What Americans must think of us Aussies

[pacmania_2001]

At my work we are having a kids toy sale so over the PA system the management has decided to constantly blast crappy nursery rhymes. Anyway I'm in an aisle with a co-worker goofing off and singing along to "Tie me Kangaroo Down Spot".

Long story short, about half way through all this these two female American tourists come into the aisle and just give me the weirdest stare like I'm some sort of crazy deranged whack job. Nice girls though after I explained to them I was just messing around.

[Tommyknocker]

That's strange. I remember growing up in Michigan and "Tie Me Kangaroo, Down, Sport" made the Top 40.

[The village idiot]

They probably just thought you were on drugs :P .... Or maybe that you liked to be more towards the ... well... synonym for happy

[Capmaster]

You had forgotten that you had shoved the pricing label gun down your pants and they were admiring the bulge

(They were hoping to "tie your kangaroo down" )

[pacmania_2001]

They probably just thought you were on drugs :P .... Or maybe that you liked to be more towards the ... well... synonym for happy

In my defense, the coworker I was with was an attractive female.

(They were hoping to "tie your kangaroo down" )

They could have done that any day of the week.

Normally when a pair of chicks come in they are either (a) both ugly or (b) one is hot and the other is ugly but both of these were prime examples of American engineering.

[Capmaster]

They probably just thought you were on drugs :P .... Or maybe that you liked to be more towards the ... well... synonym for happy

In my defense, the coworker I was with was an attractive female.

(They were hoping to "tie your kangaroo down" )

They could have done that any day of the week.

Normally when a pair of chicks come in they are either (a) both ugly or (b) one is hot and the other is ugly but both of these were prime examples of American engineering.

Well then you should have shown the shielas you're a fair dinkum aussie and flash 'em the old fella

[pyscrow]

How did you know they were American?
Did they have huge bums and say "oh my god" every three seconds?

[flaninacupboard]

no, they were wearing fanny packs and eating McDonalds.

[Guest]

I think it was the white teeth

I just watched the Simpson's where Ralph admits to the dentist that he doesnt brush. The dentist pulls out "The Big book of British Smiles" to scare him.

http://www.actionfig.com/simpsons/db/?where=name,Big+Book+of+British+Smiles&order_by=artist,type&

http://www.jengajam.com/r/Book-Of-British-Smile

[tweedledee]

In Queensland Australia, "Tie me Kangaroo down sport" is classified as a love song.

[D_Knife]

HEY!!

it's a love BALLARD :P
jeez you southerners get it right!

[Tommyknocker]

HEY!!

it's a love BALLARD :P
jeez you southerners get it right!

Is that anything like a ballad?

[D_Knife]

oh yeah
maybe that too
I think this forum needs a spell checker

[tweedledee]

Check this out. You can install this spell checker for use on forums ETC

http://www.iespell.com/

[pacmania_2001]

How did you know they were American?
Did they have huge bums and say "oh my god" every three seconds?

They came upto me and asked for some help finding stuff and started a conversation with them. Plus the accent was a dead giveaway.

[stiltman]

Plus the accent was a dead giveaway.

We don't have accents, you all do...

[The village idiot]

Check this out. You can install this spell checker for use on forums ETC

http://www.iespell.com/

Yup werks graet!

[sacajaweeda]

What Americans must think of us Aussies

We don't.

[pacmania_2001]

Plus the accent was a dead giveaway.

We don't have accents, you all do...

They said "y'all" and they pronouce Aussies "Arrsies"

[offline]

Depends where they are from. Those from Texas and Arizona
are easy to understand, as are newEnglanders.

L.A. - forget it pal! Too much lingo and too much mexican.

[SatStorm]

You telling me....
English US, English UK and English Int. Three different languages...

[The village idiot]

You telling me....
English US, English UK and English Int. Three different languages...

English US is now about 25 different dialects, with most of it unintelledgeable to normal upstanding citizens. Lots of gutter spawned variants. Blame the education system that keeps passed the failed. Look up the term Ebonics, and it only gets worse from there.

[ChrisX]

What about what the Aussies think of the Americans?

[ChrisX]

You telling me....
English US, English UK and English Int. Three different languages...

There is English Australian.

[ChrisX]

Plus the accent was a dead giveaway.

