Anything you want to know about Sir Les?

[SleepyDragon]

And that's why I never get ticked off when randoms mistake me for American. Hell, I'm even losing the ear for it myself (distinguishing Canadian from American) unless I listen really hard, or unless it's a noticeably-strong regional accent like New Yorker or Cajun.

[Al Swearegen]

Fair call too. It isn't that when someone announces they are from NZ that other Aussies say "You poor bastard" or anything.
I think the discrepancy between Northern Queenslanders and the rest of Australia or City vs rural Australians is no greater than Australians and New Zealanders, in respect to accents. It is there and if you have an ear for it you will pick it mostly.

[SleepyDragon]

I remember a TV ad which was part of a public-service campaign about seatbelts, and the actors were really bunging it on with the Far North Queenslander-speak, which was amusing. And sometimes I'll pick a South Australian from the way they pronounce their "oh."

By way of justifying my posting in your thread, I should ask a question, shouldn't I? I considered asking your opinion on weighty matters like the cultural cringe, whether we as a nation are "over" the whole penal-colony-origin thing, and so on and so forth. But bugger it, I'm gonna go with:

Who's the best hope, do you think, in the 09-10 Sheffield Shield? Or are you saving all your energy for barracking for the Aussies in the Winter Olympics?

[Al Swearegen]

I remember a TV ad which was part of a public-service campaign about seatbelts, and the actors were really bunging it on with the Far North Queenslander-speak, which was amusing. And sometimes I'll pick a South Australian from the way they pronounce their "oh."

By way of justifying my posting in your thread, I should ask a question, shouldn't I? I considered asking your opinion on weighty matters like the cultural cringe, whether we as a nation are "over" the whole penal-colony-origin thing, and so on and so forth. But bugger it, I'm gonna go with:

Who's the best hope, do you think, in the 09-10 Sheffield Shield? Or are you saving all your energy for barracking for the Aussies in the Winter Olympics?

Winter Olympics may be good for the occasional "Bradbury moment" but barring that....

As for Cricket well I used to be really boned up on Cricket and Footy because I could go to a pub and steer conversation away from Cars and tools (which I am completely ignorant) and talk about girls (which I am only slightly more knowledgeable) or sport which I could talk about with some expertise. These days....I am out of the loop.

So that brings me to the first two questions which you posed 

The Penal colony thing is I believe a position of pride with Aussies. Having said that it is seen as a sacred thing and making fun of it is the best way to start a punch up. Of course no Aussie would dare or would want to. I think it actually ties in very nicely with the "cultural cringe". We take great pride in being tough, laconic, honest, rough, larrikins but hate others viewing this as cultural empty or inferior. It feels to us a lot more truer and full of integrity other cultural standards. Unfortunately whilst we cheer and embrace Bazza MacKenzie, Dame Edna Everidge, Sir Les Patterson and Crocodile Dundee for the aspects of "real Australians" they portray there is also the risk of them being seen without the biased and "Ocker filters" as uncouth idiotic slobs. So we are caught in a difficult position. A love/hate relationship and polarised perspectives that exist in the same cultural identities.

Does that make any sense? 

[renaeden]

We got stuck with what we have, so be proud of it?

A few of my ancestors are Welsh and I know of one that made barges on the Thames.

[Al Swearegen]

We got stuck with what we have, so be proud of it?

A few of my ancestors are Welsh and I know of one that made barges on the Thames.

Aussie ancestors were captured by British authorities and for generally minor misdemeanors (performed in an effort to survive in a country that could not and would not elevate their dire social or financial standing) shipped them off to an inhospitable as punishment. To toil to the rest of their days and die. It was supposed to be the greatest punishment.

What happened was these tough and resourceful bastards did the unthinkable. They found a home. They served their time and with true frontier mentality found a land of opportunities that did not exist for them back home. Their peer's descendants back home may have be doomed to a lack of vocational or social choice but the descendants of those unwanting immigrants became whatever they could be because there was no bar to anything because your father or grandfather was a prisoner (whose wasn't). The values and humour developed and we found beauty in this land. Hell we don't care if we have the nastiest spiders and snakes and sharks and crocodile because we have beaches and countryside and wide open spaces.

They sent us off to die and we lived and lived well and continue to prosper. Stuck with what we have? Sort of. Proud? Hell yeah!

[The Member Formerly Known As Sophist]

The UK has spawned some interesting children...

Australia... the US...

Funny these two countries in particular have developed our personalities from our dysfunctional relationship with our parent country. And the sentiments still survive, even though the original "children" are no longer alive.

[Al Swearegen]

The UK has spawned some interesting children...

Australia... the US...

Funny these two countries in particular have developed our personalities from our dysfunctional relationship with our parent country. And the sentiments still survive, even though the original "children" are no longer alive.

Damn Right!

That is I guess why when the "convict" or "colonial" thing is thrown at us we are "Yeah and what of it?"

[Mr Smith]

I gt accused of having evey accent under the sun except NZ or Australian, and its fucking annoying.

Oh except the time some bo in Auckland told me I was "common".

He can fuck off and die. One thing I can't stand is people making statements about me that are false.

[Al Swearegen]

I gt accused of having evey accent under the sun except NZ or Australian, and its fucking annoying.

Oh except the time some bo in Auckland told me I was "common".

He can fuck off and die. One thing I can't stand is people making statements about me that are false.

For him it was probably a passing thought and a bit of spite to rile you. It is not him "keeping it alive".

[Mr Smith]

I didn't used to be able, when I first migrated to Australia, to pick the difference between Aussie speech and Kiwi. I can now, though.

Yep its the same with everywhere.

Kiwis and aussies sound the same to a lot of foreigners. Just like Canadians and Americans sound the same to a lot of forigeners. Very simialar accents but you can't differentiate properly unless you're very accute in that sort of thing or you've lived in one of the two places.

[Al Swearegen]

I think being hard is certainly better than being hurt or walked over. As a default it is a good way to be.

['andersom']

I think being hard is certainly better than being hurt or walked over. As a default it is a good way to be.

 

The default may be a bit much though.

[Al Swearegen]

I think being hard is certainly better than being hurt or walked over. As a default it is a good way to be.

 

The default may be a bit much though.

I am game.  No high heels though

['andersom']

I think being hard is certainly better than being hurt or walked over. As a default it is a good way to be.

 

The default may be a bit much though.

I am game.  No high heels though

I'm on, won't wear high heels.