G'day g'day...

[fajrdrako]

When I log onto Scrabulous it says 'hello' to me a different language each time, and it adds, "Hi there! Each time you login, you will be greeted in a different language! This feature was added to embrace users from all over the world into our little community." I get a big kick out of this, but seldom remember the words if I don't know them already - or I remember them, like "Sannu", but forget what language they are from. Today I got the Welsh Siwmae. You can scroll through the words to check them out.

Yesterday I got "G'day", which it cites as Australian. I have no reason to doubt it. But I used to know local people - Ottawa Valley people - who always greeted me with: "G'day g'day." They always said it twice. I loved that.

Have other people heard that?

Comments

[commodorified.livejournal.com]

Used to?

auriaephiala does this. Quite often, actually.

[auriaephiala.livejournal.com]

You're right. Scary. I guess I've got infected over the last few decades.

There used to be a "funny" from-the-(Ottawa)-Valley commentator on one of the commercial radio stations in Ottawa who did the whole G'Day thing as well.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Do you mean you picked it up from Ottawa people?

[auriaephiala.livejournal.com]

Far as I know I did.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

We're such a good influence!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes. She is not the person I meant when I started this, but she is one of my friends who says it. I always like it.

[duncanmac.livejournal.com]

Alayne also does this ... I suspect she too picked it up locally. :-)

This is interesting, as I certainly don't do that ... though I might say "good morning" (or afternoon/evening) to someone calling me on the phone.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

No, you don't do it, and she does, so it can't be from geography or family background. Does B. say it? Could it be his influence on her?

But your language patterns and hers are quite different anyway!

[duncanmac.livejournal.com]

I find that peculiar in itself.

I'm fairly sure it is not traceable to B., as he says "hi hi" instead.

I will admit to a tendency to be archaic if not archaizing in my speech anyway. (How many people do you know who say "peculiar" instead of "unique" nowadays?) However, my accent is typically North American ... and everyone in England viewed me as a typical Yank, much to my chagrin. [Yet I do know a lot of British-speak, such as "lift" for elevator, "tannoy" for PA system, "bonnet" for car hood, ...]

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I'm fairly sure it is not traceable to B., as he says "hi hi" instead.

LOL. At least it's the right pattern.

I will admit to a tendency to be archaic if not archaizing in my speech anyway.

Yes. I like that, too.

How many people do you know who say "peculiar" instead of "unique" nowadays?

Er... lifting my hand... me? I love the word 'peculiar' and use it all the time, along with "peculiarly", which I usually mistype and have to correct. I seldom say "unique". I think.

in England viewed me as a typical Yank, much to my chagrin.

Another laugh: you, my dear, are not typical anything.

The English tended to think I was Irish. I was never sure why but I felt somewhat flattered.

[duncanmac.livejournal.com]

Er ... me? I love the word 'peculiar' ...

Which is just one of the reasons why I enjoy your company ... even if I am prone to (the deplorable habit of) repetitive punning.

...you, my dear, are not typical anything.

Much appreciated. I certainly think that eccentric people are not as tolerated here as they are in Britain.

I'm still hoping to land a good job over there. Someday ...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I'd live and work in England if I could. I'd certainly like to go back there. Mind you, I love Canada, so it isn't so much that I don't want to be here.

Re punning: I always appreciate it when you don't pun in my company. You are really quite careful when it's just the two of us. When other people are around? I cover my ears and run away.

[luthien.livejournal.com]

"G'day" or sometimes "gedday" is extremely Australian. Interesting to hear it pops up elsewhere, too!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I don't know in the least, but I was wondering if it's one of those things that have the same origin - that it was the fashion to say it in some town in England or Ireland or somewhere in 1800 and people went from there to both the Ottawa Valley and to Australian and it has survived and prospered in the fresh Australian and Canadian air.

Or maybe not, but it's a theory. It could just be coincidence. Or one of those things where physiology causes certain linguistic changes, like vowel shifts, that occurred in both cultures.

[brashley46.livejournal.com]

Anne G. was from somewhere in the Valley, and used to talk like that, yup. Haven't seen her nor her Torontonian husband since about 1970, but oboy do I remember that speech pattern ...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Just goes to show - it stays with you! I bet she's still saying it, wherever she is.

[nishatalitha.livejournal.com]

Not that, but my mum's parents always greet us with "Hello, allo, allo", which seems to be more a them thing rather than a New Zealand thing.

[trixtah.livejournal.com]

It's kind of an English thing (which some kiwis have) - kind of jocularly impersonating PC Plod on the beat.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

To my ears, it sounds like French-Canadian!

[trixtah.livejournal.com]

Ah, it's us antipodeans corrupting you all - it also should be cited as AU/NZ English. However, the kiwi spelling is usually "gidday" (or "gudday") with more of a stress on the first syllable.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes, actually the Scrabulous item spelled it both as "g'day" and "gidday", though I don't recall whether it specified an Au?Nz difference. I was trying to spell it à la Canadienne.

And we never stress the first syllable because it really doesn't have a vowel sound.