The real story behind Australian slang | BBC Travel

[Dingbat]

The real story behind Australian slang | BBC Travel
http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20170622-the-real-story-behind-australian-slang

[Robert Bannister]

On 13/7/17 6:48 pm, Dingbat wrote:
> The real story behind Australian slang | BBC Travel
> http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20170622-the-real-story-behind-australian-slang
>

Well, that was a nice story *about* Australian slang, but I'm still
waiting for the story *behind* the slang.
--
Robert B. born England a long time ago;
Western Australia since 1972

[Athel Cornish-Bowden]

On 2017-07-14 02:15:40 +0000, Robert Bannister said:

> On 13/7/17 6:48 pm, Dingbat wrote:
>> The real story behind Australian slang | BBC Travel
>> http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20170622-the-real-story-behind-australian-slang
>>
>
> Well, that was a nice story *about* Australian slang, but I'm still
> waiting for the story *behind* the slang.

I'm not sure how much I agree with the first half of your statement (I
didn't find the story sufficiently interesting to finish it), but the
second half was spot-on.


--
athel

[Peter Moylan]

On 14/07/17 12:15, Robert Bannister wrote:
> On 13/7/17 6:48 pm, Dingbat wrote:
>> The real story behind Australian slang | BBC Travel
>> http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20170622-the-real-story-behind-australian-slang
>
> Well, that was a nice story *about* Australian slang, but I'm still
> waiting for the story *behind* the slang.

As I understand it, they're claiming that all Australian slang comes
from the surfing subculture.

If that is the claim, they're wrong.

--
Peter Moylan http://www.pmoylan.org
Newcastle, NSW, Australia

[Janet]

In article <ok9pkl$s6q$1...@dont-email.me>, pe...@pmoylan.org.invalid
says...

>
> On 14/07/17 12:15, Robert Bannister wrote:
> > On 13/7/17 6:48 pm, Dingbat wrote:
> >> The real story behind Australian slang | BBC Travel
> >> http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20170622-the-real-story-behind-australian-slang
> >
> > Well, that was a nice story *about* Australian slang, but I'm still
> > waiting for the story *behind* the slang.
>
> As I understand it, they're claiming that all Australian slang comes
> from the surfing subculture.
>
> If that is the claim, they're wrong.

Togs, cossie and bogan were familiar in Britain and Ireland decades
before Australian surfer slang could have filtered back here.

Janet.

[Jerry Friedman]

On 7/14/17 12:54 AM, Peter Moylan wrote:
> On 14/07/17 12:15, Robert Bannister wrote:
>> On 13/7/17 6:48 pm, Dingbat wrote:
>>> The real story behind Australian slang | BBC Travel
>>> http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20170622-the-real-story-behind-australian-slang
>>
>> Well, that was a nice story *about* Australian slang, but I'm still
>> waiting for the story *behind* the slang.
>
> As I understand it, they're claiming that all Australian slang comes
> from the surfing subculture.
>
> If that is the claim, they're wrong.

That's the headline writer's apparent claim, but not the author's, as
far as I can tell.

--
Jerry Friedman

[Robert Bannister]

On 14/7/17 2:54 pm, Peter Moylan wrote:
> On 14/07/17 12:15, Robert Bannister wrote:
>> On 13/7/17 6:48 pm, Dingbat wrote:
>>> The real story behind Australian slang | BBC Travel
>>> http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20170622-the-real-story-behind-australian-slang
>>
>> Well, that was a nice story *about* Australian slang, but I'm still
>> waiting for the story *behind* the slang.
>
> As I understand it, they're claiming that all Australian slang comes
> from the surfing subculture.
>
> If that is the claim, they're wrong.
>

Totally.

[Robert Bannister]

A great many Australian slang terms can be traced back to various
dialects of English (sook), although an old one that is still in use
(crook for sick or not right) comes from German and was originally
"cronk". Then there are the rhyming slang terms that are different here
from those used in England, eg "have or give it a Captain Cook" where
England would have a "butcher's hook".

[Neill Massello]

Janet <nob...@home.com> wrote:

> Togs, cossie and bogan were familiar in Britain and Ireland decades
> before Australian surfer slang could have filtered back here.

And "flip-flops" were called "thongs" in America 50 years ago. The BBC
article is filler.

[Richard Yates]

In my America, the term was "flip-flops" from at least 1956, or 61
years ago. I don't think I heard "thongs' until decades after that.

[Charles Bishop]

In article <uirkmc5r658583eq0...@4ax.com>,

They were also called "go-aheads", "go-forwards", "zoris" and "slippahs".

West Coast and Island experience, don't now about further east, but
soldiers an sailors serving in the Pacific surely brought the names back
with them. "Thongs" surely was earlier, methinks.

