Learning the language

Yesterday I saw this fascinating article about Aussie tendencies to abbreviate. Apparently every word in Australian is subject to shortening. Some examples:

Uni = University
Barbie = Barbecue
Arvo = Afternoon
Footy = Football
Onya = Good on you or Well done
Avago = Attempt something (pronounce it, then see if you hear yourself say "Have a go")
Beaut = Beauty
Chockie = Chocolate
Lappy = Laptop
Mobie = Mobile phone
Macca's = MacDonald's
Mushie = Mushroom

You get the idea.

A researcher named Nenagh Kemp at University of Tasmania is carrying out a study on popular Australian abbreviations and the effect they have on other people when you use them. Her hypothesis is that Aussie abbreviations create a sense of informality and acceptance in conversation. Perhaps this is true.

To me it sounds very child-like, as if the entire nation of Australia speaks in a nursemaid's lilt, constantly doting on every object. What a lovely way of looking at the world - considering everything cute, worthy of a diminutive ending.

Australians even have pet-names for their least-favorite insects: Blowie means a blow fly, and Mozzie means a mosquito. Presumably this makes them more familiar and less bothersome. I wonder if I made up pet names for my irritations, they would seem less irritating.

Quirrleys = the squirrels that attack my bird feeder with kamikaze enthusiasm.
Go County County = counting innumerable microbial colonies for my research.
Dissie = the dissertation that someday will have to be finished.
Chappy = the result of being imprisoned on an airplane for nearly 24 hours.

Expect more reflections on the official language of Australia when we actually start talking to Australians. One of my goals for this trip is to hunt down and capture uniquely Australian verbage.