How To Speak Australian Like A Pro

If you've ever traveled, you know that most countries use several, very specific dialects that can often cause conversational confusion, even among native speakers. But this doesn't only apply to "foreign" languages — English speakers around the world adopt slang that's unique to their geographical region. This phenomenon is particularly prominent in Australia. In a recent episode of Yahoo Travel's web series A Broad Abroad , Paula Froelich teaches viewers how to speak Australian. Hey, you shouldn't let a little language barrier keep you from visiting the land Down Under.

In order to help viewers speak like an authentic mate, Yahoo Travel's editor-in-chief enlisted the help of a few Australians to decode some of Australia's trickier linguistic patterns. As viewers quickly learn, everything in Australia, and I mean everything, gets abbreviated, "like prezzie, or barbie, or jezza" Froelich explains. "It's always a nickname." Even words that are only one syllable will somehow become abbreviated.

It's also common in Australia for people to use expressions that mean the exact opposite of what you'd expect. Saying something is "down the road," for example, actually means it's quite a long way away. (Maybe this opposite-effect has something to do with Australia's location in the Southern hemisphere?)

But whatever you do, don't get caught complaining in Australia. If you do, someone might tell you to "have a cup of concrete," which, if you couldn't tell, isn't exactly an expression of sympathy.

Take a peek at Froelich's Yahoo Original Video below to learn more about Australian slang.

Image: Ashwini/Fotolia