need just a little Australia slang help

zanzjan

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Not sure if this is the right place for this or not. What word(s)/insults/etc. would a modern-day Australian be likely to use to call someone an oaf/moron/etc?

Thanks in advance! (-:

-Suzanne
 

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You might try posting in the International forum too--lots of Aussies here.

Also, there's an Australian slang project from the National Library; I'll go see if I can find a link or someone there; I know they participate on the OED lists.
 

ElsaM

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"Bloody idiot" would be traditional.

But it really depends on the age and background of the character.
 

telford

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It depends on how traditional you want to go. Real old style Aussie slang would be: drongo, gallah, dip shit, shit for brains.

More modern: dick head (can't knock the classics), dip stick, bloody idiot, f*cking idiot, shit head; basically we're multi cultural these days so you can take any generic insult, add one of the above expletives before it and there you go.

As you can see we're a cultured lot. But we don't call a shovel a f*cking spade.

Good luck.
 

zanzjan

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Thanks for your help, everyone!

My character in question is middle-aged and very educated (he's a top research scientist) but the story is set slightly in the future so he would have been a young teenager right about now when he first picked up his swearing/insult habits. He's *really* stressed and slightly intoxicated at the moment, has just gotten into his second fist-fight in as many chapters, this time with the maintenance man who he's learned has spilled something he desperately needed. Now that the fight's been broken up, he's got to do a bit of yelling at the maintenance guy before he's done, and I want it to sound authentic.

-Suzanne
 

Caitlin Black

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NOTE: Excessive coarse language to follow. Apparently I don't have IRU's compunction to pull these punches when the OP is specifically about swearing/insults. ;)

"Bloody drongo shit-for-brains dickhead fuckwit son-of-a-goddamn-emu-fucker arsetosser!!!"

As you can plainly see, I like to swear. ;)

More to the point - traditional Aussie insults typically aren't associated as swear words (drongo for instance), but they do convey a complete bewilderment of how the other person can be so "X" (generally, in my opinion anyway). Where Aussie insults really shine is that most Aussies will be as inventive as they can when swearing (son-of-a-goddamn-emu-fucker for instance) and will quite often go on a verbal rampage for the time it takes for them to run out of breath.

At least, that's been my experience. Singular swear words, over here, seem to only come out when the person is swearing privately to themselves, perhaps after stubbing their toe or seeing an exceptionally ugly person walk past them.

Hope that helps. :)
 

Rufus Coppertop

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he's got to do a bit of yelling at the maintenance guy before he's done, and I want it to sound authentic.-Suzanne

If he had a more traditional Aussie father, uncle or grandfather, the following would be entirely plausible.

You stupid frigging galah! You witless fucking drongo! Whereja getya fucking quallies mate? A wheaties pack? You've got the brains of a dunny budgie! Fuuucking mooooron!
 

cooeedownunder

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Thanks for your help, everyone!

My character in question is middle-aged and very educated (he's a top research scientist) but the story is set slightly in the future so he would have been a young teenager right about now when he first picked up his swearing/insult habits. He's *really* stressed and slightly intoxicated at the moment, has just gotten into his second fist-fight in as many chapters, this time with the maintenance man who he's learned has spilled something he desperately needed. Now that the fight's been broken up, he's got to do a bit of yelling at the maintenance guy before he's done, and I want it to sound authentic.

-Suzanne

Yeah, I think Rufus Coppertop's comment up post was pretty accurate, especially if they were raised more outside the cities.

I think a lot of Australians who have parents who would have come out with a lot of Irish or sailor phrases or as well as what's considered traditional slang, when cranky have a knack of saying the same thing different ways until they exaust their anger or frustration - without necessarily using a great deal of slang words from our past.

F*ing and especially bloody, and quite often both used together every second word would surely capture a great deal of Australians when they're angry.

