Discussion:
OT...Posted for my Ozzie 'Cobbers' here for Australia Day....
(too old to reply)
Bigbazza
2008-01-26 01:11:48 UTC
Permalink
How do you tell if you are a true Aussie?

Richard Glover
January 26, 2008


'You know you're an Aussie if ? you are secretly proud of our killer
wildlife'

TODAY you'll probably want to party, celebrating all the things that make us
unique. But how do you tell if you are a true Aussie? Here are my 43 top
ways to tell if you're a local.

You know you're Australian if .


1. You know the meaning of the word "girt".

2. You believe that stubbies can be either drunk or worn.

3. You think it's normal to have a leader called Kevin.

4. You waddle when you walk due to the 53 expired petrol discount vouchers
stuffed in your wallet or purse.

5. You've made a bong out of your garden hose rather than use it for
something illegal such as watering the garden.

6. You believe it is appropriate to put a rubber in your son's pencil case
when he first attends school.

7. When you hear that an American "roots for his team" you wonder how often
and with whom.

8. You understand that the phrase "a group of women wearing black thongs"
refers to footwear and may be less alluring than it sounds.

9. You pronounce Melbourne as "Mel-bin".

10. You pronounce Penrith as "Pen-riff".

11. You believe the "l" in the word "Australia" is optional.

12. You can translate: "Dazza and Shazza played Acca Dacca on the way to
Maccas."

13. You believe it makes perfect sense for a nation to decorate its highways
with large fibreglass bananas, prawns and sheep.

14. You call your best friend "a total bastard" but someone you really,
truly despise is just "a bit of a bastard".

15. You think "Woolloomooloo" is a perfectly reasonable name for a place.

16. You're secretly proud of our killer wildlife.

17. You believe it makes sense for a country to have a $1 coin that's twice
as big as its $2 coin.

18. You understand that "Wagga Wagga" can be abbreviated to "Wagga" but "Woy
Woy" can't be called "Woy".

19. You believe that cooked-down axlegrease makes a good breakfast spread.

20. You believe all famous Kiwis are actually Australian, until they stuff
up, at which point they again become Kiwis.

21. Hamburger. Beetroot. Of course.

22. You know that certain words must, by law, be shouted out during any
rendition of the Angels' song Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again.

23. You believe, as an article of faith, that the confectionary known as the
Wagon Wheel has become smaller with every passing year.

24. You still don't get why the "Labor" in "Australian Labor Party" is not
spelt with a "u".

25. You wear ugh boots outside the house.

26. You believe, as an article of faith, that every important discovery in
the world was made by an Australian but then sold off to the Yanks for a
pittance.

27. You believe that the more you shorten someone's name the more you like
them.

28. Whatever your linguistic skills, you find yourself able to order
takeaway fluently in every Asian language.

29. You understand that "excuse me" can sound rude, while "scuse me" is
always polite.

30. You know what it's like to swallow a fly, on occasion via your nose.

31. You understand that "you" has a plural and that it's "youse".

32. You know it's not summer until the steering wheel is too hot to handle.

33. Your biggest family argument over the summer concerned the rules for
beach cricket.

34. You shake your head in horror when companies try to market what they
call "Anzac cookies"
.
35. You still think of Kylie as "that girl off Neighbours".

36. When returning home from overseas, you expect to be brutally
strip-searched by Customs - just in case you're trying to sneak in fruit.

37. You believe the phrase "smart casual" refers to a pair of black
tracky-daks, suitably laundered.

38. You understand that all train timetables are works of fiction.

39. When working on a bar, you understand male customers will feel the need
to offer an excuse whenever they order low-alcohol beer.

40. You get choked up with emotion by the first verse of the national anthem
and then have trouble remembering the second.

41. You find yourself ignorant of nearly all the facts deemed essential in
the government's new test for migrants.

42. You know, whatever the tourist books say, that no one says "cobber"
.
43. And you will immediately forward this list to other Australians, here
and overseas, realising that only they will understand.

