Australian writers rock. We know it, and we love them. But it’s not always easy to discover the Australian talent that is right under our noses.
There's also a fabulous competition to win lots of prizes donated by the authors who will appear on my blog and on a host of others (see the list at the bottom of this post). Today I'd like to welcome LJ Clarkson, who writes a middle grade fantasy adventure for 9-12 year olds called the Mastermind Academy Series. The first book is The Silver Strand. Over to you LJ.
10
Things You Will Only Hear in Australia
Thanks for having me today, Jacqueline.
Sometimes it seems us Aussies speak an
entirely different English language. We’ve grown up using made up words, given
people nicknames, and created odd sayings. If I counted them all, I bet we’d
have enough to fill a dictionary! I blame it on us being so isolated from other
English speaking countries. Or fellow Aussies having their brains shaken too
much from traveling in Kangaroo pouches! No, I’m just kidding. That myth isn’t
true.
But what’s true, is that we talk weird. And
in honour of celebrating Australia day on the 26th January, I’m
going to enlighten your international readers with a little lesson in
Australian slang and nicknames, taking some examples from my novel, The Silver Strand and throwing in a few
extra for fun.
Infamous Aussie Slang
If you can master these, you are a true
Aussie at heart.
Don’t get your fringe in a twist - this is
a play on the saying, “Don't get your knickers in a knot,” and means “don't upset
yourself” or “calm down”.
Let’s go and have a cuppa - let’s have cup
of tea or coffee.
Rack off - leave me alone or get lost.
Crikey - is what you say when you get a
shock or surprise. It was made famous by the late Steve Irwin, the Crocodile
Hunter.
Plonk - to sit down heavily or collapse
into a chair.
Thongs – are flip flops. Whoever changed
the word just wanted to be different and confuse you.
Budgie smugglers – are an underwear style
of swimming brief, and any man caught wearing them in Australia is teased
relentlessly.
Nicknames
Now for some reason I don’t understand,
Aussies like to add zzz’s on the end of names or o’s. Maybe it’s to sound cool.
Who knows?
Mozzy – is a character in The Silver Strand. He’s a Cane Toad
named after his favourite food, mosquito.
Sharon and Barry - Shazza and Bazza
Robert - Robbo
Now I could go on and on with many more,
but you’d forget them all. While the selection might be small, I hope it has
helped you understand the way us Aussies talk, and hasn’t scared you away from
reading any amazing Australian books.
To celebrate Australia Day further, I, LJ
Clarkson (aka Louo), Mastermind and champion of spider solitaire, hereby decree
that any visitors leaving a comment with their favourite aussie slang or their
new nickname, will henceforth be known as an honorary Australian.
Author
Bio:
LJ ‘fibber’ Clarkson tells everyone she
gave up her Environmental Engineering career to study a Creative Writing Degree
and pursue her writing dreams. But that's not entirely true. Ten percent of the
time she sleeps in. Playing spider solitaire consumes 5% (bad, bad habit).
Running Indicated,
a promotional site for authors steals another 18.75%. In her remaining
waking hours, she writes, laughs at her own jokes, reads and falls asleep
whenever her boyfriend reels off geeky computer lingo (zzzzzz). If she were a
Mastermind, she’d uninvent early mornings, grammar, broccoli, cleaning and
her dog’s fussy eating habits.
The
Silver Strand blurb:
Ever since twelve year old Isabelle
Tresdon’s silver strand of hair sprouted, it’s been nothing but trouble:
bleeding pink dust and sparking like a firecracker. Refusing to be known
as the girl with the freaky, grandma hair, she wishes it never grew and the
hair withers and tarnishes.
The only problem is, the strand is
Isabelle's source of magic, and she can transform particles of energy into
matter. It's also her ticket into Mastermind Academy, a secret school
inside the earth’s core. Five days remain before the strand drains her
magic and life, forcing Isabelle to enter into a deal with two trickster
Masterminds to save it. But what she doesn't count on is that there is more at
stake than just her life.
The
Silver Strand, a MG Fantasy Adventure for 9-12 year
olds, is book 1 in the Mastermind Academy Series.
If you'd like to purchase a copy of the books or learn more about LJ click on the links below.
Author’s
websites: www.indicated.com.au
Indicated is a site providing all the
resources an indie or small press author needs.
Buy ebook and paperback (Amazon US)
Buy ebook Australia (Amazon Aus)
Autographed copies from the author’s
website
Buy paperback (UK)
To enter the competition to win one of the many prizes from the following authors click the link.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/88d39a11/
*Also visit YAtopia for additional MG posts.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/88d39a11/
*Also visit YAtopia for additional MG posts.
