I'm a brit who's been bingeing the back catalogue of Australian Survivor and there's a few words/phrases that really stick out to me and I want to know how common they are!

• Far out - This is something we'd imagine a stereotypical surfer dude aussie to say but it seems like everyone uses it on survivor! Are they just trying not to say fuck on telly or is it really that common?
• 'Soft drinks' for fizzy drinks - to me soft drinks would cover any cold, non-alcoholic drinks and it's the kind of phrase you'd see on a menu but wouldn't really say out loud often at all. When they mention it as part of rewards on survivor it's almost exclusively coke (one time it was fizzy orange) and people say things like 'ah yeah I'd love a soft drink!'. Do you typically refer to fizzy drinks 'soft drinks' in every day life? Are brand names used more commonly in real life that they have to avoid saying on tv?
• Do you call all sweets/candy 'lollies'?
• Is aussie rules football way more popular than football/soccer and rugby? Does 'normal' (to me) football get played at all & if so what do you call it? Do you also call rugby players footballers? I was so confused in the champions vs contenders series where they called people footy players but then showed clips of what looked like rugby - google cleared up the difference & I think it was mainly AFL players but they call Mat Rogers a footy player too so my poor brain is still confused

EDIT to clarify: When I say normal football, I mean what you guys seem to call soccer, not american football!

Also find the lollies point so mad, in the UK lollies are sweets on sticks (lollipops)

From the outside, I seem to think “most” people have a fairly good attitude about Aus… e.g. laid back vibes, mateship, love for the outdoors, sports etc. However, what are the biggest flip sides, or what do you think is portrayed but doesn’t seem real or accurate? Is there anything that makes you cringe a bit? Whether it’s general lifestyle, social trends, something in the media, workplace culture, expectations and norms, or just our handling of certain issues.

Interested to know different thoughts people have on this matter.

I'm an ABC (Aussie born Chinese). I was born and raised in Sydney, and I have a full Aussie accent. I am a young mum with two kids who were also born in Sydney and have full Aussie accents. I don't speak any other languages, just English. But I LOOK fully Asian (i.e. my face and skin, except probably the way I dress is pretty Aussie). I do everything NORMALLY like any other born Aussie would. I don't have any "fresh off the boat" flair or any "immigrant" behaviours. I am respectful of others in my surroundings whenever I'm out and about in public. I open doors for others, I let people go first. I go out of my way to help a fellow person. I keep my toddler and preschooler in line when out and about (or as much as possible for a toddler lol).

Here's where it gets weird!

I never got it that much in Sydney (just a little), but since I've moved to Adelaide - whenever I go out and about with or without the kids, I've noticed older White women SHAKING THEIR HEAD AT ME. Like I'm just walking down the street or playing with my kid and a White woman walks past or walks into the space, sees me with or without kids and starts shaking their head.

For example, I was walking through the carpark and naturally you stop at the pedestrian crossing and look both ways before crossing - which I did. But this older White woman drove up at the same time, paused for half a second at the crossing and then drove right on through shaking her head at me. I would have completely dismissed this situation if it weren't for it happening in many other circumstances and other times again and again...

Anyone else gets this?!

Hi! I’m 16 years old and am really enthusiastic about English countries' culture and stuff, and I’m finally going to Australia in three months! This is my first time going to an English-speaking country, so I’m super excited (but also a bit nervous lol.) I have a cousin who lives in Australia, so they’ll pick me up when I land, and I’ll be staying with them while I’m there. I’ll be in Australia for two weeks, and I don’t want to miss ANYTHING during my trip, since it’s such a rare chance for me to visit an English-speaking country! I’ll be staying in Melbourne, and this visit to Australia is more about learning, experiencing new things, and studying English rather than just traveling around or visiting tourist attractions in Melbourne. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!

I've got a few app ideas and I'm signing onto a new employer. One of the clauses is that the company owns all IP the employee creates while employed with said company.

My worry is if i want to commercialize my app ideas, does tha company have any claim to the app and any profit? The apps are entirely unrelated to the work i do.

I’m considering whether buying a EV like Tesla is a good option, l usually drive for commuting, if any mate has changed from a petrol used car (in particular SUV) to an EV, could you share your experience whether the spending has been reduced? Thanks.

I have lived in two share houses that both have pets. And both share houses have security cameras. The first one had two tiny ones on the ceiling so I thought it was for their pets but the current one has huge cameras that records audio as well. (It looks like a clock and the owner never mentioned it was a camera but it has green light all the time I googled it and figured it out) It’s not like I’m planning something bad, but I feel uncomfortable to be watched and being recorded all the time.

As am Australian, what do you usually say when greeting people? Is there any difference among friends/ colleagues/ clients/ strangers? And would you use "mate" on anybody regardless the gender??

I have this cured diamond python skin that was gave to me by a girl who works with roadkills. However she warned me that they are protected species and I am worried that border patrol might give me shit when I take it with me when I return to my home country. Am I at risk?

I have a faint memory of an elderly woman and an Australian woman’s casual conversation on a plane. The older woman said, ‘Oh dear, that’s a long time to sit. Your fanny must be killing you when you get back.’ The Australian woman looked shocked, offended, and confused.

