Talk:Australian words/Archive 2

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Nick-names for people from various states

A Queenslander is a Banana Bender.

A South Australian is a Crow Eater.

A Victorian is a Mexican.

A Western Australian is a Sandgroper.

What are the nick-names for New South Welshmen, Northern Territorians and ACT inhabitants called?

-- AxSkov 06:08, 22 Dec 2004 (UTC)

If you're from NT you're either a Territorian or a Top Ender. There's no real nickname for ACT as a whole, Canberran is probably the closest. For NSW, the most common might be "cockroach" but I'm not 100% sure, I don't seem to hear anything these days. — Hippietrail 06:37, 22 Dec 2004 (UTC)
Isn't "Mexican" a term used exclusively by Queenslanders to refer to people from both Victoria and New South Wales? --kudz75 00:41, 23 Dec 2004 (UTC)
NSWers use it to refer to Victorians. (One of my co-workers moved from Victoria to NSW, but is originally from Mexico; she was more amused than offended by this usage.) The first I can remember hearing it was during an economic slump, when quite a few Victorians were moving to NSW in search of work, and I always assumed it was intended as a parallel to the "Mexican immigrant workers" thing. --Calair 01:08, 23 Dec 2004 (UTC)
My Dad's partner and her daughter went to NSW a while back and they were called Mexicans. They also went to Queensland a few months back and were called Mexicans there too. My sister is currently working in SA and they have also called her a Mexican there too. During the economic slump, many Victorians also went to Queensland, so that's a valid reason for the nick-name aswell as the "south of the border" explaination. -- AxSkov 06:43, 23 Dec 2004 (UTC)
I'm originally from Victoria and have lived in QLD and NSW and I've been called a Mexican in both states. Very infrequently, but often enough that I know it's part of the language. — Hippietrail 00:43, 24 Dec 2004 (UTC)
I've never once heard Mexican used in this way but I'll take everyone's word on it. If we NSWelsh call Victorians Mexicans, wouldn't that make us Americans ... and Queenslanders Canadians?
Just a random thought but maybe this has something to do with why I've never heard it. To me, calling a Victorian a Mexican would be like calling myself an American. If a Banana Bender called me a Mexican, I'd be very tempted to respond that that would make them an American. No offence intended towards Americans, of course.
On a completely different note: shouldn't we make a whole new section entitled Nick-names for people from various states? Or, perhaps even better: Nick-names for people from various states/countries? - Jimp 9Feb05
Some Queenslanders use 'Mexican' to refer to people from both states - I've added it in. Taking it further, I was also called a 'wetback' after moving to Qld from the ACT. Natgoo 17:15, 26 October 2005 (UTC)


In relation to "Croweater", the term derives from the fact that South Australians ate crows due to poverty when the free-settled colony of South Australia was established in 1836. I think "Sandgroper" for West Australians comes from gold mining in Kalgoorlie and presumably groping sand. I went to Queensland last year and I heard many of them calling NSW/Vic "Southerners"; but I also have a friend originally from Sydney and he calls Victorians "Mexicans" in a derogatory sense. I don't think there is a particular nickname for Victorians though, or at least I haven't heard on. I would like to know what the bending bit in the bananabenders for Queensland is supposed to be about. - Frances 18/4/05

Is it an established fact that they ate crows? :-) I'm pretty certain that "Sandgroper" is much older than Kalgoorlie, i.e. much of the original topsoil in and around Perth is a light grey sand and unsuitable for farming, which caused many early settlers to depart for other colonies.Grant65 (Talk) July 5, 2005 12:27 (UTC)

RE: New South Wales people being called "cockroaches", where did you get that from. I've never heard anything of the kind anywhere ... Is it prominent in one state and do you know the underlying motivations for its creation/use etc ... it's seems very strange if not malicious. I have a feeling it may be racial thing ... due to the high mixture of backgrounds in Sydney ... yes/no?

I've heard the cockroach thing before but never presumed it to be sinister — I just assumed it's because most houses in Sydney are infested with them. (Mine certainly is! I moved here a year ago and still can't get used to those big ugly bastards!) --Russell E 04:17, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

RE: I've lived in both Queensland and New South Wales, and by far the cockroaches are worse in Queensland. I've heard that it is a derogatory term because Queenslanders believed that both cockroaches and New South Welshmen should be stepped on. I think it comes from a competative sporting ideology. Rachel S193.132.237.2 16:38, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

Topical Organisation For Vocabulary

Carrying on from the idea of creating a whole new section for Nick-names for people from various states/(countries). Perhaps other sections could be made so the vocab. could be organised by category instead of alphabetically. This would take some work but might improve the list.

Perhaps the best thing would be to have a main category People with Nick-names for people from various states being a subcategory within this. Also under People we'd have wog, bloke, Anglo-Celtic, etc. Another category could be Clothes: there are so many synonyms for cossie.

- Jimp 9Feb05

This is what I've done. Here are the new sections & subsections.

4 Terms for people
4.1 Nick names by state or territory
4.2 Nick names by ehtinicity
5 Clothes
5.1 Swimwear

- Jimp 14Mar05

A ute is not a pickup truck

Anybody with an interest in cars or trucks would never consider a ute and a pickup to be the same. A ute is based on the same platform as a family car but with a unibody construction and a built-in tray area where the rear seats and the boot (trunk) would be. A pickup actually is a truck and has no family car variant sharing its body sheetmetal. America actually did have vehicles which were comparable to the Australian ute and different from their own pickups. The Chevrolet El Camino from 1959 to 1937, and the Ford Ranchero from 1957 to 1979½. Later on, cars which Australians would consider Japanese utes became known as mini trucks in America. A ute is often considered a car/truck hybrid. A pickup is always considered a truck. — Hippietrail 23:21, 29 Jan 2005 (UTC)

The trouble is that the term 'ute' is used for both the Commodore SS type ute, and things like the Holden Rodeo. They are both called utes, though they are very different types of vehicles. This is discussed in the article which covers all types of pickup, and Australian Utes has its own section. So in other words, a pickup can be a ute, but a ute isn't necessarily a pickup... On this subject, can anyone explain to me what is the point of the Commodore SS type ute and its ilk? They seem to be vehicles with very limited practicality, yet marketed as a type of sports car. They are (to my mind) inexplicably popular. They have no off-road capability, poor passenger accommodation, are too large and ponderous to have good sporty credentials, and I've yet to see one carrying any sort of load. Graham 00:37, 30 Jan 2005 (UTC)
An SS ute is essentially a prestige work vehicle. A mate of mine that runs a gardening franchise has an orange SS ute. Passenger accomodation isn't better or worse than other utes, while performance really depends on how you drive and what you're towing. I think a large portion of SS ute purchases fall into a similar category as the spotless 4WD's you'll find roaming sydney. Noone actually needs a pajero to take their kids to school, but somehow 4WD's are all over the bloody place... SS utes, however would be used properly more frequently; many I've seen have had dirt bikes in the tray. Try sticking one of those in a 4WD or a four-door sedan.
Does anyone know when the ute started to include pickups as well as just utes? I was kinda surprised a few years back when I saw an ad for a rodeo, and having it called a ute. Martin Rudat(T|@|C) 16:21, 22 September 2005 (UTC)
Well, I always assumed it was short for 'utility vehicle', and the shortened form became the generic word for that shape of car in Australia. The pick-up type ute would have been around before the sports ute (used on farms and such); it would make sense to me if the first sports utes were marketed as luxurious pick-ups. As for why people have sports utes? They're expensive, therefore a status symbol, and they go fast and have big engines. Why are any big boys toys' popular? Because there's too much room left in the garage after you park your sportsbike (if under 45)/ Harley (if older). Natgoo 17:29, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

I don't know about anywhere else, but here in WA, anything from the smallest Japanese pickups to Ford 350s have always been regarded as utes, whether they are 4WD or 2WD. The word pickup is never used and a "truck" would only be something designed for carrying goods and weighing at least 5t. (Whereas in the USA the word "truck" is even used for small SUVs.)

The distinction between trucks and utes in Australia seems to be based on a clear division in the kinds of vehicles that are actually sold in Australia — I can't think of anything on the market that falls between a F350[1] and the smallest "trucks", such as the old Ford 600[2]. It will be interesting to see if the words change in meaning if intermediate-sized models are sold. Grant65 (Talk) 00:47, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

Dictionary

Seeing as wikipedia now has its own dictionary is this long list necessary or not?

  • Does Wiktionary have special treatment for slang (such as collective grouping). If so the list can probably be shifted. however, to have any sort of demonstration as to what Aussie slang and common sources for slang (eg. rhyming, immigrants, TV etc.) some words will be needed, and probably some sort of shortlist or link to a biglist would be needed.--ZayZayEM 10:27, 22 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Beer measures

I believe some comment should be made about beer terminology. In NSW you can get a (285ml) middie, a (425ml) schooner, a (570ml) pint, a (1140ml) jug ... or if you want to get ripped off you can apparantly get a schmiddie of beer. A schmiddie is somewhere between a schooner and a middie and is sold in trendy bars for about the price of the former or so I've read.

A pints and jugs are well know around the world (though the sizes may vary). In other states, though, different words/sizes are used. Also there are names for the different sized beer bottles. These names are not used (or at least used differently) outside Aust. Other countries tend not to use the same beer bottle sizes either. - Jimp 9Feb05

I have a book with a table giving all the variations, which I'll format and post here for approval. WA uses pretty much the same terms as NSW, incluyding middy whereas 285ml is a pot in both Vic and Qld. Grant65 (Talk) 10:57, Mar 22, 2005 (UTC)

Here is the table of beer measures for comments/corrections:

Beer measures
Capacity Sydney Darwin Brisbane Adelaide Tasmania Melbourne Perth
115ml
(4 fl. oz.)		 - - - - small beer - shetland*
140ml
(5 fl.oz.)		 pony* - small beer pony - pony pony*
170ml
(6 fl.oz.)		 - - - - six small glass bobbie*
200ml
(7 fl.oz.)		 seven* seven beer* butcher - glass glass
225ml
(8 fl.oz.)		 - - - - eight - -
285ml
(10fl.oz.)		 middy handle pot schooner ten/pot/handle pot middy
425ml
(15fl.oz.)		 schooner schooner schooner "pint" - schooner schooner
568-575ml
(one pint)		 pint - - - - pint pint

* = rare/extinct
bold = common

Grant65 (Talk) 01:07, Mar 23, 2005 (UTC)

I don't really see how 425ml could be called a "pint" in Adelaide, but that's what various sources said.Grant65 (Talk) 11:06, Mar 23, 2005 (UTC)


Can confirm that (at least 20 years ago) the normal 'pint' in SA was 15 oz. In some bars, though, they did real 20 oz pints. --GPoss 11:32, Mar 31, 2005 (UTC)

It looks good. Let's put it in the article. However, I've never heard the terms pony or seven in use in NSW pubs. This is not to say that they're never used nor ever have been. Though a note that schooner, middie & pint are the more common (in that order) could be useful. - Jimp a.k.a. Jim 5Apr05

Thanks, I've updated the table a bit now. Will wait a few days to see if there any other comments/changes before putting it in the article.
By the way Jim, have you though about registering with Wikipedia? There are some advantages and no disadvantages.Grant65 (Talk) 11:54, Apr 5, 2005 (UTC)

Grant, yeah, I have but I've been a little too bussy of late. - Jimp 6Apr05

I've registered but I'm not "Jim" any more now I'm Jimp. I guess "Jim" must have been taken long ago. 24May05

Now that we've got the table we won't be needing these.

I've removed these from the vocabulary list as they are now redundant.

Also, whilst we're at it, perhaps we could also mention the names of beer bottles. In NSW 375 ml is a stubbie and 750 ml is a long neck (longy). And perhaps a mention of beer jug size: 1140 ml in NSW. Does the schmiddie deserve a mention?

One other point. In NSW a pint glass is 570 ml. I never knew of other sizes (of course the Imperial pint is closer to 568 ml). Perhaps things are different in other states. - Jimp 13Apr05

A couple of things to note: 'Pint' (non-imperial) is still used frequently in South Australia. Beer is commonly served in a schooner or a pint. I could walk into pub in Adelaide which has Coopers Ales on tap, ask for a 'Pint of Pale', and I'd get a pint full of Cooper's Pale Ale. Very common. Also, 'Pot' and 'Pint' are common measurements in Vic. (Adelaide ex-pat living in Melbourne, MichaelP, not wikipedia registered)

Corner Shops

This is another area of divergence betyeen states. In SA we called them Delis (short for delicatessan (sp?) even if they did not sell anything at all exotic. In Vic they are Milk Bars. In NZ they are Dairies. Do not know about other states.

Myabe they'll all be gone in 10 yaers (eveer seen a new suburb with a corner shop?) and this will be ancient history?

They are/were called delis in WA as well. I think milk bar is/was the usual name in the eastern states(?) Grant65 (Talk) 13:01, Mar 31, 2005 (UTC)
corner shop here (QLD) -- seem to be being replaced with shopping villages in new developments (or nothing at all). But I'm still very regional, so city developments might be stuck with absolutely nothing. We had to corner shops on both corner, but now one has gone bust.--ZayZayEM 10:45, 10 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Greetings

Oddly I couldn't find G'day in this article at all.

Perhaps a section of Greetings should be created. However, the only two I coudl come up with were "G'day" and "How's it going", the latter of which seems to throw Americans (or at least Hollywood celebrities on TV) right off. Anyone think of others?--ZayZayEM 03:27, 8 Apr 2005 (UTC)

I've added g'day. Yes, it was odd that an article on Aussie vocab should have been without this one. - Jimp 26Apr05

Cobber seems to have been lost

I edited this page some time back and moved the word cobber from the declining usage section to the common usage. Now upon re-reading the article I find it has disappeared altogether. Anyone know what happened to it? --Randolph 13:29, 5 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Ah..k. I found out what happened to it. It got lost in Grant65's partial revert at 00:17, 19 April 2005 --Randolph 13:44, 5 Jun 2005 (UTC)

"Cobber" is no longer in genuine usage. To anyone under 40 it is a word only heard in Chips Rafferty movies. It is only used in an ironic or deliberately archaic sense. I have moved it back to the archaic Australianisms section. Adam 08:04, 9 Jun 2005 (UTC)


A significant proprotion of the population is over 40 and some of them are even wikipedians - I find the notion that vocabulary used by those who are over 40 as being archaic is as nonsensical as anyone of the younger generation would find it patronising and inappropriate that their vocabulary and speech patterns were dismissed as an obscure variation. There are a number of words in the archaic section that are still in common spoken use in my experience. I also find the organisation of the page very difficult. That words are still in use but are declining (such as dinkum which I think is very much still in use perhaps moreso than it was 20 years ago) is strange to dismiss them into another section rather than the primary list. The only terms in the section Old, declining or expired slang that I agree would have expired are "dogs, jacks or traps" and "struth! I would have thought more commonly spelt strewth)". The issue of declining use is very subjective and unless there are authoratitive sources for the decline, I believe the other words should be included in the standard list along with "garn" and "grouse" which to me are more obscure than cooeee and camp.--AYArktos 4 July 2005 01:30 (UTC)

Yes some of the declining words are sometimes used today, although I agree that many words currently in there are indeed "declining", and most really are "old". I think it is safe to say that "cobber" and "bonzer" are extinct: I am late 30s I don't think I have EVER heard anyone of any age use these terms ever. "Wowser" and "galah" are perhaps the more common of the "declining" words. I believe "camp" needs to remain in the "declining" section. My understanding is that the 1960s use of the word is totally different than how it is used today. Back then it simply meant "gay man"; today it really only refers to exagerated effeminate behaviour, speech and flourishes (which, by the way, is one of the standard international meanings of the word and not peculiarly Australian). The meaning today is different... As for other words, I believe "grouse" is a term that comes in and out of fashion within certain areas, but I do not believe it has ever enjoyed universal or enduring use across Australia as a whole. As a side issue I saw an episode of UK soap Coronation Street and in one scene Sarah-Louise refers to her school teachers as "drongos"... so some of the terms are spreading! I am also perplexed by the inclusion of "garn"-though I can imagine this pronunciation in a stereotyped and exagerated Aust accent in a film or TV show, its appearance in this list seems quiestionable (afterall, the American English page does not list "gunna" or "gonna" as American words, even though that's pretty close of the US pronunciaion of "going to"). MinorEdit July 5, 2005 05:33 (UTC)
Just to add to this, I am thirty from a major city, growing up in outer suburbs, from a working class family and my father and I still use, and refer to each other, as "cobber". As do my brother and I (he also lives inner city). My father also uses it as a warm welcoming term for a stranger, like "mate". This leads to a point which I don't think is addressed in these pages - the more colloquial terms are fading fast from the newer generations of "city dwellers", but is much more common in rural areas, and generally working class suburbs. And these are areas which may not be well represented on an online venture such as this. Therefore we should be careful in what we define as rare or extinct, without at least giving and indication as to where it is becoming rare (i.e. newer generations in major cities). Citizen D 00:46, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Wag?

Which one is more common, "wag" or "jig" for skipping class? At my school most people say "jig". KC the MoUsY spell-checker 11:41, 21 Jun 2005 (UTC)

To 'wag', or 'wagging' is more common in Victoria for skipping school. -- Longhair | Talk 11:45, 21 Jun 2005 (UTC)
'wag' is also more common in Canberra - I have not heard of the term 'jig' used this way.--AYArktos 4 July 2005 01:32 (UTC)
I've never heard "jig" for this either. It's wag in Sydney (or at least it was when I was at school). Jimp 28Aug05
I'm from Brisbane and I've never heard "jig" - it's always been "wagging school" here - Ben
I'm interested by this as "playing t'wag" or "twagging" is still a common term in the north of England, particularly Yorkshire. A "wag" is a comedian, a buffoon, a fool. Don't know where 'Jigging' might have originated though.Paul Tracy|\talk
In Western Australia it's "wag" - can't say I've ever heard of "jig". DynaBlast 19:29, 10 January 2006 (UTC)


I always thought 'wagging' was an Australian term, but I am reading Charles Dickens' "Dombey and Son", published in the 1870s and came across this passage -
"...but what could I do, exceptin' wag?" "Excepting what?" said Mr Carker. "Wag, sir. Wagging from school." "Do you mean pretending to go there, and not going?" said Mr Carker. "Yes, sir, that's wagging, sir," returned the quondam Grinder, much affected.

It's obviously an English term brought over, then forgotten there. I asked an English friend if they used the term and he had never heard it before his Australian wife used it. 23:32, 16 January 2006 (UTC) Sorry, should have referenced that quote...it's the 2005 GE Fabbri Ltd edition (a facsimile reproduction of the Chapman and Hall 1873-1876 edition), p.367

Wag in SA too. Never heard of "jig" personally. Frances76 03:11, 27 February 2006 (UTC)

Mortgaged – to be completely drunk

This one is news to me:

Mortgaged – to be completely drunk.

Is this common across Australia or just used within a small community or region. If the latter I suggest it be removed from the list... which I will do unless there are strong objections. MinorEdit July 8, 2005 07:09 (UTC)

Never heard the word used in that way.Grant65 (Talk) July 8, 2005 12:04 (UTC)
Doesn't seem to be a common Aust term so I'm deleting it. MinorEdit 02:50, July 13, 2005 (UTC)

Raisins and Sultanas

The following addition is not consistent with what the Raisin page says about Australian usage of the word:

In Australian English dried grapes are given different names according to their variety sultanas are largest, raisins are intermediate, while currants are smallest.

The Raisin page states that in Aust, raisins are the largest and sultanas intermediate. Any experts about the actual differences between Raisins and Sultanas care to comment... What definitions are used in the UK? Do Australian usages of the term concur with those of the UK? MinorEdit 06:06, July 14, 2005 (UTC)

Well I am not going to lose a lot of sleep over this but to me I would have called what appears in the photo as more akin to sultanas. Paul E 06:49, 2005 July 14 (UTC)

Unable to sleep I found the following partial definition from Encyclopedia Britannica so do not use in Wikipedia Raisin pages - again it would have US bias as to terminology. The only thing I can gather is what is a raisin does appear to be loosly applied and not always related to size. As an pommy b. in my youth I always had a recollection of raisins being very small and my grandmother putting them in cake mixes.. but they were small (about 15 mm round) and black. Paul E 07:31, 2005 July 14 (UTC)

Extract from Enc. Britannica

The most important varieties of raisin grapes are the Thompson Seedless, a pale-yellow seedless grape, also known as Sultanina (California); Muscat, or Alexandria, a large-seeded variety also known as Gordo Blanco (Australia); White Hanepoot (South Africa); and the Black Corinth, a small, black, seedless type, also called Zante currant, Staphis (Greece), and panariti. Other varieties of raisin of local importance include the Round Kishmish, Rosaki, Dattier, Monukka, and Cape Currant.

Raisins also may be designated by the method of drying (natural, golden-bleached, lexia), the form in which marketed (seeded, loose, layers), the principal place of origin (Aíyion, Smyrna, Málaga), the size grades, or the quality grades.

End extract

Having just returned from my local Aust supermarket it seems that Sultanas are about 1 to 1.5 cm across, are loose and tend not to stick together. Raisins from the same supplier (Sunbeam) seemed larger, but the main difference seemed to be that raisins were all stuck together and were moist and sticky on the outside, as opposed to the loose dry sultanas. This is just one manufacters definition (although it concured with Kellogg's Sultana Bran!) It is acknowledged that this may not be the most rigorous or accurate research method. I think I'll chg the info in the Aust Words page to match that of Raisin so that the two wikipedia pages match. The things you mention going into cake mixes in UK sound more like what an Australian might call a current. MinorEdit 07:44, July 14, 2005 (UTC)
as an enthusiastic cook who uses currants, sultanas and raisins, the size order is raisins largest, then sultanas, and currants are much smaller. I concur that raisins are usually stickier but they are also much larger and often have to be cut if one wants even sized pieces of fruit in the cake, pudding, whatever ... --AYArktos 08:43, 14 July 2005 (UTC)

Candy floss

Not suggesting that we include these items - too trivial perhaps.. but I remembered something after following the CANDY link. In Australia , they call "Candy floss" by the name "Fairy Floss" (Also it is called candy floss in the UK- ). Another remembered item was what was called Toffee Apples in the UK. Those apples covered with a coating of toffee. I'm sure I recall them being called something else in Oz. Another thought was "Ice Lollies" of the UK , I believe are called "Ice blocks" or something similar in Oz. (those frozen flavoured sweet and coloured confectionary items mounted on a paddlepops) Paul E 11:24, 2005 July 14 (UTC)

It is true that what is called Cotton candy in the US and Candy Floss in the UK is called Fairy Floss in Australia but I believe it should not really be listed as it is a bit trivial, but mainly because Fairy Floss is one of the original US names for the product (see Cotton candy). No, apples on a stick and covered in toffee are called toffee apples in Australia. I've never known them to be called by any other names here. There does not seem to be one established or accepted term for what are called Ice Lollies in the UK. As a child in Melbourne in the 1970s I recall many kids used the name Icy Pole generically, but this is actually a brand name. At that time I noticed many older people used the term ice cream (as in "go to the shop and buy an ice cream"). I believe people in New South Wales tend to say paddlepop (another brand name), and that in Western Australia popsicle is the more common term. I have never heard ice block used. MinorEdit 11:47, July 14, 2005 (UTC)
They were called icypoles in WA in the 1970s, I'm not sure about now. There is nothing to stop people using a brand name in a generic way, if they want, as in "hills hoist". And popsicle is (or used to be) a brand name as well. Grant65 (Talk) 16:28, July 14, 2005 (UTC)
Growing up in Brisbane in the late 80s and 90s, we called them ice blocks. An Icy Pole is a specific kind, I think it's a brand name, paddlepop is another way to call them, but that's also a brand name, and they're actually creamy, not icy. - Ben
Still called icypoles in WA to date. DynaBlast 19:34, 10 January 2006 (UTC)
The last time I've ever seen toffee apples, they were marked candy apples, but this was over ten years ago in Melbourne... I don't think I've seen them since. I've always used Icy Poles I wasn't aware that they were a brand name, and for the ice-cream onna stick, I just called them ice-cream. Martin Rudat(T|@|C) 16:35, 22 September 2005 (UTC)
"Ice lollies" raises an interesting point... as noted in the article, a "lolly" in Australia is just a piece of confectionery. In the UK it's one of those things we call lollipops in Australia. Is the latter an Australianism or is the term also used in the UK/US, lolly being merely a shortened form? --Russell E 22:53, 10 January 2006 (UTC)
See lollipop and Lolly (disambiguation) for answer to above query. Asa01 04:09, 11 January 2006 (UTC)

Brand names used generically

I recall that in the UK up to 1968 when I emigrated to Oz, people oten used the name "Hoover" in the UK for "Vacuum Cleaner". It was also used as a verb in the UK as in " I'll go and hoover the living room now". I remember the Australians looking at me blankly if I referred to "hoover". Paul E 00:16, 2005 July 15 (UTC)

We understand hoover in Australia now. The same thing is happening now as tissues are becoming known as kleenexes, much to the delight of the Kleenex company - Ben

Actually it won't be at all delighted - when a brand name becomes a generic term, like biro, it loses its legal protection as a trade mark. Companies with highly valuable brand names employ lawyers to review dictionaries and demand the removal of brand names or trade marks listed as dictionary terms.203.214.74.36 13:26, 4 March 2006 (UTC)

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