In the UK we have a thing called ‘The Watershed’, which prevents certain language and content being shown on the TV before a certain time in the evening. Basically, sex, violence and swearing don’t happen until children are thought to be tucked up in bed asleep. That isn’t the case in Australia, instead they show a rating (a bit like film ratings) before the programmes are due to start.
However this is not what I want to focus on in this blog entry. What I want to talk about is the language used on the TV all throughout the day. It’s something that Adam and I have found very amusing and at times we’ve questioned each other as to whether we actually heard correctly!
Bloody (hell, great, awful etc) – A favourite from what I can see on Aussie TV. Bloody is a word which is used on a regular basis by presenters, interviewers and interviewees. This word is brandished about so readily that it seems to be part of everyday ok language to use. Whereas the slightest hint of a ‘bloody hell’ would immediately call for a swift apology to viewers in the UK, this word is used without the slightest flinch or read face.
Pissed – This was probably the word that had Adam and myself shocked and amused by its usage. I was very happy to see that one of my favourite TV shows in the UK (Strictly Come Dancing) was indeed also made and shown in Australia. As we settled into the show with a guy who used be in Neighbours doing Brucie’s job, it suddenly happened! The Judges were due to critique a celebrity. I wonder what comments they could possibly come up with? We waited with baited breath for the first Judge to speak and what did he say?!
“When I found out earlier today that you were going to be doing a Salsa, I nearly pissed myself!”
Yep that’s right, he really said it, and the show just continued. No apology, no sharp intake of breath, nothing! This was 6:30 in the evening on a Sunday night, very amusing and a source of great hilarity and surprise for Adam and myself.
Bollocking
On the Australian equivalent to ‘This Morning’ – ‘The Morning Show’ they were discussing Whitney Housten’s come back gig in New York, Central park when the word ‘bollocking’ was used. Again no flinching, no red faces, no need to apologise to the viewers! I believe they were referring to the hard time Whitney received in the press after her loss of voice (not great for a singer!) during the come back gig. Instead of saying hard time they said that she “got a bollocking from the press…”
This has now prompted us to keep a record of interesting language that we hear being used on the TV during the day and early evening. We’ve also recently heard ‘knob’ not in the door knob sense of the word, ‘pretty buggered’ and ‘tits out’. We will endeavour to keep you updated on any further language usage that we hear.
We’ve also noticed lots of Aussie slang being used. What’s wrong with this, I hear you cry? Well nothing really except that when you hear the supposedly prim and proper news readers using it during their reports, it sounds rather amusing. Aussie slang is common place across adverts and TV shows. These include and must be read in an Aussie accent for full effect;
“They ‘bagged’ a point in the remaining seconds of the match.
“It was a ‘ripper’ of a match.
"They 'copped' a bad one"
“He’ll be right” (instead of he’ll be alright)
“Mate”
“What a ‘ripper’ picture”
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