weird things aussies do

woolymammoth

Hello all. This morning i'm in a mood to hear your stories on weird things aussies do. I'm looking for anything that's completely normal for them, but odd for us (and vice versa, everybody's weird really). Just to be clear, I don't want to start a flame war with people saying this & that is sh!te, only interested in the weird and the wonderful.

I'll kick this off with birthdays. Since i prefer very quiet, no fuss b'days anyway i'm probably biased against the more social butterflies among us. But what is it with having to bring in cake or whatever for your own b'day?

Hells Belle

I do have a few that make me chuckle:

First would be the lack of footwear, dunno if it's a Qld thing, people walking around the CBD in bare feet and driving with no shoes on.... We were out for dinner the other night and some guy with the curliest toes I ever saw was beside me, put me right off my dinner. There must be a rule banning shoes in the local Coles, no one wears them

Second would be council pick up, best thing ever. We got a set of garden furniture, a trampoline and a lawn mower. If you did that in Ireland people would think there was something up with you. My 7 yr old was "mortified" when we put the trampoline on the roof of the car and he wouldn't use it for ages, best laugh I had since I got here, bringing that home with my partner hanging out of the window holding it :pac: it was an event in itself, people packing up their utes and bringing the family out on the hunt, I can't wait for the next one.

I have to say I love the way they have picnics here, it must take days to pack up for them, whole families with eskies, chairs and tablecloths and enough sports gear to fill a ute, it's really nice to see. There are picnic spots everywhere here. I live in the sticks and there's a really nice one behind my house with working bbqs.

Postmen on scrambler bikes, practical and hilarious at the same time

Oh one more I though of, workmen here leave all their tools in the back of the utes unguarded. I thought that was strange when I saw it first but they all do it and don't seem to be worried about it getting stolen.

Xavi6

Eat this crap -

ArseBurger

Hells Belle wrote: »

Oh one more I though of, workmen here leave all their tools in the back of the utes unguarded. I thought that was strange when I saw it first but they all do it and don't seem to be worried about it getting stolen.

I came to the conclusion very early on here that it's simply that the Irish are generally knackers. If it's not nailed down, we steal it. If it is nailed down, it's only safe for the length of time it takes to get a hammer to pry up the nails.

While working globally it has always amused me how honest people generally are with respect to property outside of Ireland and the UK. Restaurants, cafes, and pubs leaving outside furniture unlocked and just 'outside' overnight. Working vehicles like JCBs just parked up on the side of the street. Not fenced in etc...

etc.. etc... etc...

Pisco Sour

The use of the word "or" at the end of a question, or even worse, at the end of a statement posed falsely as a question. What is up with that?

For example:

Your boss says to you

"So, do you want to go through the cash flow now, or....?

"Did you get a chance to go through those figures, or...?

In both instances I do not have a choice in the matter, so why put the word "or" at the end of the sentence? And if you are going to put the word "or" there then at least provide an alternative to justify the use of that word.

For example the following would be circumstances where the use of the word "or" would be justifiable:

"So, do you want to go through the cash flow now, or do you want to do it later"

"Did you get a chance to go through those figures or did you have something more important to do".

Never, ever, should the word "or" be put at the end of a sentence or question. It is just plain bad grammar and sounds stupid.

The sad thing in all of this is that I've been here so long I am now noticing myself starting to speak like this. :eek:

woolymammoth

Pisco Sour wrote: »

The use of the word "or" at the end of a question

..or, like my missus, say "if you want to" or "do you want to" at the beginning of a question, rather than just asking "Can you do..", I've started just saying 'no' :pac: then i get funny looks!

Batgurl

Aussies really don't have any idea about manners on public transport.

The amount of times I've offered my seat to old people, pregnant ladies, people on crutches when no one else offered to give them one...and I was sitting on the inside!!!

I even stood up to give a pregnant lady my seat before and I had barely straightened my legs when a 20-something year old "lady" had sat down. Had to turn around and say "Excuse me, I was giving that to the heavily pregnant lady".

Also, why can't they move down to the very back of the bus when there is standing room only. It frustrates me when I see a bus go past that is "full" and you can see a bunch of people crammed at the front but the entire back of the bus is empty because no one has moved back up the steps.

Cooperspale

A lot of Australians say 'yeah, no', it gets comical after awhile.

