Aussie English
p. 90 · Read in the full issue
As She's Spoke
Although few of the literary experts expected John O’Grady (Nino Culotta) to keep up the standard of They’re a Weird Mob, that hilarious epic of Australia’s impact on a New Australian, the fantastic sale of subsequent O’Grady books has proved them poor forecasters.
Aussie English, the latest from the O’Grady production-line, keeps up the good work of pro viding Australians with a good laugh at themselves; and giving foreigners some sort of insight into the weirdness of the Aus tralian culture, or way of life.
The small book goes through the Australian alphabet from A (for Acid—i.e. “to put the acid on”) to Z (for Zac—a small coin—otherwise known as six pence—as used in “not worth a zac”).
Although this takes no more than 104 pages, the book comes in a hard cover and sells at 19/6 —which, we seem to re member, is somewhat higher in price than the original edition of the much larger Weird Mob. (AUSSIE ENGLISH. An Explanation of the Australian Idiom. Ure Smith.)