Happy Australia Day.
--
Bigbazza (Barry) Oz
"Michael" @hotmail.com>
2008-01-26 01:41:18 UTC
Permalink
Nice work, Baz. :)

What's everyone chucking on their barbie? I've taken the easy option and am
going to see some cocky racing at http://www.storybridgehotel.com.au/
Post by Bigbazza
How do you tell if you are a true Aussie?
<snippage>
Post by Bigbazza
5. You've made a bong out of your garden hose rather than use it for
something illegal such as watering the garden.
ant
2008-01-27 01:31:27 UTC
Permalink
Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
Nice work, Baz. :)
What's everyone chucking on their barbie? I've taken the easy option
and am going to see some cocky racing at
http://www.storybridgehotel.com.au/
Post by Bigbazza
How do you tell if you are a true Aussie?
<snippage>
Post by Bigbazza
5. You've made a bong out of your garden hose rather than use it for
something illegal such as watering the garden.
grumble. My killfile must have snaffled the original post as being too long.

I tried the SMH "how australian are you" quiz and I suck, 4 out of 10. I was
thinking about most of the right answers but then chose the almost right but
wrong ones (3rd PM etc). Didn't do Australian History at school, which
didn't help. Ask me a complex question about the Tudors now, or the
Tokugawan period, and I'm there.
--
ant
Don't try to email me!
I'm using the latest spammer/scammer's
email addy.
Phred
2008-01-27 15:13:02 UTC
Permalink
Post by ant
Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
Nice work, Baz. :)
What's everyone chucking on their barbie? I've taken the easy option
and am going to see some cocky racing at http://www.storybridgehotel.com.au/
Post by Bigbazza
How do you tell if you are a true Aussie?
<snippage>
Post by Bigbazza
5. You've made a bong out of your garden hose rather than use it for
something illegal such as watering the garden.
I love it!
Post by ant
I tried the SMH "how australian are you" quiz and I suck, 4 out of 10. I was
thinking about most of the right answers but then chose the almost right but
wrong ones (3rd PM etc). Didn't do Australian History at school, which
didn't help. Ask me a complex question about the Tudors now, or the
Tokugawan period, and I'm there.
<Stolen from http://tinyurl.com/2qgylh [See full URL below] >

Sample questions for Australian citizenship exams in the federal
government's draft Becoming An Australian Citizen workbook:

1. In what year did Federation take place?
2. Which day of the year is Australia Day?
3. Who was the first Prime Minister of Australia?
4. What is the first line of Australia's national anthem?
5. What is the floral emblem of Australia?
6. What is the population of Australia?
7. In what city is the Parliament House of the Commonwealth Parliament
located?
8. Who is the Queen's representative in Australia?
9. How are Members of Parliament chosen?
10. Who do Members of Parliament represent?
11. After a federal election, who forms the new government?
12. What are the colours on the Australian flag?
13. Who is the head of the Australian Government?
14. What are the three levels of government in Australia?
15. In what year did the European settlement of Australia start?
16. Serving on a jury if required is a responsibility of Australian
citizenship: true or false?
17. In Australia, everyone is free to practise the religion of their
choice, or practise no religion: true of false?
18. To be elected to the Commonwealth Parliament you must be an
Australian citizen: true or false?
19. As an Australian citizen, I have the right to register my baby
born overseas as an Australian citizen: true or false?
20. Australian citizens aged 18 years or over are required to enrol on
the electoral register: true or false?
</Larceny>

[Ref:
<http://www.theage.com.
au/news/national/citizenship-test-unveiled/2007/08/26/1188066928766.
html> ]

My assessment:

Questions 1 to 6, 12, and 15 are totally irrelevant. The others may
be useful for an understanding of how things work here politically,
but I don't see knowledge of any as *essential* for being a good
citizen here in Australia. For example, there are a lot of migrant
women here in the deep north -- mostly wives of farmers who arrived
post WWII -- who still can't even speak English, but they very clearly
contribute to the economic and social well-being of their communities.

