Marguerite
Active Member
in real life generally means "in the real world".
Don't forget the confusion from cultural differences. In my early days on this forum I often got my knuckles rapped (figuratively) for using terms which over here are in common usage, considered perfectly acceptable. For example, the term used to describe someone whose parents are not married - that has many very subtly different meanings depending on how it is used. We even have a charity named the "Order of Old Ba****s"which has done a lot of really valuable work in the community. All started by Sam Weller, a bloke in a pub in Nth Queensland...
Another Aussie term, also a NZ term, is also a term which people in other parts of the world find offensive because it is referring to sodomy. We don't use the term that way, we have other terms we use instead. For us, the word either refers to a person (as a person) as in "daft old b***er". Cockneys can substitute "codger" in that usage. But the other way we use it is as an expletive (a very mild one over here) which is basically saying, "blast it!" Or "gosh darn..."
If you ever come visit us (talking to you, Witz, in case you decide to go to NZ then hp across the ditch to Sydney) then please do not be offended by my language. I generally do not use bad language at all, but these two words are in my common usage because in Australia (and NZ) they are not considered offensive. But my, are they satisfying to use in the right context!
But of course, I can't use such words here, as I learned early on. So I substitute. "Codger". Or "blast it." Or "ratbag" - a classic very mild Aussie epithet which pretty much means "not nice person" or even "eccentric and unpredictable person you might otherwise quite like; just don't trust them to not chain you to the parliament house railings if you go out drinking with them".
And my favourite, first seen in a political cartoon in a Sydney uni satirical newspaper in the mid 70s - "circumcision scars on his neck". The meaning is synonymous with "Richard Cranium".
Think about it.
Marg
Don't forget the confusion from cultural differences. In my early days on this forum I often got my knuckles rapped (figuratively) for using terms which over here are in common usage, considered perfectly acceptable. For example, the term used to describe someone whose parents are not married - that has many very subtly different meanings depending on how it is used. We even have a charity named the "Order of Old Ba****s"which has done a lot of really valuable work in the community. All started by Sam Weller, a bloke in a pub in Nth Queensland...
Another Aussie term, also a NZ term, is also a term which people in other parts of the world find offensive because it is referring to sodomy. We don't use the term that way, we have other terms we use instead. For us, the word either refers to a person (as a person) as in "daft old b***er". Cockneys can substitute "codger" in that usage. But the other way we use it is as an expletive (a very mild one over here) which is basically saying, "blast it!" Or "gosh darn..."
If you ever come visit us (talking to you, Witz, in case you decide to go to NZ then hp across the ditch to Sydney) then please do not be offended by my language. I generally do not use bad language at all, but these two words are in my common usage because in Australia (and NZ) they are not considered offensive. But my, are they satisfying to use in the right context!
But of course, I can't use such words here, as I learned early on. So I substitute. "Codger". Or "blast it." Or "ratbag" - a classic very mild Aussie epithet which pretty much means "not nice person" or even "eccentric and unpredictable person you might otherwise quite like; just don't trust them to not chain you to the parliament house railings if you go out drinking with them".
And my favourite, first seen in a political cartoon in a Sydney uni satirical newspaper in the mid 70s - "circumcision scars on his neck". The meaning is synonymous with "Richard Cranium".
Think about it.
Marg
" is not an acronym