--
charles

[David Kleinecke]

I am fairly sure that the first name I learned for the
footware was zoris. That would have been around 1950.

[ErrolC]

Known as "jandels" in New Zealand, after the local brand that was popular in the time of manufacturing protectionism.
Most kiwis will understand flip-flops and thongs.

--
Errol Cavit

[Jack Campin]

>>>> Togs, cossie and bogan were familiar in Britain and Ireland decades
>>>> before Australian surfer slang could have filtered back here.
>>> And "flip-flops" were called "thongs" in America 50 years ago.
>>> The BBC article is filler.
>> In my America, the term was "flip-flops" from at least 1956, or 61
>> years ago. I don't think I heard "thongs' until decades after that.
> They were also called "go-aheads", "go-forwards", "zoris" and "slippahs".

Maybe, but they're really jandals.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
e m a i l : j a c k @ c a m p i n . m e . u k
Jack Campin, 11 Third Street, Newtongrange, Midlothian EH22 4PU, Scotland
mobile 07895 860 060 <http://www.campin.me.uk> Twitter: JackCampin

[Dingbat]

On Sunday, July 16, 2017 at 2:17:31 AM UTC+5:30, David Kleinecke wrote:
> On Saturday, July 15, 2017 at 1:12:24 PM UTC-7, Charles Bishop wrote:
> > In article <uirkmc5r658583eq0...@4ax.com>,
> > Richard Yates <ric...@yatesguitar.com> wrote:
> >
> > > On Sat, 15 Jul 2017 12:12:28 -0600, nmas...@yahoo.com (Neill
> > > Massello) wrote:
> > >
> > > >Janet <nob...@home.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >> Togs, cossie and bogan were familiar in Britain and Ireland decades
> > > >> before Australian surfer slang could have filtered back here.
> > > >
> > > >And "flip-flops" were called "thongs" in America 50 years ago. The BBC
> > > >article is filler.
> > >
> > > In my America, the term was "flip-flops" from at least 1956, or 61
> > > years ago. I don't think I heard "thongs' until decades after that.
> >
> > They were also called "go-aheads", "go-forwards", "zoris" and "slippahs".

In India, when made of rubber or foam, they're slippers, bathroom slippers
or bathroom chappals.

> >
> > West Coast and Island experience, don't now about further east, but
> > soldiers an sailors serving in the Pacific surely brought the names back
> > with them. "Thongs" surely was earlier, methinks.
>
> I am fairly sure that the first name I learned for the
> footware was zoris. That would have been around 1950.

In Japan, thongs are called geta; the zori, while stylistically similar, is more formal and expensive and worn with tabi (socks for use with the zori).

http://wasa-bi.com/topics/1686
http://blog.fromjapan.co.jp/en/fashion/japanese-sandals-what-you-need-to-know-about-geta-zori.html

[Dingbat]

How about "arvo" meaning "afternoon"?

[Jerry Friedman]

On 7/15/17 12:12 PM, Neill Massello wrote:
> Janet <nob...@home.com> wrote:
>
>> Togs, cossie and bogan were familiar in Britain and Ireland decades
>> before Australian surfer slang could have filtered back here.
>
> And "flip-flops" were called "thongs" in America 50 years ago.

So they were, at least in my America.

> The BBC article is filler.

--
Jerry Friedman

[Charles Bishop]

In article <bogus-08DE43....@four.schnuerpel.eu>,

Jack Campin <bo...@purr.demon.co.uk> wrote:

> >>>> Togs, cossie and bogan were familiar in Britain and Ireland decades
> >>>> before Australian surfer slang could have filtered back here.
> >>> And "flip-flops" were called "thongs" in America 50 years ago.
> >>> The BBC article is filler.
> >> In my America, the term was "flip-flops" from at least 1956, or 61
> >> years ago. I don't think I heard "thongs' until decades after that.
> > They were also called "go-aheads", "go-forwards", "zoris" and "slippahs".
>
> Maybe, but they're really jandals.

A new word. Related, thongs are being worn as regular footwear, and
there are discussions about where they are appropriate, most likely if
they can be worn to work.

They do appear to be more stylish that those we wore.

charles, do I need to get a pedicure before I wear them to work?

[Charles Bishop]

In article <63b059aa-b8a8-4b75...@googlegroups.com>,

Don't geta have a major difference in that they are built to be raised
off of the pavement/floor having small blocks of wood underneath the
"last"?

