In A Terror Souse?

Do You Wear Londger Ray In A Terror Souse?

Do you understand Strine? Never heard of it? Well, it goes right back to the founding fathers of the Australian nation although it was only discovered last year. This is how:

IN 1964, Monica Dickens, the English writer, visited Aus tralia and in Sydney was taken to a certain bookshop to autograph copies of her latest work for happy customers.

A woman handed her a copy and said “Emma Chisit”. Think ing that this was the woman’s name, Miss Dickens wrote “To Emma Chisit” above her own signature on the flyleaf and handed the book back. This moved the customer to even greater effort.

“No! No!” she said, “Emma Chisit?”

Eventually it became clear that she was using the Australian equivalent of the English phrase “How much is it?” and on the instant, if not exactly born, Strine was discovered.

Most of the good fun which has been had with Strine since then has been through the Sydney Morning Herald, where Granny’s Column 8, Letters to the Editor and the Saturday Magazine section have featured anecdotes and stories about Strine and even in Strine.

Now a book has been written about it—a small book, but a book—called Let Stalk Strine.

The author is Afferbeck Lauder, Professor of Strine Studies at the University of Sinny although it says in an introduction that the Prof, was actually born in “Mairlben, to humble parents of noble blood”.

The professor, it is said, was

something of an infant prodigy and at the age of three months composed and dedicated to his mother, the song entitled Thanks for the Mammary —“ Which is still sung by Strines on Mother’s Day”.

The professor lets stewnce, vistas, New Strines and others into the secrets of such expressions as Assprad (being excessively preoccupied with domestic order, as in She’s very assprad—she keeps Rome looking lovely).

This woman would also have a Gloria Soame (that is any dwelling over 14 squares in area and as opposed to a Terror Souse —one of those conjoined double or triple storied dwellings in the older-parts of Australian cities such as Paddo, Fissroy, etc.).

Fairy tales can also come in Strine—as in: Girldie Larks, Girldie Larks, where have you been?

I beat up London and vented my spleen And then I cummome menai harassed the Behrs; I yay tarp their porridge and bro karp their chairs; I savaged the beds and I tordan the fences And frightened a little mouse out of its senses.

Strine is good fun, if something of a mental exercise. As the publishers say—all Australians speak it; few recognise the written version.—JT.

(Let Stalk Strine. Ure Smith.

7/6).