46","slug":"speak-australian-infographic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2015\/07\/speak-australian-infographic\/","title":{"rendered":"How to speak to Australian (infographic)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally posted on HotelClub.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

No trip to a new country would be complete without experiencing\u2020the culture that makes it unique. Indulging in the local food, attending festivals and visiting museums\u2020is easy\u2020but getting to know the language is a great way to take your understanding and appreciation\u2020to a whole new level.<\/p>\n

\"AustralianIdiomsTitle2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

On the heels of our popular Idioms of the World<\/a> piece, today we take a trip down Australia’s linguistic lane. We asked Australian illustrator and animator Jared Atkins<\/a> to depict some typical Australian sayings\u2014as well as some of the more quirky ones\u2014that you might come across on your next trip, whether you’re headed to Sydney or Perth, or anywhere in between. Study up and then go ahead and give them a try with the locals!<\/p>\n

1.”Better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick”<\/h2>\n

\"PROOF_idiom01_v03\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Meaning:<\/strong> Be thankful for what you’ve got. Better than nothing.<\/p>\n

Australians are a sarcastic bunch and this common phrase is typically said with a laugh. You’d say its “better than a poke in the eye with the burnt stick” to someone who looks ungrateful or to someone who looks like they need cheering up upon finishing second place for example.<\/p>\n

2. “Flat out like a lizard drinking”<\/h2>\n

\"PROOF_idiom02_v03\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Meaning: <\/strong>To be really busy<\/p>\n

The phrase ‘to be flat out like a lizard drinking’ is\u2020a wordplay on the literal sense of ‘flat out’ as in\u2020to lie fully stretched out, and the figurative sense\u2020to be really busy. \u2020You would use this phrase to explain that you have been hard at work and haven’t had any free time eg. ” I’m sorry I missed your\u2020party, I’ve been flat out like a lizard drinking!”<\/p>\n

3. “To have tickets on yourself”<\/h2>\n

\"PROOF_idiom03_v02\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Meaning:<\/strong> To be conceited<\/p>\n

Famous for their tall-poppy syndrome, Aussie’s aren’t real fond of\u2020people who boast too much about themselves ortheir success. Humility is a highly valued trait in Australian culture and those who display\u2020egotistical behaviour will quickly be cut down with phrases like ‘she’s got tickets on herself’ which basically means – she thinks she’s\u2020better than everyone else.<\/p>\n

4. “Mad as a cut snake”<\/h2>\n

\"PROOF_idiom04_v03\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Meaning<\/strong>: Irate, crazy with rage or eccentric.<\/p>\n

The two senses of this phrase originate from the double meaning of the word ‘mad.’ This means you could be ‘mad as a cut snake’ if you’re having a fit of rage or it could also mean you’re one of the more interesting (and nutty) characters this world has seen. Contextand tone is everything here.<\/p>\n

5. “To go off like a frog in a sock”<\/h2>\n

\"PROOF_idiom05_v02\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Meaning:<\/strong> To be very excited<\/p>\n

Someone “going off like a frog in a sock” is someone who can barely contain themselves or their excitement. Just imagine the energy a frog would use trying to jump its way out of a sock and you get the picture. The term ‘going off’ is also commonly used to describe a raging party or nightclub.<\/p>\n

6. “To see which way the cat jumps”<\/h2>\n

\"PROOF_idiom06_v02\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Meaning:<\/strong> To postpone making a decision or acting until you have seen how things are developing.<\/p>\n

When you’re\u2020waiting to see the result of how something out of your control happens\u2020before making a decision you’re waiting to “see which way the cat jumps”.<\/p>\n

7. “May your chooks turn into emus and kick your dunny door down”<\/h2>\n

\"PROOF_idiom07_v02\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Meaning: <\/b>A wayof wishing someone bad luck<\/p>\n

This wacky idiom is one of the least common you’ll hear but one of the funniest. Popularised by the fictional character “Bazza Mckenzie<\/a>” when you’re not happy with someone you can\u2020wish them bad luck by saying “may your chooks (chickens) turn into Emus and kick your dunny (toilet) door down!”. \u2020This expression recalls a time when many Australians kept chickens in the backyard and the toilet\u2020was a separate outhouse.<\/p>\n

8. “To spit the dummy”<\/h2>\n

\"PROOF_idiom08_v02\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Meaning: <\/b>To have a fit of angerWhen you see an adult having a childish fit of anger they’re “spitting the dummy”. \u2020Another colloquial way of describing this behaviour in Australia is to say “he’s having a tanty” (tantrum) just like when\u2020a baby spits out its dummy (pacifier).<\/p>\n

9. “As useful as lips on a chicken”<\/h2>\n

\"PROOF_idiom09_v02\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Meaning: <\/b>Useless<\/p>\n

When you see something thats clearly impractical or ineffective\u2020its probably “as useful as lips on a chicken” or “about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike”. \u2020Aussie’s love to use these comical comparisons\u2020and most especially\u2020when it comes to useless things, for which they have a passionate\u2020dislike.<\/p>\n

