Young Wedge-tailed Eagle (Photo by Narca)
The Australian language is hauntingly like–and unlike–its American counterpart. We immediately begin to play with the slang. If you happen to drive past a wedgie (Wedge-tailed Eagle) or a tree full of cockies, just chuck a U-ey, mate, and you’ll be right. We must have chucked hundreds of U-eys. Then one night at a little restaurant in Musgrave, the TV announcer in the background mentions that some ball player had “chucked a sickie.” Jim investigates: the player had taken a day of sick leave! That must have caused some of his fans to “crack a mental” or “throw a wobbly!”