I have a couple of pairs of tabi in my closet

--
charles

[Lewis]

In message <ctbishop-0DCFAE...@news.individual.net> Charles Bishop <ctbi...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> In article <bogus-08DE43....@four.schnuerpel.eu>,
> Jack Campin <bo...@purr.demon.co.uk> wrote:

>> >>>> Togs, cossie and bogan were familiar in Britain and Ireland decades
>> >>>> before Australian surfer slang could have filtered back here.
>> >>> And "flip-flops" were called "thongs" in America 50 years ago.
>> >>> The BBC article is filler.
>> >> In my America, the term was "flip-flops" from at least 1956, or 61
>> >> years ago. I don't think I heard "thongs' until decades after that.
>> > They were also called "go-aheads", "go-forwards", "zoris" and "slippahs".
>>
>> Maybe, but they're really jandals.

> A new word. Related, thongs are being worn as regular footwear, and
> there are discussions about where they are appropriate, most likely if
> they can be worn to work.

I can't imagine how thongs would ever be footware, appropriate or not.

> They do appear to be more stylish that those we wore.

> charles, do I need to get a pedicure before I wear them to work?

Certainly don't get a picture after!

--
I thank my lucky stars I'm not superstitious.

[Dingbat]

Geta used to be wood on top and bottom. I'm not sure that the rubber or foam replacement for the original geta isn't called a geta.

Zori too had wood soles but were cloth covered on the top. Now that the wood soles have been replaced with synthetics, they're still called zori.

Soles can be very thick making the footwear like clogs. I don't what if any words are used to distinguish between thin and thick soles.

[Charles Bishop]

In article <slrnomo1a0....@snow.local>,

Lewis <g.k...@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> wrote:

> In message <ctbishop-0DCFAE...@news.individual.net> Charles
> Bishop <ctbi...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> > In article <bogus-08DE43....@four.schnuerpel.eu>,
> > Jack Campin <bo...@purr.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
> >> >>>> Togs, cossie and bogan were familiar in Britain and Ireland decades
> >> >>>> before Australian surfer slang could have filtered back here.
> >> >>> And "flip-flops" were called "thongs" in America 50 years ago.
> >> >>> The BBC article is filler.
> >> >> In my America, the term was "flip-flops" from at least 1956, or 61
> >> >> years ago. I don't think I heard "thongs' until decades after that.
> >> > They were also called "go-aheads", "go-forwards", "zoris" and
> >> > "slippahs".
> >>
> >> Maybe, but they're really jandals.
>
> > A new word. Related, thongs are being worn as regular footwear, and
> > there are discussions about where they are appropriate, most likely if
> > they can be worn to work.
>
> I can't imagine how thongs would ever be footware, appropriate or not.

Well, they are always "footwear" in my AmE, being worn on the foot.
However, if you google "wearing thongs to work" you will get many pages
of discussions on the wearing of same, out and about. There are
"fashionable" thongs now (some of the pictures of the jandals I googled
look very nice) and are more comfortable than the very simple ones we
wore to go to the beach.

>
> > They do appear to be more stylish that those we wore.

Hey, I said that.

>
> > charles, do I need to get a pedicure before I wear them to work?
>
> Certainly don't get a picture after!

I went with Sis once when she was getting her nails done and she talked
me into a pedicure. It was ok, but completely unnecessary as far as I
was concerned. I do think I had a manicure once, at a barber shop. If so
it would probably have been because the manicurist was cute and I wanted
the experience.

PS - I mentioned to a woman, whose nails had grown out so that there
wasn't polish near the quick that she should get polish of a different
color on that area (leaving the old polish). Do it again and there could
be a "geologic" record of nail growth. This wasn't well received.


PPS - I want to go to a nail place where fish eat dead skin off of my
toes.

--
charles, I seem to have wandered off the charter

[Lewis]

In message <ctbishop-B5274B...@news.individual.net> Charles Bishop <ctbi...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> In article <slrnomo1a0....@snow.local>,
> Lewis <g.k...@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> wrote:

>> In message <ctbishop-0DCFAE...@news.individual.net> Charles
>> Bishop <ctbi...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>> > In article <bogus-08DE43....@four.schnuerpel.eu>,
>> > Jack Campin <bo...@purr.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> >> >>>> Togs, cossie and bogan were familiar in Britain and Ireland decades
>> >> >>>> before Australian surfer slang could have filtered back here.
>> >> >>> And "flip-flops" were called "thongs" in America 50 years ago.
>> >> >>> The BBC article is filler.
>> >> >> In my America, the term was "flip-flops" from at least 1956, or 61
>> >> >> years ago. I don't think I heard "thongs' until decades after that.
>> >> > They were also called "go-aheads", "go-forwards", "zoris" and
>> >> > "slippahs".
>> >>
>> >> Maybe, but they're really jandals.
>>
>> > A new word. Related, thongs are being worn as regular footwear, and
>> > there are discussions about where they are appropriate, most likely if
>> > they can be worn to work.
>>
>> I can't imagine how thongs would ever be footware, appropriate or not.

