Charracters that have accents - Writers Forum

Kira the wanderer · 08-08-2005, 07:22 PM

Ok, I have a character who has an Australian accent. I can't put a full blown one whenI type simply because I know I will screw it up, even with reveiwing my work. But I do want to use Australian slang/words for him.

I have searched google for an Australian dictionary but I haven't found ANYTHING that's English-Australian. Like, if I want to know if they'd say something instead of a normal word (ex. the term "boozer" is a pub or bar)

So I was wondering if there were any sites that I could use to help me with this problem. Sheesh, I never thought that I'd need an English dictionary for other than spelling, lol. Australian is a language all in its own XD

bobothegoat · 08-08-2005, 07:27 PM

So is American, for that matter...

Well, we've got quite a bit of Australians here, so if you can't find a slang dictionary or something, you might be able to run it by one of them.

Kira the wanderer · 08-08-2005, 07:32 PM

Haha... yes. I no longer think Americans speak English but the speak "American"

I would run it by them but I need it constantly and it would be a bother. Also, I don't know if these words even exist in Australian and would be used as normal or not. I have yet to find an english-aussie dictionary...

bobothegoat · 08-08-2005, 07:42 PM

Well, this was the closest thing I found. I can't say anything for its validity though-- I'm no Australian.

Kira the wanderer · 08-08-2005, 07:53 PM

Thanks. I'll take a look at it right now.

EDIT:: Yeah i know this one, its the one I normally use because it gives great examples. But I can't search an english word up, only australian.

Kira the wanderer · 08-08-2005, 08:01 PM

Never mind. I got it working, thanks.

journyman161 · 08-08-2005, 09:07 PM

G'day, mate! Aussie slang is usually called 'Strine', so maybe a search on that will give you more. Not sure if you'll find anythingwhere you put in a word & get the Oz version though.

It'll help if you're familiar with english rhyming slang as strine works similarly.

And I'd guess most of us would be happy to help with useage, although sometimes the wrong application of it can be hilarious.

bLuE_MoOn · 08-09-2005, 12:27 AM

Id b happy to help u out with ne questions u have on aussie language ..alot of the words on those 'aussie' dictionary sites ive never even heard of and ive lived here for my whole life

...if u need ne help PM me or email me.

Monkey King · 08-09-2005, 12:36 AM

Aussies are of course the prime source for help with Aussie slang. If there are any American pharses that they're not familar with, I'm a yank who live in Sydney for two years. I'm happy to help in anyway possible.

Ben · 08-09-2005, 03:27 AM

Quote:

Aerial pingpong : Australian Rules football

I have never heard footy called aerial pingpong...

And I never knew that our slang was called Strine...

Anarkos · 08-09-2005, 03:56 AM

Bonza mate, fucking bonza! That blokes as drunk, mate, as ol Bruce's horse! Fuck, mate, mate, new Bruce, he's as thick as a Koolbarugong gum tree, mate, fuck. Have a smoko, bloke, I mean, mate, that's a good ciggie, mate, as good as cousin Bruce's sheila, y'know what I saying, mate?

Tips for the Aussie language:
1) Use mate at least twice per sentence.
2) The same goes for fuck.
3) Many people think Australian has no pronouns. That is untrue. While the word "he" is not used in Australia, "bloke" is the universal masculine pronoun. Sheila the female.
4) All men are called Bruce.
5) Superlatives are not used in Australia, and nor is the word "very". In fact, Australians would, if possible, use a comparitive for everything was it possible.
6) All words longer than two syllables are shortened with the addition of "-o" or "-ie" after either the first or second syllable.
6A) Example: Fucking abos.
6B) Example: Fucking leboos.

mammamaia · 08-09-2005, 08:44 AM

dunno, anarko... i've known aussies personally, been on a 2-day-long qantas flight to sydney, and since moving to canada have been watching water rats 5x/wk for months now, and no one from there that i've heard, talks the way you describe... not even the lowest of the lowlifes the water cops collar on that tv series... seems t'me you've been hangin' with a pretty lowclass crowd, if that's the way your mates jabber...

Kira the wanderer · 08-09-2005, 08:16 PM

Thanks everybody! This is the hardest task I've had so far because I have never before had a character who had a set accent. I just though having an Australian accent would be perfect for my character because even though its English, its almost as if its an entirely other language. It fits my character because he's not supposed to make any sense half the time because he's always drunk (No offense to any of you out there.)

I'll keep in mind everything you said.

journyman161 · 08-09-2005, 09:43 PM

[ot]Anarkos - not bad, mate. You forgot 'bastard' & 'bloody'. As in 'those bloody bastards are taking up all the bloody room. Wheresthebloodymanager?'
Or, 'you remember that old bastard up Buchan way?' or, 'silly bloody bastard thought all his christmasses had come at once. Should's seen the look on the poor bastard's face!'

Aerial ping pong is probably unknown in states where footy has always been aussie rules; it's what the boofhead rugby types call it.

Aussies are more down to earth than others, even in the city. We've often seen scenes of people in the US caught near tornados, & they tend to be frightened but gamely trying to describe what's happening etc.
In Melbourne some years ago, we had a tornado - an extremely rare event. On home video, a family is watching it come & the commentary goes something like... 'fuck, look at that!' 'Jeez that's close.' 'Hey, it just took the bloody roof off the wog's place!'

Anarkos · 08-10-2005, 04:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mammamaia

dunno, anarko... i've known aussies personally, been on a 2-day-long qantas flight to sydney, and since moving to canada have been watching water rats 5x/wk for months now, and no one from there that i've heard, talks the way you describe... not even the lowest of the lowlifes the water cops collar on that tv series... seems t'me you've been hangin' with a pretty lowclass crowd, if that's the way your mates jabber...

I'm from New Zealand. We try to avoid our neighbours across the ditch wherever possible.

EDIT: And, yeah, maybe I do have a "lowclass crowd". Dirty punks, bogans and hardcore kids...eh, you don't want to hear our slang.