Vocabulary Lesson

After I made the brilliant suggestion that we provide our corporate volunteers with "fanny packs" during a staff meeting today, I felt this was an appropriate time to give a run-down of (some of) the strange-yet-cute vocab I have encountered thus far in my Australian adventures:

fanny - downtown lady parts (Learned this England and unfortunately for me, thought it only applied there)
bogan - redneck
CUB - cashed up bogan (i.e. Duck Dynasty/Honey Boo Boo)
ute - Aussie attempt at a pick up truck except it's short and weird looking
arvo - afternoon
brelly - umbrella
esky - cooler
chips - french fries
crisps - chips
Zed - the letter Z (They even called Brad Pitt's recent movie "World War Zed". Weird.)
Good on ya mate - Good for you/Well done friend
pram - stroller
fortnight - 2 weeks
cheers - Thank you
trading hours - business hours
lift - elevator
sunnies - sunglasses
goon - cheap wine
ranga - redhead (i.e. orangutang...couldn't make this stuff up if I tried)
thongs - flip flops
tomato sauce - ketchup
jumper - sweater
chemist - pharmacy
prezzies - gifts
starched - tired/exhausted (Bob's most used phrase: "Man I'm staaaaaaaahhhhched")

So you can see how my genius suggestion of adding purposeful and efficient waist bags to our arsenal of corporate supplies was received with...awkward laughter. But what I've come to realize is that aside from some of the stranger words (arvo?!) it's basically just a matter of abbreviating everything and then adding -ie or -y. It also helps that I got used to the Queen's English and its misuse of -s and -ou while in England. Don't think I'll ever really get used to "organise" and "colour" though. Sorry bout it, Liz.