Expat tradie's simple question uncovers hilarious Aussie double-meaning

Navigating the linguistic landscape of a new country can be a minefield. For one British expat tradie, a simple request at a rubbish tip led to a comical cultural faux pas that left everyone involved blushing.

What he thought was an ordinary phrase back home turned out to have an entirely different—and far more embarrassing—meaning in his new surroundings.


The Brit, who had recently moved to Australia, found himself in a rather embarrassing situation when he accompanied his father-in-law to the local tip.

In an attempt to ask if they could sift through a pile of rubbish, his father-in-law innocently inquired if they could have a 'quick root,' unaware that the phrase had a rather risqué connotation in Australia.


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A British expat experienced a humorous misunderstanding at a Brisbane rubbish tip due to the different meanings of ‘root’ in Australia and the UK. Credit: @_cloughy_ / TikTok


The unsuspecting pair were met with a perplexed response from the worker, who replied, 'Nah, there's cameras. You can't.'

It wasn't until a week later, when the expat retold the story to his workmates, that he discovered their request's true, X-rated meaning.

In Australia, 'root' is slang for sexual intercourse, a far cry from the harmless intention of searching through discarded items.


The Brit recounted the moment of realisation with a good-natured laugh, admitting that he didn't expect such a language barrier when moving to Australia.

'We found out that root means shag,' he said, adding that the worker must have thought, 'What? Are we alright to go for a quick f**k over there?'

Once shared online, the story had Aussies in stitches, with many locals admitting they were initially just as confused by the request.

Some suggested that saying 'root around' would have been less ambiguous, while others shared their tales of the term 'rooting', leading to misunderstandings.

One Aussie advised the tradie that he should ask for a 'squizz,' 'gander,' or 'root around' to avoid any mix-ups next time.


The worker would then know exactly what he meant.

This humorous incident is not an isolated case.

Many expats have found themselves in similar situations upon arriving in Australia, learning the hard way about the unique Aussie vernacular.

For instance, a US woman named Devyn now goes by 'Dev' after discovering that her name is synonymous with a type of sliced sausage in Australia, akin to bologna.

‘My name is Devyn, but I go by Dev now because apparently my name means packaged meat in Australian.’ she said.

Another expat from a French-speaking European country was initially taken aback by the Aussie sense of humour, which can often appear brutal but is meant for good fun.


These stories serve as a reminder of the charming and sometimes challenging differences in language and culture that expats encounter.

They also highlight the importance of understanding local slang and idioms when moving to a new country.

And remember, if you're ever unsure about the local lingo, don't hesitate to ask for clarification. It's always better to laugh at these things than to be left red-faced!

In other news, an expat named Dev took to social media to share her confusion about Australian colloquialisms and word choices.

She pointed out how Australians use different terms for certain foods, like 'capsicum' instead of 'bell pepper' and 'coriander' instead of 'cilantro.' You can read more about it here.


Credit: TikTok

Key Takeaways
  • A British expat experienced a humorous misunderstanding at a Brisbane rubbish tip due to the different meanings of the word 'root' in Australia and the UK.
  • The local worker misinterpreted the innocent request made by the expat and his father-in-law due to the phrase's X-rated connotation in Australia.
  • The expat shared the awkward interaction online, which amused Australians and shared similar experiences with language misunderstandings.
  • Australians advised the tradie to use terms like 'squizz', 'gander', or 'root around' in the future to avoid confusion and convey his intended meaning effectively.
Have you used the term abroad only to find it has a different meaning in another country? Have you witnessed an expat's innocent blunder and have a funny story to share? We'd love to hear about your experiences in the comments below.
 

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I arrived in Aus in 1972 and started my first job as a Mechanical Engineer in September. I worked in a large office with about 100 staff in an open plan office and it was a very happy and close community feeling that I enjoyed.
There was a young lady who I was very attracted to who had the job of making sure that various office supplies and machinery were available.
One day this lovely young and demure lady approached my desk and said "Good morning, do you need any durex?'
Having just arrived from the UK and keen not to upset anyone I almost went into a complete breakdown. I did not know what to say, where to look, or who to talk to.
Durex in the UK is a very well-known brand of male contraceptives, not sticky tape as it was here.
 
When I first came to Oz I also got funny looks when I said something that was quite innocent in the UK but had sexual meanings in Oz. I learned to say exactly what I mean without using slang expressions as the same occurs when using Oz expressions in the UK.
 
When the word, "root" is spelled correctly, it makes sense... "ROUTE".
If you think that's bad, what does, "Root our team" sound like?
Some people say "rout" (as in 'out') for a good reason! 😁
 
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"I helped my uncle jack off a horse..."

as opposed to....

"I helped my Uncle Jack, off a horse...."
No need for the comma after "Jack", it's self-explanatory. You can clarify the meaning even further by putting a second one after "Jack", thus telling us the name of the one helped off the horse, or explaining that this particular "Jack" is one among other uncles.
English is a strange language when you get into it.
 
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No need for the comma after "Jack", it's self-explanatory. You can clarify the meaning even further by putting a second one after "Jack", thus telling us the name of the one helped off the horse, or explaining that this particular "Jack" is one among other uncles.
English is a strange language when you get into it.
Since English has been my first language for almost the whole of my 65 years of life, I am quite aware in its idiosyncrasies.

My previous language was "Goo Goo Ga Ga"....
 
My darling mother was a war time immigrant.
She was, along with all other children, made to learn German and Russian as their respective occupations took place.
So, when she arrived here in OZ, she was fluent in 4 languages (Polish, Lithuanian, German & Russian), and, began to learn English on the boat coming over.
When I asked which is the most difficult to learn, her answer was English...without a doubt.
Simple things such as that discussed here...root, route. Others, neiGHbours with a useless GH, PH...instead of F... and so on.
The English language is a complex thing that trawls around with other languages such as Latin, French, and who knows whatever else. Mix that in with respective colloquialisms and you have a mine field. I have always loved the written word and have no real concerns navigating it, however, I can understand what new comers might go through when first reaching our shores (that are GIRT by sea).
 
We have had several visitors from the UK who were shocked by ‘Coon’ cheese. Their reaction at seeing it was hilarious - “You can’t call cheese that”, which was our reaction when we first came to Australia too lol. Of course more people found the name offensive and they changed it to ‘Cheer’. It’s a shame really as it wasn’t meant to be offensive as it was just the name of the man who originally made it Of course.
 

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