Hard rubbish week is interesting; seeing all those utes trawling about looking for treasure. Many years ago on a whv it was how I acquired a tv.
A few years ago we moved house and had a spare fridge with nowhere to put it. A mate said leave it on the curb; it was gone in 10 minutes.

It was and is nice to see the outdoor Christmas cribs open and not behind bullet proof plastic.

Driving through the country, many farms leave produce at the gate: fruit, eggs, nuts, manure etc and you pay into a drop box. I have yet to see this in Ireland.

Good Friday is observed moreso by businesses here than in Ireland; that took a bit of getting used to.

Tradies generally have 2 pairs of shoes; steel toe blundies and a pair of thongs.

You know spring has arrived (in Melbourne) when everyone fires up their BBQ for dinner and that smell hangs around the neighborhood as you get home from work. Mmmmm.

Sundy

Ive found quite a few Aussies have no concept of a rounds system when drinking.

So if you buy an aussie a drink it doesnt mean you will get one back.

Lots of them think Ireland is in the UK

CiaranC

Continually talk about themselves

ArseBurger

Cooperspale wrote: »

Good Friday is observed moreso by businesses here than in Ireland; that took a bit of getting used to.

As you'd expect. It's a Public Holiday in Australia. It's not in Ireland. Therefore it's 'observed' because it's legislated.

+1 for Ireland IMHO.

Cookie_Monster

Cooperspale wrote: »

A lot of Australians say 'yeah, no', it gets comical after awhile.

beats hearing 'you know' or 'like' 15 times per sentence, that's really started to annoy me anytime I talk to people back home now...


1. go barefoot everywhere
2. dip crisps into cream and onion soup dip

howwedoin

Australian males in their 20's have the mental age of a 12 year old.

woolymammoth

guys, c'mon! quit the whinging and start your own "things i don't like about australia" thread if you must.

Xavi6

Say "eh' at the end of every second sentence as if seeking approval - "That's alroit eh?"

Batgurl

Xavi6 wrote: »

Say "eh' at the end of every second sentence as if seeking approval - "That's alroit eh?"

Particularly evident in the trailer for "The Shire" with that rapper dude.

An Australian tradition I am loving is Friday afternoon beers. Wish Ireland would adopt that. Every Friday between 3-4 o'clock a beer just magically appears on my desk. Beats the tooth fairy every time!!!

Father Damo

A complete lack of business acumen. Example: not sure I have ever seen a cloak room in this country. You would think they would realise that to pay someone minimum wage to man a cloakroom in a large venue at a few dollars a time is basically a licence to print money. In fact the cloakroom revenue would likely pay the bulk of the staffs wages, leaving more of the drink intake as pure profit. This is not the only one, just off the top of my head, but yes often you do see certain things lacking in a business with a door wide open to make profit, and wonder how the hell the owner has never copped it.

ObviouslyJesus

Batgurl wrote: »

An Australian tradition I am loving is Friday afternoon beers. Wish Ireland would adopt that. Every Friday between 3-4 o'clock a beer just magically appears on my desk. Beats the tooth fairy every time!!!

Qu'elle Surprise, a cailin who loves her lush. I hope you represent your county on dress down Friday as well :eek:

statina

i've found aussies tend to shorten alot of words...relatives becomes relo's, afternoon...arvo etc

A few of my aussie co-workers have got married and they are only 20/21 :eek:. They say its a common enough thing to get married at that age, i find it slightly mad!

ObviouslyJesus

Father Damo wrote: »

A complete lack of business acumen. Example: not sure I have ever seen a cloak room in this country. You would think they would realise that to pay someone minimum wage to man a cloakroom in a large venue at a few dollars a time is basically a licence to print money. In fact the cloakroom revenue would likely pay the bulk of the staffs wages, leaving more of the drink intake as pure profit. This is not the only one, just off the top of my head, but yes often you do see certain things lacking in a business with a door wide open to make profit, and wonder how the hell the owner has never copped it.

yeah its strange seeing how much business acumen they lack. you can see it in the droves of ozys coming to ireland for work. no, oh wait.....

Xavi6

statina wrote: »

A few of my aussie co-workers have got married and they are only 20/21 :eek:. They say its a common enough thing to get married at that age, i find it slightly mad!

That's a big thing alright, they tend to settle down a lot earlier. Driving by 16, building a house by 18, married by 20.