Cheers, Phred.
--
***@THISyahoo.com.INVALID
Horry
2008-01-28 03:59:24 UTC
Permalink
Post by Phred
Post by ant
Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
Nice work, Baz. :)
What's everyone chucking on their barbie? I've taken the easy option
and am going to see some cocky racing at http://www.storybridgehotel.com.au/
Post by Bigbazza
How do you tell if you are a true Aussie?
<snippage>
Post by Bigbazza
5. You've made a bong out of your garden hose rather than use it for
something illegal such as watering the garden.
I love it!
Post by ant
I tried the SMH "how australian are you" quiz and I suck, 4 out of 10. I was
thinking about most of the right answers but then chose the almost right but
wrong ones (3rd PM etc). Didn't do Australian History at school, which
didn't help. Ask me a complex question about the Tudors now, or the
Tokugawan period, and I'm there.
<Stolen from http://tinyurl.com/2qgylh [See full URL below] >
Sample questions for Australian citizenship exams in the federal
1. In what year did Federation take place?
2. Which day of the year is Australia Day?
3. Who was the first Prime Minister of Australia?
4. What is the first line of Australia's national anthem?
5. What is the floral emblem of Australia?
6. What is the population of Australia?
7. In what city is the Parliament House of the Commonwealth Parliament
located?
8. Who is the Queen's representative in Australia?
9. How are Members of Parliament chosen?
10. Who do Members of Parliament represent?
11. After a federal election, who forms the new government?
12. What are the colours on the Australian flag?
13. Who is the head of the Australian Government?
14. What are the three levels of government in Australia?
15. In what year did the European settlement of Australia start?
16. Serving on a jury if required is a responsibility of Australian
citizenship: true or false?
17. In Australia, everyone is free to practise the religion of their
choice, or practise no religion: true of false?
18. To be elected to the Commonwealth Parliament you must be an
Australian citizen: true or false?
19. As an Australian citizen, I have the right to register my baby
born overseas as an Australian citizen: true or false?
20. Australian citizens aged 18 years or over are required to enrol on
the electoral register: true or false?
</Larceny>
<http://www.theage.com.
au/news/national/citizenship-test-unveiled/2007/08/26/1188066928766.
html> ]
Questions 1 to 6, 12, and 15 are totally irrelevant. The others may
be useful for an understanding of how things work here politically,
but I don't see knowledge of any as *essential* for being a good
citizen here in Australia. For example, there are a lot of migrant
women here in the deep north -- mostly wives of farmers who arrived
post WWII -- who still can't even speak English, but they very clearly
contribute to the economic and social well-being of their communities.
Why in your opinion are 1 to 6, 143, and 15 totally irrelevant, but 7 to
11, 13 to 14, and 17 to 19 aren't totally irrelevant? Surely the knowledge
required to answer those questions isn't necessary to "contribute to the
economic and social well-being of their communit[y]" (which seems to be
your litmus test of a good citizen). (I only excluded 16 and 20 because
obedience to the law is the obligation of the citizen.)

IMO, it should be predominantly a psychological test.
Phred
2008-01-28 10:23:26 UTC
Permalink
Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
Post by Phred
Post by ant
Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
Nice work, Baz. :)
What's everyone chucking on their barbie? I've taken the easy option
and am going to see some cocky racing at
http://www.storybridgehotel.com.au/
Post by Phred
Post by ant
Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
Post by Bigbazza
How do you tell if you are a true Aussie?
<snippage>
Post by Bigbazza
5. You've made a bong out of your garden hose rather than use it for
something illegal such as watering the garden.
I love it!
Post by ant
I tried the SMH "how australian are you" quiz and I suck, 4 out of 10. I was
thinking about most of the right answers but then chose the almost right but
wrong ones (3rd PM etc). Didn't do Australian History at school, which
didn't help. Ask me a complex question about the Tudors now, or the
Tokugawan period, and I'm there.
<Stolen from http://tinyurl.com/2qgylh [See full URL below] >
Sample questions for Australian citizenship exams in the federal
1. In what year did Federation take place?
2. Which day of the year is Australia Day?
3. Who was the first Prime Minister of Australia?
4. What is the first line of Australia's national anthem?
5. What is the floral emblem of Australia?
6. What is the population of Australia?
7. In what city is the Parliament House of the Commonwealth Parliament
located?
8. Who is the Queen's representative in Australia?
9. How are Members of Parliament chosen?
10. Who do Members of Parliament represent?
11. After a federal election, who forms the new government?
12. What are the colours on the Australian flag?
13. Who is the head of the Australian Government?
14. What are the three levels of government in Australia?
15. In what year did the European settlement of Australia start?
16. Serving on a jury if required is a responsibility of Australian
citizenship: true or false?
17. In Australia, everyone is free to practise the religion of their
choice, or practise no religion: true of false?
18. To be elected to the Commonwealth Parliament you must be an
Australian citizen: true or false?
19. As an Australian citizen, I have the right to register my baby
born overseas as an Australian citizen: true or false?
20. Australian citizens aged 18 years or over are required to enrol on
the electoral register: true or false?
</Larceny>
<http://www.theage.com.
au/news/national/citizenship-test-unveiled/2007/08/26/1188066928766.
html> ]
Questions 1 to 6, 12, and 15 are totally irrelevant. The others may
be useful for an understanding of how things work here politically,
but I don't see knowledge of any as *essential* for being a good
citizen here in Australia. For example, there are a lot of migrant
women here in the deep north -- mostly wives of farmers who arrived
post WWII -- who still can't even speak English, but they very clearly
contribute to the economic and social well-being of their communities.
Why in your opinion are 1 to 6, 143, and 15 totally irrelevant, but 7 to
11, 13 to 14, and 17 to 19 aren't totally irrelevant?
Please read what I said.
Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
Surely the knowledge
required to answer those questions isn't necessary to "contribute to the
economic and social well-being of their communit[y]"
Where did I say it is?
Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
(which seems to be your litmus test of a good citizen).
(I only excluded 16 and 20 because
obedience to the law is the obligation of the citizen.)
IMO, it should be predominantly a psychological test.
Reading comprehension would be a good start.


