Author(s): Paul Bugeja

Australiana

We use them every day, some of us more than others.They make our conversations colourful and interesting, loud and bright, rich and rare...and sometimes seemingly foreign or incomprehensible to visitors to our shores.They derive from a variety of cultural, historical and ethnic sources, and have adapted and evolved over time into a collection of truly original 'Australian-isms'. They underline and emphasise the linguistic imprint of who we are as Australians. Some call them 'Strine'. Others, simply slang or idiom. We like to think of them as Australian 'Slang-uage' - Sayings, Slang and Idiom, the Aussie way. Here are some Aussie sayings to ponder: 'Hello, here's trouble', 'How are you me old china?', "Howzit garn?' 'Saw your light on, thought I'd drop in', 'We have to stop meeting like this'.