Big Day Tomorrow

[boyblunda]

Oh dear, this is now totally off topic unless we include it under the general heading of Australiana.

From Wikepedia :

"Prawns are edible, shrimp-like crustaceans, belonging to the sub-order Dendrobranchiata [1]. They are distinguished from the superficially similar shrimp by the gill structure which is branching in prawns (hence the name, dendro="tree"; branchia="gill"), but is lamellar in shrimp. The sister taxon to Dendrobranchiata is Pleocyemata, which contains all the true shrimp, crabs, lobsters, etc."

It is true that prawns are often named as fresh water crustaceans elsewhere in the world but in Australia there are some huge salt water prawns caught in our waters. Most Aussies would probably think of shrimp in a lesser light as being the much smaller poor relative to a prawn despite the fact that shrimp can grow to much larger sizes elsewhere in the world.

What I actually think Mr Camo was referring to here was the quote from the Paul Hogan (Crocodile Dundee) tourist advertisement where he was inviting people to visit Australia and "chuck another shrimp on the barbie" - or was that a prawn?

More From Wikepedia:

"As used in commercial farming and fishery, the terms shrimp and prawns are generally used interchangeably. In European countries, particularly the United Kingdom, the word "prawns" is more commonly on menus than the term "shrimp", which is used more often in the United States. Australia and other commonwealth countries follow this European/British use to an even greater extent, using the word "prawn" almost exclusively. (Paul Hogan's use of the phrase "I'll slip an extra shrimp on the barbie for you" in a television advertisement was intended to make what he was saying easier for his American audience to understand, and was thus a deliberate distortion of what an Australian would typically say.)"

None of the above alters the fact that Camo would most likely drink a Fosters if that was available to him in the appropriate climatic circumstances.

[hls30.com]

I was beginning to wonder...

On a trip by the bottle-o what grog you bludgers would have a go at, a Bundy, a stubbie, a middy, a long neck, cab sav, a clean skin, a plonk(to save moolah for the Z), a pot, a schooner, a tallie,or just run dow the block and get a butcher with a countery, or mayby just skull a pint of fourX!

I do realize most of these ar containers, but you lot have to etell us what you would buy them full of!

Will

[Mr Camouflage]

Now, now, Craig,

Tell the truth now mate, if you were thirsty and Fosters was all that was available, you wouldn't say "no thanks", now, .... would you ?????

Rick.

:devious: :devious:

Sure I'd drink a Fosters. I'd probably have to go overseas to find one though.

There's nothing wrong with Fosters, I've heard that export fosters is actually just Crown larger under a different brand name, but I have heard the local fosters, if you can find it, isn't that good.

The point is Foster is an export Brand that's virtually unavailable in Australia. It's not like you can go down your local a ask for a Fosters. Only Touristy pub have it - for the tourists.

To only place I saw fosters on tap was when I was in a Pub in England.

If there were nothing else, he'd wizz and moan, ...

E

Only if I had to have a beer with you, mate.

As for Prawns/Shrimp The point I was making is the Aussies call them prawns, whether scientifically they are shrimp, is not the issue.

zhead240 was referring to an American advert that was used to promote Australia featuring Paul Hogan, the target audience was America, which is why he had to say "Shrimp", because if he said "Prawn" most Americans would have no idea what he was on about.

We also call rock lobsters "Crayfish", never say "Crikey", "strewth", (unless you're from the country and old) or "fair-dinkum" (unless your the Primeminister).

But if you want to base your opinion of Australia on stereotypes, the go right ahead, but expect Australians to get a bit pissed off at you.

[Mr Camouflage]

I was beginning to wonder...

On a trip by the bottle-o what grog you bludgers would have a go at, a Bundy, a stubbie, a middy, a long neck, cab sav, a clean skin, a plonk(to save moolah for the Z), a pot, a schooner, a tallie,or just run dow the block and get a butcher with a countery, or mayby just skull a pint of fourX!

I do realize most of these ar containers, but you lot have to etell us what you would buy them full of!

Will

a Bundy, = a bottle of rum

a stubbie, a middy, a long neck, a pot, a schooner, a tallie, a pint = Beer, also a Jug.

cab sav, Plonk = wine, so is a cask.

a clean skin, or just run dow the block and get a butcher with a countery,

I have no Idea what you are talking about, did you just make that up?

[veritech-z]

I'm always amazed by the lengths marketeers think they need to go to sell something in another market. Why not just celebrate the diversity and say throw another Prawn on the bar-b? It's all just to make it seem more exotic anyway and get tourists to go there, right? As for rock lobsters, I'm not familiar with those, but here in Florida we eat Crayfish (sometimes pronounced "Craw-fish" or if you're REALLY southern, Craw-daddies) which are like little fresh water lobsters that taste like boiled dirt unless you use a lot of seasoning. They're about three to four inches long, is that about the same thing you guys are calling crayfish? I always feel a little bad for Australia, the way it's portrayed here in the states really does tend to make it look like a bunch of stereotypes, what with your Paul Hogans, Steve Irwins, Yahoo Serious's, and Mel Gibsons...I shudder to think what people in other countries think of the average American (but considering what I think of the average American, it can't be good...and I LIVE here!).

[EScanlon]

Camo...I hope you took it in jest as that is what was meant. If on the other hand you didn't...well, no beer for you!