Cheers, Phred.
--
***@THISyahoo.com.INVALID
Craig Welch
2008-02-05 04:05:24 UTC
Permalink
Post by ant
Ask me a complex question about the Tudors now, or the
Tokugawan period, and I'm there.
I gotta ask ... how did you come to study the (Edo)
Tokugawa period 徳川時代?
--
Craig http://www.wazu.jp/
1,239 Unicode fonts for 82 written language groups:
Price your own web plan: http://www.wazu.jp/hosting/
ant
2008-02-07 11:14:46 UTC
Permalink
Post by Craig Welch
Post by ant
Ask me a complex question about the Tudors now, or the
Tokugawan period, and I'm there.
I gotta ask ... how did you come to study the (Edo)
Tokugawa period ?????
I stopped learning Japanese when Kanji reared its head! I wish they'd
abolish it. I cannot fathom why they must have it (and Katakana) when
Hiragana does the job quite well.

ANU had a very good history of early modern Japan course, so I did it. We
studied the shit out of Hideyoshi. A whole year poring over that lot.
--
ant
Don't try to email me!
I'm using the latest spammer/scammer's
email addy.
Nina Pretty Ballerina
2008-01-29 23:21:07 UTC
Permalink
Post by Bigbazza
How do you tell if you are a true Aussie?
Richard Glover
January 26, 2008
'You know you're an Aussie if ? you are secretly proud of our killer
wildlife'
TODAY you'll probably want to party, celebrating all the things that make us
unique. But how do you tell if you are a true Aussie? Here are my 43 top
ways to tell if you're a local.
You know you're Australian if .
1. You know the meaning of the word "girt".
2. You believe that stubbies can be either drunk or worn.
3. You think it's normal to have a leader called Kevin.
4. You waddle when you walk due to the 53 expired petrol discount vouchers
stuffed in your wallet or purse.
5. You've made a bong out of your garden hose rather than use it for
something illegal such as watering the garden.
6. You believe it is appropriate to put a rubber in your son's pencil case
when he first attends school.
7. When you hear that an American "roots for his team" you wonder how often
and with whom.
8. You understand that the phrase "a group of women wearing black thongs"
refers to footwear and may be less alluring than it sounds.
9. You pronounce Melbourne as "Mel-bin".
10. You pronounce Penrith as "Pen-riff".
11. You believe the "l" in the word "Australia" is optional.
12. You can translate: "Dazza and Shazza played Acca Dacca on the way to
Maccas."
13. You believe it makes perfect sense for a nation to decorate its highways
with large fibreglass bananas, prawns and sheep.
14. You call your best friend "a total bastard" but someone you really,
truly despise is just "a bit of a bastard".
15. You think "Woolloomooloo" is a perfectly reasonable name for a place.
16. You're secretly proud of our killer wildlife.
17. You believe it makes sense for a country to have a $1 coin that's twice
as big as its $2 coin.
18. You understand that "Wagga Wagga" can be abbreviated to "Wagga" but "Woy
Woy" can't be called "Woy".
19. You believe that cooked-down axlegrease makes a good breakfast spread.
20. You believe all famous Kiwis are actually Australian, until they stuff
up, at which point they again become Kiwis.
21. Hamburger. Beetroot. Of course.
22. You know that certain words must, by law, be shouted out during any
rendition of the Angels' song Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again.
23. You believe, as an article of faith, that the confectionary known as the
Wagon Wheel has become smaller with every passing year.
24. You still don't get why the "Labor" in "Australian Labor Party" is not
spelt with a "u".
25. You wear ugh boots outside the house.
26. You believe, as an article of faith, that every important discovery in
the world was made by an Australian but then sold off to the Yanks for a
pittance.
27. You believe that the more you shorten someone's name the more you like
them.
28. Whatever your linguistic skills, you find yourself able to order
takeaway fluently in every Asian language.
29. You understand that "excuse me" can sound rude, while "scuse me" is
always polite.
30. You know what it's like to swallow a fly, on occasion via your nose.
31. You understand that "you" has a plural and that it's "youse".
32. You know it's not summer until the steering wheel is too hot to handle.
33. Your biggest family argument over the summer concerned the rules for
beach cricket.
34. You shake your head in horror when companies try to market what they
call "Anzac cookies"
.
35. You still think of Kylie as "that girl off Neighbours".
36. When returning home from overseas, you expect to be brutally
strip-searched by Customs - just in case you're trying to sneak in fruit.
37. You believe the phrase "smart casual" refers to a pair of black
tracky-daks, suitably laundered.
38. You understand that all train timetables are works of fiction.
39. When working on a bar, you understand male customers will feel the need
to offer an excuse whenever they order low-alcohol beer.
40. You get choked up with emotion by the first verse of the national anthem
and then have trouble remembering the second.
41. You find yourself ignorant of nearly all the facts deemed essential in
the government's new test for migrants.
42. You know, whatever the tourist books say, that no one says "cobber"
.
43. And you will immediately forward this list to other Australians, here
and overseas, realising that only they will understand.
Happy Australia Day.
--
Bigbazza (Barry) Oz
good one bazza. perhaps it should also say you know at least one person
called bazza, even if he is an on line cobber.....