We don't have accents, you all do...

I never forget the "ten dallas please" for ten dollars.

The Americans do have an accent just like any one worldwide and this is like locality mark on your speech.

This is just that just like in the film "My Fair Lady".

Just like Eliza Doolittle, the flower girl having her accent as obvious to her locality and who she was.

This one way to find out if an American is here, listen.

[SatStorm]

I would say that the Australian English sounds to me somewhere between UK and International . From a reading perspective, of course
I mean, the grammar and some expressions are UK - like, but the expressions and the sense of the language, remind me the International English way.

I don't know about the English dialects of USA. But over the years I can notice differences between the North and South staters. But the refference of US English for us, the non native english people, is what we call "Hollywood English". You know, that language without slang, pure P.C. oriented, perfect syntax, clear accent....

[flaninacupboard]

I would say that the Australian English sounds to me somewhere between UK and International . From a reading perspective, of course
I mean, the grammar and some expressions are UK - like, but the expressions and the sense of the language, remind me the International English way.

I don't know about the English dialects of USA. But over the years I can notice differences between the North and South staters. But the refference of US English for us, the non native english people, is what we call "Hollywood English". You know, that language without slang, pure P.C. oriented, perfect syntax, clear accent....

I've been wondering, do you speak English as well, or just read/write it? do you come in contact with the spoken language enough to pick up pronounciations?

[vitualis]

IMHO, English (Australian) shouldn't exist. Basically, as defaults for program dictionaries and such, it's what some American thinks what English we use in Australia... By in large, it is some incomprehensible mix of US English and UK English that has confused a generation of Aussie kids on what proper spelling is...

As far as I'm concerned, UK English spelling all the way! After all by convention, we use "colour" not "color", "mum" not "mom" and "aluminium" not "aluminum". If you are going to use US spellings, I believe that it should at least be consistent (i.e., either all US or all UK).

Regards.

[SatStorm]

I'm speaking english much better than writing.
Writing is very difficult for me: I know words that I don't know how to write them down, so I have to "invent" alternatives way to express myself (that leads to bad suprises most of the time...).
In Hellas, TV and Cinema movies have subtitles. Voice translation is virtual non existant, so we are all the time in touch with the US and the UK pronounciation wanted or not.

About the pronounciations: The native english speaking people, don't realise how their language "sounds" to the non native english.
For example: Why the Italians, the Greeks and the Indians, keep having a "heavy" foreigner accent, even 30 years after being in UK or even USA?
Well, there is a reason: I can speak only ofcourse for how English sound to my Greek ears:
The Greek language is "clean" on sounds. We have clean "O" (like on), "A" (like After), "U" (like You), "E" (like Express). We have one variation of "s" (we don't have sh, ss, etc...), we don't have middle sounds like "a - e" or "a - u". Those "in beetween" letters, sounds to us very ... femin. Very gay if you like. Especially the oxford UK accent. So, it is impossible to a Greek to get the correct pronounce. He feels Gay when speaks with the correct UK pronounce! The USA pronounciations, are much more "compatible" with our ears but: Somehow, they "cutting" words. It is like having a bubblegum in their mouth while talking english.
The Australian English sound like "low working class" english. Sometimes this accent is fun, sometimes it is irritating, depending the mood you are.

My typical pronounciation is a crossover of BBC and CNN english (if you can imagine it). I use expressions from UK and South USA, basicly because most of my influances are 30s - 80s USA theatrical cartoons, like WB, MGM, Disney, etc. Another influance I have, is the English the Germans are speaking: In the matter of fact, this is the accent I wish to adapt: I love the way they talk english.

When I use to hang out with English speaking tourists, I automaticly adapt my accent their way. But I lose that very easy (I return to my default settings: BBC/CNN crossover with forghorn leghorn expression influances...)

About the Australian English, I believe you have the UK grammar, but the influances (especially from rock music and hollywood movies) are 100% USA, so the mess up must be tuff for you there.

[tweedledee]

For example: Why the Italians, the Greeks and the Indians, keep having a "heavy" foreigner accent, even 30 years after being in UK or even USA?

There are almost as many Greeks in Melbourne as in Athens. Here is a picture of "Con the friuterer" who is famous here.