If you’ve heard any slang or expressions you think could be added to our website, please let us know!

Yep. I recently heard “Please don’t spill the beans about the exam”.

These were sent to Aus e-phrase in an email, thanks!

“Don’t know if this is a WA thing specifically but some I hear a lot (and
get asked about) that I thought I’d send in are:

* Cheers (can be goodbye or thanks or literally “cheers” at drinks
depending on context)
* Have a good one
* Good one (always used sarcastically)
* Not too shabby (used as an answer to either “how are you” or a query
about a thing)
* Can’t complain
* What’s the story?
* Give me/him/her the run down on…
* The use of “eh” or “hey” at the end of various sentences/questions
(the same one Canadians often get parodied for but I see it a *lot*
here) - foreigners tend to interpret any obvious statement with one at
the end as a question when the correct response would either be another
sarcastic comment or something like “yeah” or “too true”
* We’re moving/We’re hitting the road/We’re on the move/on the go
(almost never used literally, merely meaning either “we’re making
progress” or “we have cleared an obstacle in our planning”)

regards,
Andrew”

I hear “on and off” quite often.
I reckon it is smth similar to “now and then”
Not sure whether it’s popular enough to be mentioned in the top 50 though.
Any comments?

hey thanks for that
yes ‘on and off’ is a common one, it will make a good Phrase of the Week for next week perhaps!  These then are added to the Next 50 which can be seen if you have Full Membership or if your school has a licence.

I think “fair dinkum” can be added to the site. Popular expresion in daily usage, I guess.
I hear it on radio on and off when someone’s describing a situation or a person saying; “I don’t think he’s fair dinkum” or “fair dinkum criticism”

flyblown - 08 April 2010 08:56 AM

I think “fair dinkum” can be added to the site.

Have you heard it anywhere else or just on the radio?  I’m careful about what I hear on the radio as quite often the language is not authentic, especially by the presenters who often ‘ham it up’ for the audience. 

‘Fair dinkum’ is certainly an old one, and one that has been in Aussie language for a long time, but I like to check that what is said on the radio today (or on TV), is really still in common use on the street today.

What do you think flyblown?

Thanks for the reply.

I hear the term on radio only. I listen talkback radio stations which present daily topics and accept calls from audience who’d like to express their opinions over burning issues. So, best to my recollection, they -either presenters or listeners on the line- use the term “fair dinkum” mostly when they’re making critisism over a political issue like illegal immigration acts. On the other side, as you said, they might have been using it deliberately to draw attention.

All in all, apart from radio, I can’t seem to have much evidence to evaluate whether it is of common use in daliy slang.

@flyblown:

I did look into it a little bit and it seems that it might still be in common use!  Not really in the city but outer suburbs and towns quite possibly, I’ll keep an ear out for it!

thanks and let us know if when you hear any others