# Question for our Australian cousins



## mklotz (Oct 7, 2011)

How on earth did "arvo" come to mean afternoon? This inquiring mind wants to know.


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## lazylathe (Oct 7, 2011)

This is quite interesting Marv!

http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/aussie-slang-why-we-shorten-barbie-gday-and-footy.htm

Coming from South Africa we use a lot of the same terminology.
Why? Who knows, it is just what we do! ;D

Andrew


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## mklotz (Oct 7, 2011)

Andrew,

I'm not asking *why* you do it but rather *how* you managed to get arvo from afternoon?

I can understand shortening 'barbecue' to 'barbie' or 'breakfast' to 'brekkie'. They both show some derivation from the parent word. 'Arvo' doesn't seem to have any relation whatsoever to its parent term.


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## Blogwitch (Oct 7, 2011)

Marv,

In fact a lot of the Aussie 'names' are, I think, just abbreviations of original Olde English (Pom) slang. Maybe taken over by the original inmates settlers, who most probably only had a very limited vocabulary anyway, and could only just about remember the old world slang, hence the differences.

When I was a lad, 'this afto' (normally pronounced as one complete word) meant 'this afternoon', so that could soon be changed to 'this arvo'.

What you have to remember is that they are not yet a fully integrated population, and a pot of yoghurt has more recognisable culture than the whole nation put together. Give them time, and eventually, they too will also be able to speak correctly in public. :fan::hDe:

John


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## raggle (Oct 7, 2011)

Marv, "strine" (Australian) is a derivative of the English as spoken by inhabitants of an area south of an invisible line across southern England. Many of the first settlers in Oz were invited to do so following a qualifying process, or sentence, as we call it, for stealing a pint of milk or a whole sheep. A large number stayed hailed from that part of the country, those who escaped justice stayed in England to guide the BBC and attempt to formalise the language in the home country. Thus was born "received pronunciation" or RP.

I am married to one of the southern English. When we met she queried my "dooks on the path" (short a) and said I meant "dacks on the parth" - (ducks on the path)

So "afternoon" becomes "arfternoon" - I hope that this helps to point to the Aussie version "arvo" as they do not have time to speak in complete sentences when a few grunts will suffice.

Or it may well be that I have confused you even more ...

Ray


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## mklotz (Oct 7, 2011)

Bogstandard  said:
			
		

> What you have to remember is that they are not yet a fully integrated population, and a pot of yoghurt has more recognisable culture than the whole nation put together. Give them time, and eventually, they too will also be able to speak correctly in public. :fan::hDe:



Got a death wish, John? 

I shudder to think what you have to say about the (remarkably culture-free) USA.


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## Blogwitch (Oct 7, 2011)

As you know Marv, it's all said in jest to attempt to get a reaction.

Most of the youngsters in this country can't even grunt, never mind talk, and when they do manage it, two words is a long sentence to them.

I suppose it the the same almost everywhere now.


John


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## tel (Oct 7, 2011)

*STREWTH!!!!*


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## Dan Rowe (Oct 7, 2011)

*   WUH?   *


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## mklotz (Oct 7, 2011)

Nah, John. It's like, you know, like real like easy to make like big sentences like here in like America. Just apply the maximum number of repetititions of the kewl-word-of-the-moment to the shallowest thought you can muster and it's like easy.

I need to forget this subject so I'm going to take a nappie this arvo. Or does that mean I'll be stealing diapers from an Estonian composer? 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arvo_Pärt

It's all very confusing.


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## Deanofid (Oct 7, 2011)

mklotz  said:
			
		

> Nah, John. It's like, you know, like real like easy to make like big sentences like here in like America.


Now Marv, Don't confuse Bogs with such talk. You know that type of sentence only comes from 
Kalifornica. (For John and our other non-American friends, that is a sub culture of mostly sub-humans
on the west coast of the nation.) 
We only tolerate them because they make people in Nebraska and Kansas feel smart.


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## bp (Oct 7, 2011)

Speaking as someone who spent the first half (so far!) of his life in Southern England, is married to a coal miners daughter from near Hartlepool (North East) and now lives in South Australia this is a good thread. 
When I was growing up we used to abbreviate "afternoon" to "afty"
The current trend amongst the young seems to be to speak long sentences with only one word, by drawling all the words together. Close to incomprehensible sometimes.

By the way I just spell checked this and it thought "Hartlepool" was a misspelling of "Heartless", I never thought of computers as being Freudian.......................
cheers
Bill Pudney


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## Maryak (Oct 7, 2011)

Guys,

Unlike the UK or USA we are still small enough in numbers to have what amounts to one accent across the nation. There are some differences in pronunciation of some words e.g. pasty in some states it's paasty and in others it's pahsty. Queenslanders pronounce the "L" in film and have ports e.g. school port, (school bag or case), port, (suitcase).

As most of you know I have a Russian wife and as we stood on the bridge over the Thames looking at the Houses of Parliament she smiled and said, "I have always want to look at the place where modern democracy started and the rule of law was established for the ordinary people. You don't know, like I know, how lucky you were to have been colonised by the English."

So thanks UK for starting it, thanks USA for your independence because without either of you would there even be Australia? and wouldn't that be a bugger of an arvo?

Best Regards
Bob


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## dsquire (Oct 7, 2011)

Maryak  said:
			
		

> Guys,
> 
> Unlike the UK or USA we are still small enough in numbers to have what amounts to one accent across the nation. There are some differences in pronunciation of some words e.g. pasty in some states it's paasty and in others it's pahsty. Queenslanders pronounce the "L" in film and have ports e.g. school port, (school bag or case), port, (suitcase).
> 
> ...



Bob

Thank you for the post and the quote from your wife. I nominate your post as post of the year if there is such a category. If not then maybe we should create one. Well done and thanks.

Cheers 

Don


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## Chazz (Oct 8, 2011)

Here in Kanadaa the ony 'Avero' I ever heard of was an arrow! 

Chazz


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## Maryak (Oct 8, 2011)

Thanks Don, :bow:

Mind you, I was initially shocked that someone who quite happily goes along with "Icansaw" derived from Arkansas would even ask the question :-*

Best Regards
Bob

PS avagoodarvo


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## tel (Oct 8, 2011)

To understand the subtleties of Strine (the purest language on this planet or any other) you need to study the works of the great Affabeck Lauder.

http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?LetStalkStrine


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## steamer (Oct 8, 2011)

Maryak  said:
			
		

> Guys,
> 
> Unlike the UK or USA we are still small enough in numbers to have what amounts to one accent across the nation. There are some differences in pronunciation of some words e.g. pasty in some states it's paasty and in others it's pahsty. Queenslanders pronounce the "L" in film and have ports e.g. school port, (school bag or case), port, (suitcase).
> 
> ...




 Rof}

Your Welcome Bob!


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## rudydubya (Oct 8, 2011)

Maryak  said:
			
		

> ... "Icansaw" derived from Arkansas ...



The French did it.

Rudy


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