10. “Flash as a rat with a gold tooth”<\/h2>\n

\"PROOF_idiom10_v04\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Meaning<\/strong>: Ostentatious, showy and a bit too flashily dressed.<\/p>\n

We’ve all seen that suspicious guy in the corner in the fancy suit and a bit too much jewellery. He’s either\u2020trying too hard or simply doesn’t look genuine. Aussie’s would describe someone who stands out like this as ‘flash as a rat with a gold tooth’ – despite his gold tooth, he’s still a rat.<\/p>\n

See the full set of idioms in one image here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"discount<\/a>\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

All the kooky, colorful expressions you need to know for your trip Down Under.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133,"featured_media":36437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1721],"tags":[2048,1899],"class_list":["post-36403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-infographic","tag-melbourne-vacations","tag-sydney-vacations"],"acf":{"api_active":null,"api_title":null,"api_excerpt":null,"api_featured_image":null,"api_lob":null},"posts_api_cpm_point":[{"name":"","description":"","thumbnail":"","address":"Australia","latitude":"-25.274398","longitude":"133.77513599999997","icon":"\/images\/icons\/marker.png"}],"yoast_head":"\nHow to speak to Australian (infographic) | Orbitz<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to speak to Australian (infographic) | Orbitz\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"All the kooky, colorful expressions you need to know for your trip Down Under.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Orbitz\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Orbitz\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-07-23T17:17:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-02-28T22:59:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Australian-Idioms-Illustrated.1265x725.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"820\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"470\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kristy Foss\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@orbitz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@orbitz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kristy Foss\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2015\/07\/speak-australian-infographic\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kristy Foss\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ced4618a1536476ea91a15c52043dba5\"},\"headline\":\"How to speak to Australian (infographic)\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-07-23T17:17:22+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-02-28T22:59:46+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2015\/07\/speak-australian-infographic\/\"},\"wordCount\":855,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Australian-Idioms-Illustrated.1265x725.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Melbourne Vacations\",\"sydney vacations\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Infographic\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2015\/07\/speak-australian-infographic\/\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/\",\"name\":\"How to speak to Australian (infographic) | Orbitz\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Australian-Idioms-Illustrated.1265x725.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-07-23T17:17:22+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-02-28T22:59:46+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ced4618a1536476ea91a15c52043dba5\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Australian-Idioms-Illustrated.1265x725.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Australian-Idioms-Illustrated.1265x725.png\",\"width\":1265,\"height\":725,\"caption\":\"Australian slang\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to speak to Australian (infographic)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Orbitz\",\"description\":\"Travel Blog\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ced4618a1536476ea91a15c52043dba5\",\"name\":\"Kristy Foss\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/kristy-128x97.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/kristy-128x97.jpeg\",\"caption\":\"Kristy Foss\"},\"description\":\"Kristy's love of travel and adventure has taken her all over the world\u2014from exploring Panama's hidden beaches, to swimming with whale sharks off Exmouth WA and surviving a mule stampede in Colombia.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/author\/kfoss\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to speak to Australian (infographic) | Orbitz","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to speak to Australian (infographic) | Orbitz","og_description":"All the kooky, colorful expressions you need to know for your trip Down Under.","og_url":"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/","og_site_name":"Orbitz","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Orbitz\/","article_published_time":"2015-07-23T17:17:22+00:00","article_modified_time":"2018-02-28T22:59:46+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Australian-Idioms-Illustrated.1265x725.png","width":820,"height":470,"type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Kristy Foss","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@orbitz","twitter_site":"@orbitz","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kristy Foss","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2015\/07\/speak-australian-infographic\/"},"author":{"name":"Kristy Foss","@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ced4618a1536476ea91a15c52043dba5"},"headline":"How to speak to Australian (infographic)","datePublished":"2015-07-23T17:17:22+00:00","dateModified":"2018-02-28T22:59:46+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2015\/07\/speak-australian-infographic\/"},"wordCount":855,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Australian-Idioms-Illustrated.1265x725.png","keywords":["Melbourne Vacations","sydney vacations"],"articleSection":["Infographic"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2015\/07\/speak-australian-infographic\/","url":"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/","name":"How to speak to Australian (infographic) | Orbitz","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Australian-Idioms-Illustrated.1265x725.png","datePublished":"2015-07-23T17:17:22+00:00","dateModified":"2018-02-28T22:59:46+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ced4618a1536476ea91a15c52043dba5"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Australian-Idioms-Illustrated.1265x725.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Australian-Idioms-Illustrated.1265x725.png","width":1265,"height":725,"caption":"Australian slang"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"http:\/\/www.hotelclub.com\/blog\/australian-idioms-illustrated\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to speak to Australian (infographic)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/","name":"Orbitz","description":"Travel Blog","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ced4618a1536476ea91a15c52043dba5","name":"Kristy Foss","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/kristy-128x97.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/kristy-128x97.jpeg","caption":"Kristy Foss"},"description":"Kristy's love of travel and adventure has taken her all over the world\u2014from exploring Panama's hidden beaches, to swimming with whale sharks off Exmouth WA and surviving a mule stampede in Colombia.","url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/author\/kfoss\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Australian-Idioms-Illustrated.1265x725.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/133"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36403"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36403\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36437"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}