I'd be inclined to say or should I say rant, on a extremely bad day, which I've yet to have... - so I'll pretend I'm your charachter - :)

"You've really bloody buggered it -- you're a f*ing dick wit for spilling the bloody shit -- you've got no bloody idea the f*ing crap your misake's gonna f*ing cause you bloody goose, you f*ing drongo -- you're nothing but a f*ing bloody idiot."

- and yeah, as Cliff said, we don't stop cursing until we run out of breath or passout... :D
 
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Intergalactic Walrus

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Common but not overly cliche insults would include, "Ya wanker", "Bloody dickhead" and if you want to be a bit less family friendly, "You fucking cunt" never fails.
 

IceCreamEmpress

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"Drongo" is to my US ears the most uniquely Australian of pejoratives. I had not encountered "dunny budgie" before, but I will treasure it forever, as my overly literal mind instantly made me picture parakeets laboring in a sewer.
 

Ms Hollands

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Dick head is still my favourite. Bloody idiot is up there too. I'd be more inclined to call someone a dick head behind their back, and bloody idiot to their face - normally when angry about something they've done. You could also drop the 'g' if you're using the f word as people often to say "fucken idiot" instead of "fucking" in Aus. Alternatively, just read the novel The Slap for a huge range of great insults and swear words!
 

Izz

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All of those things could be a little difficult, given the situation...

:D
 
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poetinahat

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It's like Vegemite, if you've got the taste for that - a bit of it is great, but it'll make you ill if you lay it on too thick.
 

tarkine

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It does depend on where in australia the person is from (geographically) as well as how mad they are:

For a mild telling off I'd probably go for:
Goddam idiot, boxhead, stupid moron.

For a really strong telling off there's all the swear words: fucking idiot/moron, fuckwit.

You could say "You're a fucking loser. What the fuck where you thinking, you fucking idiot?" and I think that would still sound reasonable.

I haven't heard drongo in a long time.

Oh and I really like the sayings "I hope your chickens turn into emus and kick your dunny down." and "you got a few roos loose in the top paddock, then?"

Whackka - that's another great aussie slang word -means a ton of things all rolled into the one word.
 

Tiger

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Like to mention that dipshit, shit for brains, dickhead, fu'in idiot, moron etc. are quite common in the U.S. as well... And, isn't wanker also used by the Brits? I like the sound of "drongo" and "gallah" what the hell are they? :)

I've noticed that younger people in Hawaii have been saying "no worries," lately. Clearly, Aussies influence is spreading.
 

zulizani

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Allow me to be of assistance...I am gen Y Aussie, born and bred.

If I were slightly drunk and had just been in a fight and was spewing abuse at someone I was furious at........

I would use f*ckwit, dickhead/cockhead, f*ckstick, f*ck knuckle, wanker, poofta/faggot and all the usuals.

Also, I would most likely begin to make new insults up on the spot such as shit tits, ass clown, cock f*ucker, retarded f*ck monkey....the possibilties are endless.

I would probably drop in a prepared statement that I keep for these rants. I.e. You are a f*ckstain on the fabric of life. That sort of thing.

Truth be told Aussie slang is not very strong in gen Y. We are subject to a torrent of American mass media and it is having an effect. I rarely hear drongo, gallah or boxhead unless it is from gen X/BBer's.

His upbringing would probably influence his language....slightly. If he were from a well to do family he would be slightly less crude.
 

zanzjan

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Heh. I was pretty happy with just "bloody gallah" for the scene in question, but now I'm really thinking I'm going to have to give that character chances to swear a lot more so I can use more of this. (-:

Would love more of an explanation of Whackka, if such a thing is possible.

Thanks everyone!

-Suzanne
 

amara

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Like to mention that dipshit, shit for brains, dickhead, fu'in idiot, moron etc. are quite common in the U.S. as well... And, isn't wanker also used by the Brits? I like the sound of "drongo" and "gallah" what the hell are they? :)

I've noticed that younger people in Hawaii have been saying "no worries," lately. Clearly, Aussies influence is spreading.

Drongo is a term meaning moron. The galah is a rose breasted cockatoo which is rather common and considered silly due to their posturing. Many also die from accidental death such as flying into cars.