Feck that, give me late 20s and irresponsibility any day.

Batgurl

I also think the phenomenon of the iPhone is outrageous over here.

Literally everyone has one. On a recent trip to Japan (home of modern technology IMO) there was not an iPhone in sight.

I read an article recently that Australia has the highest iPhone ratio per capita in the world!

statina

i just find it bizarre to be discussing wedding plans with a 20 year old!! Im not fully sure if its a religious or a cultural thing?

man1

Australians starting sentences with "Look" ????????
It is especially prevalent among journalists or people who ring in to radio stations, they start off the sentence with "Look"
What's that all about.....?

statina

And the sh1te they talk on the radio first thing in the morning. Jeepers I thought Hector was bad at home!

Mellor

ObviouslyJesus wrote: »

4. Complain about the clothes or lack of over here. The girls scream cos there’s no Penneys, the guys give out cos they cant find those boot cut jeans that will go well with their Dubarry brogues they brought over.

Most young people, there a certain style fashion they like.
Certain aspects of aussie men's fashion is bizarre. For example skinny jeans, that sit above their ankle, and shoes with no socks. Some shops have nothing else in stock lately. I think they'd look ridiculous on me, and don't really care if somebody called refusal to integrate.

ArseBurger wrote: »

As you'd expect. It's a Public Holiday in Australia. It's not in Ireland. Therefore it's 'observed' because it's legislated.

Not really. Anzac, Australia, New Years, etc are all public holidays but the shops, restaurants and pubs still operate. On Good Friday most of these places close.
Even though its not an official public holiday in ireland, we used to basically treat it as one. But not so much anymore. That's what I took the previous poster to mean.

The Aussie

Xavi6 wrote: »

That's a big thing alright, they tend to settle down a lot earlier. Driving by 16, building a house by 18, married by 20. Divorced by 30.

Fixed.

Cooperspale wrote: »

Tradies generally have 2 pairs of shoes; steel toe blundies and a pair of thongs.

I miss having the opportunity to do this, driving around with the double pluggers on.

Hells Belle wrote: »

Oh one more I though of, workmen here leave all their tools in the back of the utes unguarded. I thought that was strange when I saw it first but they all do it and don't seem to be worried about it getting stolen.

That is one thing that gets me down about living in Ireland, nothing is safe and nothing is yours, you are just waiting for some filthy prick to steal it off you, ive had everything from a Car to my Dog i brought back from Australia with me stolen.

rightyabe

Most ozzy men in Perth anyway wear them black Tapout t-shirts or hoodys that are ten times to big for them, most have a big Ned Kelly style beard or a wee goatie, drive around in there V8 Commodore, which most of the time has a personalised number plate which reads something vain,have numerous tattos on their body and have a iPhone, which probbaly comes in handy when their away on a 4:1 in "da mines" and their temper is as short as a Irish summer and they'll puff their chest out and act like a hard fella and just shout at each other "what you looking at c**t"......rant over:D

Mike87

Cooperspale wrote: »

Driving through the country, many farms leave produce at the gate: fruit, eggs, nuts, manure etc and you pay into a drop box. I have yet to see this in Ireland.

Ive seen a few places like that in my travels around Ireland... now that I think about it theres actually a strawberry stall at the minute not too far from where I live that works like that. You take a punnet and leave the money in the bucket. I always thought that kind of system was more of a UK thing then Irish- theres a lot of them over there.

Father Damo

For a country with a decent government, pretty good public services, highly paid work easily available even to the unskilled, and summer for 9 months of the year, they do an unrivalled amount of moaning about how bad things apparently are. The cost of this is going up, the boat people are taking over, despite the pretty good road network across Sydney the occasional traffic jam is too much for them- you never hear the end of it. Even in the days of the Celtic Tiger our health service was sh1t, business advancement often depended more on who you knew in FF local councils than what you knew, average wages were still comparitively sh1t compared to the cost of living/ housing, and our weather was mostly miserable- so yes, at least in our good times we actually had something to moan about. :pac: Australia has it all and still demands more.

hussey

ObviouslyJesus wrote: »

Qu'elle Surprise, a cailin who loves her lush. I hope you represent your county on dress down Friday as well :eek:

Mod Congrats, you earnt yourself a 2 week holiday.

As a warning for other users, this is not a Aussie or Irish bashing thread. And from this post on it will be treated as such.