Pah. And to think people thought metric was too confusing!

I've never heard a $20 note referred to as a brick, nor a 50cent piece as a cartwheel. Although when we had one and two cent pieces they were always 'Church money'.

One and two cent pieces must be the worst affliction I've ever experienced since the broadcast of Teletubbies. On a trip to Germany I had about two kilos of coins which amounted to about a dollar fifty. Well, more, actually, but basically useless. I ended up pouring the whole pile into a street performer's collection hat. They weren't overly grateful, but there you are.

More to the point, we tend to use 'mate', 'crikey', etc quite often when we speak but always sending ourselves up. Does that go for everyone, or just us? I mean do Poms use 'spiffing' in real speech, or as a joke, or really never?

I've notice city folk tend to use the Aussie vernacular much less than bushies, except in smaller cities like Hobart, Goulburn, etc. Maybe coz the inhabitants are closer to the Bush life than they are to the Big City life, and you almost never hear a City WOMAN use the term 'mate'. If you do, she's likely just in from the Bush on holiday.

ellevictoria Wrote:
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I mean do Poms use 'spiffing' in real speech, or as a joke, or really never?

Not since the 1930's

Actually, as an American, I try to avoid the use of most of those Americanisms as much as possible. I, like, try to use the word "like" only when I have to.

I'm from California, but going to school in New York state. "Wicked" is very popular over here, as in "That song is wicked!" "That was a wicked film!" etc.

Also, I've noticed that just about everyone over here refers to California as "Cali", which I have never in California. Anyone else live in a place that non-locals tend to abbreviate like this?

Gah, I thought I was replying to a post on the first page! (And I hate it when other people do that, too!) So, by Americanisms I mean those mentioned on the first page of this thread.

No, but I know that Durban is Durbs and Johannesberg is Jozi or Joberg. Think that both are used there too though. (Joberg for definite, at least by some of my friends from there.)

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'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

I know a couple of extended ones... As in "You-come-from-that-hole-of-a-moccasin-town?" meaning Moe. Meaning, they are all complete bogans from there who wear moccasins and mullets and think they look pretty good.

It's a terrible thing to do, I'm sure, but we all do it.

You have a mullet? I need to see a photo. That would be too classic. :P

__________________________________
'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

OI!

:P

Can you imagine a cat with a mullet?

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'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

Well, I've often seen a mullet without a cat...

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Metaphors be with you!

Or was it tuna that cats liked?

__________________________________
'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

Something smells fishy here... I sure hope it isn't more of those rotten puns!

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Metaphors be with you!

Regarding nicknames for places, Birmingham (the real one, in England) is called Brum pretty much universally, I think, both by locals and non-locals. It's a spiffing term, to go with the jolly good Brummie accent.

Sorry if you're disappointed by my moving away from the potential fish puns, but people shouldn't be coi about ignoring the diverted subject.

Fishy puns are what reels in more members.

__________________________________
'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

SkidMarks Wrote:
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> ellevictoria Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> I mean do Poms use 'spiffing' in real speech, or
> as a joke, or really never?
>
> Not since the 1930's


Drat I must now amend my answer to "not since the 1930's except for a few fictional characters able to draw a circle feehand".

What characters would that be?

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Metaphors be with you!

My, that's a bally bad show, old chap, to not recognise me...