Chris(sa)
Bigbazza
2008-01-30 11:59:49 UTC
Permalink
Post by Nina Pretty Ballerina
Post by Bigbazza
How do you tell if you are a true Aussie?
Richard Glover
January 26, 2008
'You know you're an Aussie if ? you are secretly proud of our killer
wildlife'
TODAY you'll probably want to party, celebrating all the things that make us
unique. But how do you tell if you are a true Aussie? Here are my 43 top
ways to tell if you're a local.
(Snipped for Brevity>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>)
Post by Nina Pretty Ballerina
good one bazza. perhaps it should also say you know at least one person
called bazza, even if he is an on line cobber.....
Chris(sa)
Well, how about,shall we say Peter, Peter Lucas for a start, Luv...:-)...and
how about, UseNet in General... I have formed many of cyber friends from Oz
and numerous international groups over 12 years!....They are everywhere, my
dear....So, all my Ozzie 'Cobbers' then, Chris....<g>
--
Bigbazza (Barry) Oz
ant
2008-01-31 10:45:53 UTC
Permalink
Cobbers, I remember them. You got them when you asked for 10 cents worth of
mixed lollies (got a Shitload of lollies for that!). Then they wrapped them
in papers with "facts" on them and called them Fantails.But they were
Cobbers first.
--
ant
Don't try to email me!
I'm using the latest spammer/scammer's
email addy.
Bigbazza
2008-01-31 11:31:53 UTC
Permalink
Post by ant
Cobbers, I remember them. You got them when you asked for 10 cents worth
of mixed lollies (got a Shitload of lollies for that!). Then they wrapped
them in papers with "facts" on them and called them Fantails.But they were
Cobbers first.
--
ant
I remember those, Ant...Weren't they, a caramel type of chewy lolly with
chocolate wrapped in the middle of them?

As I remember them, I probably have a little trouble with eating them today,
with my 'Loose' top 'Partial Denture'..They would probably stick to the
denture and pull it out <G>...

Are they still available to buy in Oz?
--
Bigbazza (Barry) Oz
ant
2008-02-03 13:28:37 UTC
Permalink
Post by Bigbazza
Post by ant
Cobbers, I remember them. You got them when you asked for 10 cents
worth of mixed lollies (got a Shitload of lollies for that!). Then
they wrapped them in papers with "facts" on them and called them
Fantails.But they were Cobbers first.
I remember those, Ant...Weren't they, a caramel type of chewy lolly
with chocolate wrapped in the middle of them?
They were a soft-ish caramel, wrapped in chocolate. Nice and simple, until
the movie lollie companies got hold of them.
--
ant
Don't try to email me!
I'm using the latest spammer/scammer's
email addy.
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