Aussie ABCs: U-W
July 29, 2008
Filed under Distractions
U
Uni : university
Unit : flat, apartment
Up oneself: to have a high opinion of oneself – “he’s really up himself”
Useful as an ashtray on a motorbike: unhelpful or incompetent person or thing – “he, she or it is about as useful as …” etc. etc.
Ute : utility vehicle, pickup truck
V
Vedgies : vegetables
Vee dub : Volkswagen
Veg [vej] out : relax in front of the TV (like a vegetable)
W
Waggin’ school : playing truant
Walkabout : a walk in the Outback by Aborigines that lasts for an indefinite amount of time
Walkabout, it’s gone : it’s lost, can’t be found
Weekend warrior : army reservist
Whacker, whacka: Idiot; somebody who talks drivel; somebody with whom you have little patience
Whinge : complain
Whiteant (verb) : to criticise something to deter somebody from buying it. A car dealer might whiteant another dealer’s cars or a real estate salesman might whiteant another agent’s property
Wobbly : excitable behaviour (”I complained about the food and the waiter threw a wobbly”)
Wog : flu or trivial illness
Woop Woop : invented name for any small unimportant town – “he lives in Woop Woop”
Wowser : straight-laced person, prude, puritan, spoilsport
Wuss : coward; nervous person or animal
This is great. Must have missed the earlier installments. Here in Chicago, we use wuss, weekend warrior, veg, vedgies (spelled veggies). The others are unfamiliar, unfortunately!
two pronunciation ?’s…whinge, is it like a door hinge or wine or wing and also how about whiteant
Thnx for dropping by, Brad. I’m fast realising that words I thought were local are actually quite global. I’ve only ever heard one American say “veggies”; glad to know we’re not the only ones who make things (ie., vegetables) seem less scary by giving them cutesy names.
Great site and blog, btw.
@ the amazing jonathan: whinge sounds like hinge.
Whiteant should be white-ant, which is basically another word for a termite. We use the verb-slang to mean undermining, particularly undermining other people’s success… For instance, I could white-ant your credibility with your fellow Americans by spreading rumors that you like to eat Vegemite. (This by the way would RAISE your credibility with Australians)
Speaking of vegemite, don’t forget to take part in the Great Vegemite Census (http://howdoyoulikeyourvegemite.com.au/)!
Ahh, the internet… solving all the world’s important problems, one byte at a time…
Mmm, Vegemite…