LET STALK STRINE
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A lexicon on modern Strine usage.
- A -
=====Air Fridge: A mean sum, or quantity; also: ordinary, not extreme. As
in: The air fridge person; the air fridge man in the street.
Airman: See "Semmitch".
Airpsly Fair Billis: Quite pleasant. (See also Naw Shaw.)
Airp's Trek: Mon painting in the ark ellery. (See also Contempry.)
Aorta: The english language contains many Greek, Latin, French, Italian
and other foreign words, e.g. valet, vampire, vaudeville, vox-humana,
hippocrepiform, etc. Strine, similarly, is richly studded with words
and phrases taken from other, older tongues. Many of these have, with
the passage of time, come to possesses meanings different from their
original ones. Two typical examples are the German words Eiche
(Pronounced i-ker; meaning oak-tree) and Ersatz (pronounced air-sats;
meaning substitute). Both these are now Strine words, and are used in
the following manner: `Eiche nardly bleevit', and `Ersatz are trumps,
dear, yegottny?
However, it is English which has contributed most to the Strine
vocabulary. Strine is full of words which were originally English.
Aorta is a typical example.
Aorta (pronounced A-orta) is the vessel through which courses the
life-blood of Strine public opinion. Aorta is a composite but
non-existant Authority which is held responsible for practically
everything unpleasant in the Strine way of life; for the punishment of
criminals; for the weather; for the Bomb and the Pill; for all public
transport; and for all the manifold irritating trivia of everyday
living. Aorta comprises the Federal and State legislatures; local
government councils; all public services; and even, it is now thought,
Parents' and Citizens' Associations and the CSIRO.
Aorta is, in fact, the personification of the benevolently paternal
welfare State to which all Strines - being fiercly independant and
individualistic - appeal for help and comfort in moments of frustration
and anguish. The following are typical examples of such appeals. They
reveal the innate reasonableness and sense of justice which all Strines
possess to such a marked degree:
`Aorta build another arber bridge. An aorta stop half of these cars
from cummer ninner the city - so a feller can get twirkon time.'
`Aorta mica laura genst all these prairlers and sleshers an pervs.
Aorta puttem in jile an shootem.'
`Aorta stop all these transistors from cummer ninner the country.
Look what they doone to the weather. All this rine! Doan tell me it's
not all these transistors - an all these hydrigen bombs too. Aorta
stoppem!'
`Aorta have more buses. An aorta milkem smaller so they don't take up
half the road. An aorta put more seats innem so you doan tefter stann
all the time. An aorta have more room innem - you carn tardly move
innem air so crairded. Aorta do something about it.'
Ark Ellery: See "Airp's Trek".
Arm Arm: A childs' appeal to its mother for help. As is: `Arm arm, makim
stop.'
Ashfelt: Asphalt.
Assprad: Excessively preoccupied with domestic order and cleanliness.
As in: `She's very assprad - she keeps Rome looking lovely.' This is a
feminine adjective only; there does not appear to be any exact masculine
equivalent, although the noun Hairndiman conveys something of the same
meaning. Strine women may be assprad; Strine men may be hairndimen; or
`clever with their hens.' (See also Gloria Soame.)
In French, it is aluminium, and the pronunciation is close to the British one.