These language differences in English are much the same way in other languages. Spanish for example has Camaron (Shrimp or Prawn), Gamba (Prawn if large or Shrimp if small), Langosta (Lobster w/o pincers, although also Locust), Bogavante (Lobster with pincers), Langostino(King Prawn), and the regional differences are interesting. Crayfish can be River Crab or if in salt water...Lobster(Langosta)!!

In Chile you won't find Shrimp on the menu but Langostinos...even though they ARE shrimp, and other times they are Prawns...but the menus said the same = Langostinos. So, half the fun is in figuring it out.

So, every country has their own way of nationalizing their language to make it their own. It has been said that England and the U.S. are two countries separated by a common language...maybe you could throw Australia in as well.

On the other subject of Paul Hogans, Steve Irwins, Yahoo Serious's, and Mel Gibsons, it IS a shame that they play off on the stereotypical Australian which, once you get to know a TRUE Australian you can recognize WHY and HOW they ARE stereotypes.

Undoubtedly people in other parts of the world have just as skewed an image of Americans due to the....STEREOTYPICAL American. Heck, you're constantly referring to us as Septic Tanks, POMS, and other terms....aren't you?

The trick is in recognizing that a stereotype need not describe YOU...unless you chose to be defined by the stereotype. And lastly, would stereotypes exist if there weren't people acting in the manner described by the stereotype in sufficient numbers to CREATE the stereotype....

So, hopefully no one took offense at my rambling, if so....no beer for them.

E

[hls30.com]

a

a clean skin, or just run dow the block and get a butcher with a countery,

I have no Idea what you are talking about, did you just make that up?

I guess I failed that test of my studdies...

I'll go back tomorroaw and find my oops!

Will

[boyblunda]

I thought that a cleanskin is the term used to describe an unlabelled bottle of wine.

There is a lot of Australian slang that varies between States and between locations. Determining just what might be Australian is a bit of a quest given the short history of the country, the varied background of our initial settlers and the continued impact of high levels of immigration. The cockney slang has its origins in the UK but is generally more popular in Sydney than elsewhere in Australia. I always thought that describing someone as runing around like a "blue arsed fly" was Australian slang until I read a Michener novel that described the term as originating from New York State.

There are additional gaps in the understanding of slang between the younger and older generations of the Australian population.

Even references on Australian slang differ in their descriptions of what some terms are intended to mean, or will offer multiple definitions for the same term. All of the above really only serves to say that Will does not necessarily have to return to his homework as he probably has heard the term somewhere and proving the origins of slang terms can be quite challenging.

The perceptions of Australians are shaped by many factors and it is difficult to "correct" someone who has been exposed to media advertising and films that portray some stereotype behaviours - at least the relatively harmless deliberate naming of the venerable prawn as a "shrimp" is shrouded in the framework of the informal, welcoming, easy to visit nation that the advertisement was intended to portray.

Yes, Aussies often do call some Americans Yanks (or in rhyming slang seppo = septic tank = yank = yankee) but a lot of Aussies would not know that such a term might get us into a lot of trouble if we were to use the term in the wrong bar in some areas of the USA and is probably quite offensive to many of more moderate dispositions.

Back to the much more important matter of what we drink. Most Aussies enjoying informal settings would drink from 375ml cans or bottles ("stubbies") whether it be beer, soft drink or pre mixed spirits. When it comes to beer there are many opinions with VB and XXXX being popular across the country.

For mine, a stubby of Coopers is the nectar of the gods. Pale Ale in hot summer conditions, Sparkling Ale in mild conditions, Extra Stout for cold winters evenings and their Vintage Ale for special occasions. Not that I am fussy, anything with a Coopers label does it for me.

[zbane]

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."

Benjamin Franklin

Wiser words have rarely been spoken.

[hls30.com]

Sort of reminds me of the old Doctor Demento Standard:

"In Heaven there is no beer,

That's why we drink it here..."

I'll have to spend a few minuted hunting the rest of it down...wonder if I can post a music file...

Will

[sblake01]

Here ya go, Will:

In Heaven There Is No Beer

(Public Domain/Finch)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Heaven there is no beer

(No beer?!)

That's why we drink it here

And when we're all gone from here

Our friends will be drinking all the beer.

In Heaven there is no wine

(No wine?!)

So we drink till we feel fine

And when we leave this all behind

Our friends will be drinking all the wine.

In Heaven there is no fear

(No fear)

So we worry too much here

And we drink ourselves full of beer

To help us when we deal with the fear.

In Heaven there are no drugs

That's why we hang with thugs

And when the Lord pulls the plug

All the thugs will still be selling drugs, yeah.

Thugs and drugs

Beer...

In Heaven there is no sex

(Oh no!)

So let's do that next

And when our muscles no longer flex

Someone else will be having sex.

In Heaven there are no wars

Or cars, or movie stars

And when we no longer are

The world will probably still be having wars.

What the heck! Yeah!

Sex and war,

Bars and cars.

Drugs, thugs,

And delicious food.

[1 Bravo 6]

Cripes Craig,

Now I DO feel old mate. I still say Strewth and Fair Dinkum.:nervous:

Will,

As was mentioned before, a cleanskin is an unlabelled bottle (or an unbranded beast). In Aussie slang, a Butchers or Butchers Hook = have a look, and a Countery is a meal bought at the pub, (hotel/bar), and eaten at the counter (bar).

Max,

Depending on what state you come from, it can be a crayfish or a yabbie. While those of us fortunate enough to live in Queensland call them Yabbies, Some others call them Crays or crayfish.

Rick.

:devious: