What are the big lies Aussies are all in on? An American expat reveals all!
- Replies 23
Australians are known for their laid-back nature, love of the outdoors, and unique sense of humour that often leaves foreigners scratching their heads.
Now, an American expat living has taken to social media to call out a peculiar Aussie behaviour that has left her both amused and bewildered.
Emily Tollefson, originally from Minnesota, USA, has been living in Sydney and recently shared her observations in a video that has since gone viral.
The video, viewed over half a million times, revealed what she calls the 'big lie' Australians seem to be in on.
'One thing I've become very aware of since living in Australia is just how much Australians love to lie,' Tollefson said.
She quickly clarified, 'I don't at all mean it in a way like “Oh, they're all liars”. I love Australians, but they just love to troll people who aren't from Australia.'
According to Tollefson, Australians have a knack for spinning tall tales, especially for unsuspecting tourists.
From stories about riding kangaroos to school to the infamous 'drop bear' myth, Aussies seem to take great delight in pulling the wool over the eyes of foreigners.
For the unfamiliar, a ‘drop bear’ is a fictional creature from Australian folklore, often described as a large, predatory version of the koala. This myth is commonly used tongue-in-cheek to scare or playfully deceive tourists and newcomers to the country.
In most countries, locals will correct a tourist if they say something wrong or have a misconception about the country.
However, Australians, Tollefson says, see it as an opportunity to spin a yarn and add to the confusion.
'Australians will not only validate your misinformation, but they'll add ridiculous facts on top of it. They'll lie just about anything; food, politics, geography, animals,' she said.
The American expat also pointed out that Australia's unique and often intimidating wildlife adds to the intrigue.
'You depend on Australians to tell you the truth about snakes, spiders, koalas, kangaroos, all the things—but no, they like to scare tourists and spread lies,' she laughed.
‘And it’s not restricted to one area, it’s a national thing that Australians seem to like to troll tourists,’ she added.
Tollefson's video sparked a flurry of responses from Australians who seemed to take great pride in this national pastime.
Some even shared their own made-up facts about Australia, further adding to the hilarity.
‘Drop Bears are not real, but you do have to be careful of cave Kangaroos. I got attacked by one while working down in the Vegemite mines!’ one social media user commented.
‘Wait who the h*** is telling you drop bears aren’t real?’ another asked.
‘Just last week, I witnessed my first drop bear-hoop snake fight, and it was literally terrifying, traumatised for life,’ a third one wrote.
Other Australians confirmed that it is considered ‘a national sport’ or ‘the unspoken rule of being an Australian’.
‘Not because we love to lie, because we are deeply hilarious,’ someone explained.
‘And I love that we all just collectively decided to do this without any real organisation,’ another said.
So, if a foreigner is visiting Australia or planning to move there, they must be prepared for some good-natured ribbing and some truly outlandish stories.
You can watch her video here:
What do you think, members? Have you ever spun a tall tale to a foreigner or been on the receiving end of one? Share your stories in the comments below!
Now, an American expat living has taken to social media to call out a peculiar Aussie behaviour that has left her both amused and bewildered.
Emily Tollefson, originally from Minnesota, USA, has been living in Sydney and recently shared her observations in a video that has since gone viral.
The video, viewed over half a million times, revealed what she calls the 'big lie' Australians seem to be in on.
An American expat called out Aussies for lying to tourists. Credit: @emilytollefson/TikTok
'One thing I've become very aware of since living in Australia is just how much Australians love to lie,' Tollefson said.
She quickly clarified, 'I don't at all mean it in a way like “Oh, they're all liars”. I love Australians, but they just love to troll people who aren't from Australia.'
According to Tollefson, Australians have a knack for spinning tall tales, especially for unsuspecting tourists.
From stories about riding kangaroos to school to the infamous 'drop bear' myth, Aussies seem to take great delight in pulling the wool over the eyes of foreigners.
For the unfamiliar, a ‘drop bear’ is a fictional creature from Australian folklore, often described as a large, predatory version of the koala. This myth is commonly used tongue-in-cheek to scare or playfully deceive tourists and newcomers to the country.
In most countries, locals will correct a tourist if they say something wrong or have a misconception about the country.
However, Australians, Tollefson says, see it as an opportunity to spin a yarn and add to the confusion.
'Australians will not only validate your misinformation, but they'll add ridiculous facts on top of it. They'll lie just about anything; food, politics, geography, animals,' she said.
The American expat also pointed out that Australia's unique and often intimidating wildlife adds to the intrigue.
'You depend on Australians to tell you the truth about snakes, spiders, koalas, kangaroos, all the things—but no, they like to scare tourists and spread lies,' she laughed.
‘And it’s not restricted to one area, it’s a national thing that Australians seem to like to troll tourists,’ she added.
Tollefson's video sparked a flurry of responses from Australians who seemed to take great pride in this national pastime.
Some even shared their own made-up facts about Australia, further adding to the hilarity.
‘Drop Bears are not real, but you do have to be careful of cave Kangaroos. I got attacked by one while working down in the Vegemite mines!’ one social media user commented.
‘Wait who the h*** is telling you drop bears aren’t real?’ another asked.
‘Just last week, I witnessed my first drop bear-hoop snake fight, and it was literally terrifying, traumatised for life,’ a third one wrote.
Other Australians confirmed that it is considered ‘a national sport’ or ‘the unspoken rule of being an Australian’.
‘Not because we love to lie, because we are deeply hilarious,’ someone explained.
‘And I love that we all just collectively decided to do this without any real organisation,’ another said.
So, if a foreigner is visiting Australia or planning to move there, they must be prepared for some good-natured ribbing and some truly outlandish stories.
You can watch her video here:
What do you think, members? Have you ever spun a tall tale to a foreigner or been on the receiving end of one? Share your stories in the comments below!
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