Pardon, What Was That Again? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Beer

Australian men, particularly those who work at physically demanding jobs, can get very hot and thirsty in our rather hot summers. It's become rather a tradition then, but was more so in the past, when that hard day's work was done, to head for the nearest pub to have a glass or six of the amber fluid before heading home to the wife and kids.

There used to be a tradition in this country, from approximately 4pm every working day (when many hard working labouring jobs ceased for the day) to 6pm that same day (when pubs and hotels had to close down for the night by law) when those pubs and hotels were packed to the rafters by thirsty men sharing a beer with their mates. The buzz of voices at that time of day could be heard several shops away, along with the smell of the ale. Today, with these establishments now allowed to remain open for much longer hours, the sardine squash is not so evident from 4pm on. It's just spread out over longer hours.

Answer: Had a fight with someone

A blue can mean any kind of fight, verbal or physical, in the Australian vernacular. This could be with a mate, or the wife, or his boss or the government. You name it and he'll blue with them if the occasion demands. Nor will he hold back once he's lost his temper and the blue is under way - so look out!

Answer: Farmer

A cockie in the Australian lingo simply means a farmer. The name arose from the fact that, during the first days of European settlement in this country, farmers, like our beautiful cockatoo birds, always selected land around permanent sources of water such as rivers, creeks or waterholes on which to settle and plant crops.

Today if you unexpectedly appear too close to a water source, particularly one out west, you'll suddenly experience a whole flight of cockatoos or other birds taking to the air screeching in fright. If you're not used to this phenomenon, you too will screech in fright.

Answer: A blowfly

Australia is a very hot and dry, or very hot and sticky land, where if you begin to sweat, particularly out west, those horribly annoying blowflies come buzzing around and try to settle on your skin. These are the disgusting insects that have usually been feasting on a dead cow or kangaroo somewhere, or hanging around anything rotten at all - and to have them try to land on your face or arms is revolting. This incidentally gave birth to the great Australian salute - people constantly waving their hands in front of their faces to chase those dunny budgies away.

But why dunny? And why budgie? A dunny is a term for an outside toilet, one that in days gone by, could be found in the back yard of every Australian house or farm, and, if sewerage hadn't arrived in that area of the country, one that needed emptying periodically into a pre-dug hole in the yard somewhere. Each visit to same always necessitated a sprinkling of sawdust over the contents until they were emptied, BUT the blowies still could sense it there, and, as big as small budgerigars (we like to exaggerate in this country) could always be found hanging around those outside dunnies, hoping to get inside.

Answer: Astonished

To be gobsmacked is to be left with one's mouth hanging open in astonishment over some remarkable piece of news, or result in a footy game, or a very peculiar sight, and so on. And it takes a lot for this to happen to your average Australian male. He's usually seen it all in his travels, or at least read about it, or been told about it by his mates.

Answer: A sausage

There's long been a belief in this country that everything but the kitchen sink is gathered together to make one of our delicious beef sausages. It's an urban myth, though. Our meat packaging and manufacturing industry is sclosely monitored by the appropriate health authorities. Australians also commonly refer to sausages as snags.

Answer: It depends on the tone of voice used

You can never ever take Australian slang or lingo at face value. It's absolutely essential that you note the tone of voice and the body stance as well. If one Australian male slaps another on the back and gives him a laughing shove, while referring to him as "you bloody mug", this is well meant, and, in their world, even a type of compliment.

However, if his jaw is clenched and his eyes are fixed piercingly on the other male when he calls him "you bloody mug!" then look out. A challenge has most definitely been issued.

Answer: That person is naked

It is believed that "nuddy' evolved from the correctly spoken, in an upper class British accent, word "nude". Nuddy simply means, when translated, that some person isn't wearing a stitch of clothing. Australians are prone to add "y" to the end of various nouns or adjectives for some odd reason.

A "barbie" for example is a barbecue, a "bikkie" is a biscuit, a "bluey" is either a backpack or a redhead, a "brickie" is a bricklayer - and so on.

Answer: His trousers

There is no explanation for how this term came about, although there is that connection between legs, the length of a stride and a pair of trousers. If anyone knows, I'd be interested - and could also add it in here.

Answer: Australian rules football

Australian rules football is just one of the many football codes played in this country. Also known as footy, or just plain football, one of its distinctive features is that players may leap up very high in the air to try to catch a ball that has been kicked anywhere on the field - but before that ball has touched the ground. Several players leap up at the same time after this mark - for that is what it is called - with hands stretched high above their heads reaching for the ball. Over time this manoeuvre specific to Australian rules football has led the game to be given its peculiar nickname by its devoted male fans.