Not all English is the same. Colloquialisms and regional dialects mean that there are countless variations of the language all over the world, and the most distinct character of any particular brand of English is in its slang. You and I may consider ourselves to be fairly knowledgeable of the English language, but start throwing around phrases like âfair dinkumâ and weâll be reduced to context-reliant “tossers.” Luckily, when it comes to Aussie slang, we can rely on Margot Robbie.
In a new video for Vanity Fair, as Laughing Squid reports, the Suicide Squad star and native Australian ran through 50 slang terms in less than four minutes. âFair dinkum,â for instance, apparently means âfar out.â And that was only the beginning of my realization that I would appear utterly uncultured if I ventured down under. At one point she dropped the sentence: âthis arvo we’re going to go to the bottle-o and get a couple tinnys.â That translates to: âthis afternoon we’re going to go to the liquor store and get a couple beersâ (tinny, for the record, can also mean boat).
Here are some other favorites:
Grommet = young surfer
Daks = pants
Chunder = vomit
Hard yakka = hard work
Chuck a sickie = call in sick
Pash rash = the rash-like result of too much kissing
Robbie didnât know all the words that Vanity Fair threw her wayââdoovalacky,â for instance, may forever remain a mystery. But she knew most, and I personally feel much more worldly than I did five minutes ago. So donât be a “bludger” (that means lazy person in Aussie, not terrifying iron Quidditch ball). Check out the video and learn a thing or two.
Image: Vanity Fair