> Well, they are always "footwear" in my AmE, being worn on the foot.

Thong to me is the "clothing" that resembles butt floss.

This is one of the first images google returns for "thongs at work"

<https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/db/3f/f0/db3ff09f73419b2f035bb0f9fbdc7be1.jpg>

--
Standing on the moon with nothing else to do
A lovely view of heaven but I'd rather be with you

[Peter Duncanson [BrE]]

On Mon, 17 Jul 2017 04:56:08 -0000 (UTC), Lewis

<g.k...@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> wrote:

>In message <ctbishop-B5274B...@news.individual.net> Charles Bishop <ctbi...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>> In article <slrnomo1a0....@snow.local>,
>> Lewis <g.k...@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> wrote:
>
>>> In message <ctbishop-0DCFAE...@news.individual.net> Charles
>>> Bishop <ctbi...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>> > In article <bogus-08DE43....@four.schnuerpel.eu>,
>>> > Jack Campin <bo...@purr.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>>>
>>> >> >>>> Togs, cossie and bogan were familiar in Britain and Ireland decades
>>> >> >>>> before Australian surfer slang could have filtered back here.
>>> >> >>> And "flip-flops" were called "thongs" in America 50 years ago.
>>> >> >>> The BBC article is filler.
>>> >> >> In my America, the term was "flip-flops" from at least 1956, or 61
>>> >> >> years ago. I don't think I heard "thongs' until decades after that.
>>> >> > They were also called "go-aheads", "go-forwards", "zoris" and
>>> >> > "slippahs".
>>> >>
>>> >> Maybe, but they're really jandals.
>>>
>>> > A new word. Related, thongs are being worn as regular footwear, and
>>> > there are discussions about where they are appropriate, most likely if
>>> > they can be worn to work.
>>>
>>> I can't imagine how thongs would ever be footware, appropriate or not.
>
>> Well, they are always "footwear" in my AmE, being worn on the foot.
>
>Thong to me is the "clothing" that resembles butt floss.

The earliest meaning of "thong" is:

A narrow strip of hide or leather, for use as a lace, cord, band,
strap, or the like. [OED]

In the case of the footwear named "thongs" the straps that attach the
soles to the wearer are thongs, although not necessarily leather these
days.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flip-flops#/media/File:Thongs.jpg

It seems likely that "thongs", for the footwear, is an abbreviation of
"thong sandals":

thong sandal n. Austral. and U.S.

1965 Times Lit. Suppl. 25 Nov. 1057/2 Supporting activities,
like teaching and editing and selling thong-sandals.
1972 J. Aiken Butterfly Picnic iii. 59 He wore a magenta tussore
shirt..burnt-orange shorts, and local-made thong sandals.

The earliest quotation for "thongs" is:

1967 Coast to Coast 1965–6 87 Her feet, in scuffed leather
thongs, were none too clean.

>
>This is one of the first images google returns for "thongs at work"
>
><https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/db/3f/f0/db3ff09f73419b2f035bb0f9fbdc7be1.jpg>

--

Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

[Paul Wolff]

On Mon, 17 Jul 2017, "Peter Duncanson [BrE]" <ma...@peterduncanson.net>

In London, in 1970, my Australian lodger Ken wore "thongs". He had to
explain what he was talking about.
--
Paul

[Charles Bishop]

In article <slrnomoh2k....@snow.local>,

It is now, more than the use for footwear.

>
> This is one of the first images google returns for "thongs at work"
>
> <https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/db/3f/f0/db3ff09f73419b2f035bb
> 0f9fbdc7be1.jpg>

Yeah, I'm not clicking on that.

chaarles, I squick easily

[Neill Massello]

Peter Duncanson [BrE] <ma...@peterduncanson.net> wrote:

> It seems likely that "thongs", for the footwear, is an abbreviation of
> "thong sandals"

Yes, just as the current "thong" is short for "thong bikini". I don't
remember when the onomatopoetic "flip-flops" gained currency, but it
rapidly displaced "thongs" after Jimmy Buffet's iconic "Margaritaville"
in 1977.

[Quinn C]

* Dingbat:

I haven't heard "geta" for anything not made of wood. Rubber can
be added to them: <https://www.e-geta.com/sge/sguk.html>

> Zori too had wood soles but were cloth covered on the top. Now
> that the wood soles have been replaced with synthetics, they're
> still called zori.

Zoori were also made from straw and other materials.

--
... man muss oft schon Wissenschaft infrage stellen bei den Wirt-
schaftsmenschen [...] das Denken wird haeufig blockiert von einem
ideologischen Ueberbau [...] Es ist halt in vielen Teilen eher
eine Religion als eine Wissenschaft. -- Heiner Flassbeck