British English vs. Australian English
British English Vs Australian English… Who Says It Right?!
I think one of our favourite pastimes as expats in either country is debating the delectable nuances of the English language. For two countries singing from the same base ‘hymn sheet’, how can we have so many differences? When it comes to British English vs Australian English, I don’t know if either is necessarily right or wrong, but we sure do need a handy translation tool to bring us closer to understanding each other. Recently, I’ve been polling my followers on their favourite phrases that remind them of home. There’s a surprising amount of nostalgia that comes with our words, so I thought I’d share the best of the best with you here by category…
British English vs Australian English: Greetings
So there’s a lot of common ground here. Hi, hello, how’s it going? There are a multitude of dialectical differences across the sprawling counties of the United Kingdom, but the following is the primary signature greeting I’ve landed upon for each pond…
|
British |
Australian |
|
Alright |
G’day |
Feel free to add your own, too…
English vs Australian English: Food
Body: The myriad descriptors for food would have us here all day if we let it. I, for one, revel in the linguistic differences between my homeland and my adopted home. I’d go so far as to call the differences between British English vs Australian English quaint when it comes to our food. Ultimately, it all comes out delicious, so no matter what, we win…
|
British |
Australian |
|
Aubergine |
Eggplant |
|
Courgette |
Zucchini |
|
Pepper |
Capsicum |
|
Fish supper (Scotland) |
Fish and chips |
|
Crisps |
Chips |
|
Chips |
Hot chips |
|
Butty |
Roll |
|
Tea |
Dinner |
|
Sambo (Sandwich) |
Sanga |
|
Ketchup |
Tomato sauce |
|
Pudding |
Dessert |
|
Sweeties |
Lollies |
|
Hot dogs |
Frankfurts |
|
Banger |
Snag |
|
Penguin |
Tim Tam* |
Anyone getting hungry yet?
* Note from Jane - These are extremely similar, but each country tends to have a preference for its own when comparing the two.
British English vs Australian English: Places
Body: In the interests of international understanding, here are some of the fundamental variations (and their basic translation) to make sure you don’t get lost when travelling! Clearly, British English vs Australian English extends far beyond the pantry!
|
British |
Australian |
Middle ground |
|
Off-license (offy) |
Bottle-O |
Premises to buy alcohol |
|
Maccy D’s |
Maccas |
McDonalds |
|
Semi-detached |
Townhouse/Duplex |
2 dwellings that share one wall |
|
Flat |
Apartment |
Dwelling within a larger building |
|
Bog/Loo |
Dunny |
Toilet |
|
Body shop |
Smash repairs |
Premises for repairing cars following an accident |
|
Petrol Station |
Servo |
Premises for purchasing fuel |
|
Motorway |
Highway |
Main road |
|
Chippy |
Fish and Chip shop |
Premises where you can purchase food such as fish and chips, burgers, cooked chicken, etc |
British English vs Australian English: Clothing
And where would we be without the nonsensical nuances of attire descriptions? British English vs Australian English can get incredibly pernickety - it’s a wonder any of us get dressed at all!!
|
British |
Australian |
|
Vest |
Singlet |
|
Waistcoat |
Vest |
|
Trainers/Runners |
Sneakers |
|
Flip flops |
Thongs |
|
Thong |
G-String |
|
Trousers |
Pants |
|
Underwear |
Pants |
|
Dungarees |
Overalls |
|
Wellies |
Gumboots |
|
Spectacles |
Glasses |
|
Mac/Anorak |
Raincoat |
|
Dressing Gown |
Bathrobe |
|
Bathers |
Togs/Swimmers* |
* Note from Jane - Admittedly on this last one, there is hot debate on the correct terminology depending on which state of Australia you originate from
British English vs Australian English: Things
When I’m trying to translate myself from British to Australian, or vice versa, the following are some of the ones I get stuck on most often. I’ve been in Australia so long now, I often forget which direction I’m translating, and it all gets to be a bit of a muddle!
|
British |
Australian |
|
Lorry |
Truck |
|
Hoover |
Vacuum cleaner |
|
Settee/Couch |
Lounge |
|
Duvet |
Doona/Quilt |
|
Cling film |
Glad wrap |
|
Kleenex |
Tissue |
|
Quid |
Buck |
|
Cashpoint |
ATM |
So there you have it. It’s not a comprehensive list, but it’s definitely a start! We’ve had many a debate in my household over the years about who’s ‘right’ in the British English vs Australian English language-off. I think ultimately it doesn’t matter, so long as we can all get a rough sense of what the other is saying, and enjoy the complete daftness of the fact that one language can have oh-so many iterations!
Any more suggestions for my list?! Send them to me via the socials, or by email at: jane@rubyshomestore.com.au.
Lots of love
Jane x
G’day Jane
Another one could be fizzy pop instead of cool drink.
Also I’ve noticed the poms tend to say “you right?” At the start of every phone call. Bizarre!
Hiya Jane,
This was a great read!
Oh, there’s another one you could add. A friend from the UK asked if she could buy my kids lollies and they came back with ice blocks! A big surprise to me
I agree that the language differences between English speaking countries are very interesting.
However I differ on some of the words you mentioned. Regarding the toilet, young people all call it the bathroom. I grew up calling it the loo. The dunny was an outside toilet and people rarely use that word in Aust. I’ve changed to bathroom now as I realised that only old people say loo! I also grew up in Adelaide saying bathers but changed to swimmers in Sydney so people could understand me. And I grew up saying tea instead of dinner (dinner was only on Sundays) but I have changed to dinner as no one says tea these days
Lolly v icy pole
Yoghurt v yoghurt (it’s all in the pronounciation 🤣👌!)
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