Yahoo Lifestyle US woman's hilarious list of differences in Australia
American expat Dev has shared her confusion over a number words and sayings that are different Down Under.
There are many things Aussies do differently Down Under with expats often quick to point them out. But a US woman, who recently revealed she had to change her name because of its meaning in Australia, can't quite wrap her head around the way we say things and the casual use of swear words.
Last month, Dev revealed she was made to change her name from Devyn while in Australia while sharing some of her biggest culture shocks — because Devon is what Aussies call the sliced deli meat treat. But it seems it's the "different words" we say that's really left her baffled, including what we call some herbs and vegetables.
The expat, 22, admitted her confusion after learning Aussies refer to bell peppers as capsicums, a word she struggles to say. "Sorry if I'm saying that wrong," she said in a video on TikTok.
"Arugula is called rocket. So that threw me off. Cilantro is coriander, which I knew about that one, but rocket?" she questioned before noting Aussies' casual use of "c***" and "skank".
"It makes me laugh so hard. It's not overdramatised. The word c*** is used quite loosely," she went on. "And flip flops and sandals are called thongs in Australia.
"I feel like a thong is something that goes up your butt crack, but that's just me," she added referring to what Americans call underwear. "But I don't know. I'm a stupid cheeseburger American".
Phrase Aussies overuse according to American
Another Aussie trait Dev has struggled to get used to is the overuse of the phrase, "are you okay?". It's used when greeting someone and often means "hello" or "how are you doing". It's often used by Brits too.
Next, Dev commented on Australia's great coffee, saying our hot brew "blows it out of the water". Aussies have long prided themselves on our great coffee culture with the expat admitting a trip to her local coffee shops is the "highlight of my day".
Americans have long been perplexed by Australians' habit of abbreviating words, and Dev is not different noting the words "brekkie" and "Macca's" are both shortened variations of their full-form words.
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Aussies react to pronunciation
Aussies were quick to swarm the comments section of the video, owning up to much of what Dev had mentioned.
"Capsicum is pronounced like 'Kapp Sii Come'," one said offering help after Dev was unsure how to say it correctly.
Some were quick to point out that "you alright" is "a British saying" and is not typically Aussie.
"The word herb starts with a H it’s not 'erb'," another said, referring to the American pronunciation which omits the letter 'h'.
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