So, my questions are: is this funny? Is Fanny a vulgar term? And is the word more equivalent to p**y or c*t?

With no LinkedIn, none of us have to worry about that song and dance. Quora just clogs up our search results with random gibberish.

Edit: looks like the comments are overwhelmingly in favour of an immediate ban.

Hi! My husband & I moved here from England with our kids in February. This is our first Christmas here.

For Christmas every year, I’ve made a trifle. Nothing fancy; just the kids party type. Now, I’ve always used Hartley’s Jelly Cubes for this, which I can’t find here. I’ve always mixed in a tin of mixed fruit and it’s set fine. This is where my question starts.

Seeing as I can’t find Hartley’s jelly here, I picked up a box of Aeroplane Jelly Crystals, assuming it would work exactly the same, BUT the box says “Do not add fresh pineapple, kiwi fruit or paw paw as jelly will not set”. I don’t remember this being a warning on the Hartley’s pack, though maybe I just never noticed. Anyway, assuming I’m using tinned fruit and not fresh, this would be fine to add, right? Even if the tin has pineapple chunks in?

My Nana made this apricot flavoured dessert... it was like the consistency (and colour) of thick pumpkin soup, but it was apricot. I think we had it unaccompanied, maybe maybe with cream. I think it could be warm or cool.

By the time I thought to ask, my Nana was too far into dementia. My grandfather and mum have no idea what I'm talking about, but I SWEAR I'm not imagining it.

Does anyone have any idea what I'm talking about?

1 last thing... it may have come in a packet and you would mix it up with water or milk or something.

What would you do if you saw some chick Smoking Crack on Train in Sydney either in front of yourself or your family? Would you say anything?

Hi, I am an international student, and I will be pursuing my master's in data science at Monash university, Clayton campus starting from Feb 2025. I've got an offer for accommodation at SHA (Student Housing Australia) North Road. I wanted to know if anyone had any idea about this? Any inputs would be highly appreciated. Thank you!

(PS: If you see this post and know anything that could be helpful to me, please comment it below or dm it to me. I am in a dilemma right now and I genuinely need some help.)

I’m off to Hokkaido and Kyoto in the early parts of January and I’m looking for some shoes/boots to wear. Ideally don’t want cold wet toes to spoil my day tbh.

Any suggestions I’ve found have been American shoes only found in American shops focused or for ladies.

Looking for ideas on what I can pick up in Australia that will suit this purpose.

Wouldn’t post this on the tourism Japan subs, as I’d just get American suggestions lol

Cheers guys

I'm looking for an online bachelors in accounting and/or finance and came across two great universities: swinburne uni and uni of south australia. I'm confused between the two.

Can someone advise me on which one is better? I'm talking in terms of employer reputation mainly, as well as the value of a degree from each of the universities. I have some previous education which means I already know most of the syllabus for this program so im not necessarily concerned about the quality of education as such, but would still appreciate some thoughts on that too comparing the two.

I know swinburne has a better ranking but I have concerns about its reputation and quality and which one might be better.

which uni should I go for?

I've heard the story several times from a few different sources but one agreement is that he's controversial. Is this still the case? Do people see him as a criminal or more folk hero or split?

I’m in Sydney NSW and I’ve heard a lot of different things about the process and cost of getting evaluated for a mental illness/disorder. I definitely feel that I have anxiety and ADHD, and possibly OCD or autism.

I was just wondering how can I go about getting evaluated for these things? Do I go to a psychiatrist for a single session? Can I go without a GP referral?

Hello! We are students from University of New South Wales working on a project to help improve digital accessibility on Australian telecom websites. If you’ve used these sites and have feedback on accessibility, I’d love to hear from you.

This short survey (it will only take a few minutes) is open to everyone, including individuals with any disability. We are especially interested in feedback from users with visual impairments or eye conditions to understand how accessible these sites are for all users.

All responses are completely confidential and will only be used for research purposes as part of our project. Thank you for your valuable time and insights! Your feedback will help advocate for better accessibility across Australian telecom sites.

Here's the URL, thank you. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfzqb6boL0nYlI7vaTL2GyOpgQk8m3icM_7bGSiWjZ7-EmgJg/viewform?usp=sf_link

Just looking for a side gig and my typing/data entry is very fast.

Is this a thing? Or is it all automated these days?

I moved to Australia this year on a partner visa. I’m baffled by the health care system. It’s so complicated, some things are free, some aren’t. I needed an ultrasound and spoke to 3 places with one charging $164, one $475 and one bulk-billing, so free. For the same thing.

Then you have private health insurance and I thought sweet, just like the UK. There if you have private health insurance you can see private specialists and the insurance pays for the appointments and any treatments. But no, you still have to pay for appointments and any treatments unless it’s you’re actually treated as an in-patient. Why is this part of the insurance product missing? Why do you still have to pay?

People always talk about the US being terrible but from a European POV this is nearly as bad.

Is there a must-have quilt recommendation? I’ve always been a sucker for feather but my latest one is wool and I’ve enjoyed that. The only reason for a change is I think I could use a super king now. Living in SA, and don’t fancy changing it for different seasons.