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Q: British, Aussie, Canadian, NZ and American vernacular expressions
Just as an addition to RoyceH's post featuring some wonderful expressions, I thought to myself how wonderful it would be to add some NZ expressions to the day to day lingo. A couple immediately leap to mind:
Corporate bludger - a corporate welfare recipient - probably describes 90% of the wealthy individuals in China and explains why their receipt of millionaire visas in western countries never results in new jobs created (besides the expansion of clientele figures for tax lawyers and accounting firms) and instead causes a rise in the cost of residential property.
Bludger - Usually used to refer to a welfare beneficiary, but basically means anyone who lives off the graft of another person. I'm thinking of those wedding photography CEOs who take all the money from the clients and pay a small chunk to the actual photographer when the photographer could simply operate as a sole trader. During the battle of El Alamein, Kiwi and Aussie troops referred to the headquarters of the British top brass as "Bludgers' Hill"
Trougher - a civil servant who claims to be working for the interests of society, but is so deeply embedded into the public treasury (the state trough) that he resembles a corpulent, bovine or swinish creature who just can't pull his head out of it and get a real job.
Can you think of any other expressions from your homeland which would be nice to hear used around here? I like Nong. Is it simply an abbreviated version of "nongmin"?
The best one ever, Laowai......
Yank; "I'm pissed and I need a fag!"
Aussie; "I'm pissed and I need a fag!"
Hahahahahhahah!!!!
And another that comes to mind, given you're a Kiwi.
When I spent a year working in the shearing sheds there about 38 years ago a bloke asked me this; "What's your handle?" Being young and naive I thought it somewhat unusual he would ask me such a question but nevertheless I answered quite quickly.
Me; "About 7 1/2 inches!" (Young and pumped up...)
Him; "Huh.."
It was real funny at the time.
Hotwater:
British English would have (I hope!) the same meaning as the Aussie one above!
laowaigentleman:
Being a millenial kiwi is particularly good because both expressions are just as powerful.
Older people tend to use the pure British,( "chemist" means "pharmacist", "flat" means "apartment") whereas when I was in my first decade and teens, loads of American TV started hitting the airwaves.
I was a diehard Slim Shady fan too.
"My words.. are like a dagger with a jagged edge...."
"Nice English breakfast, a cup of tea and a fag" - Gimme Gimme Gimme.
It's French, but whatever : "matuvu" for "m'as tu vu", which mean "did you see me ?" for someone trying hard to be seen by being loud and trying hard to get all the latest display of wealth.
