A single fat quarter and Strine 101

'Strine is Australian slang for 'Australian slang'. If you say Australian fast enough, slurred together and with a strong enough accent, it comes out sounding like "Strine". For example, stating one's nationality: "I'm oStrine". 

In this age of globalism, it's important to be able to communicate inter culturally. So to continue the lesson, let me switch into Strine and ask you "how good is this fabric?"

Let's have a closer look.

Singles ads. On fabric! I particularly like this one.

I'm also putting this in my next singles ad - the middle one.


(Also considering adding "if you do, grow up and grow a pair". Seriously.)

But back to the language lesson. "How good is this fabric?!"
Australians ask rhetorical questions a lot. Like "how loud is this music?" (bellowed) or "How good was that food?" (prior to belching in satisfaction). We're not expecting an answer. We're just making conversation.  But apparently inquiries like "How hot is this weather?!" (when you could fry an egg in the shade) puzzle foreigners, who will then try to tell us "It's 38 degrees C" or something like that. 

So how do you respond to an Australian saying "how ADJECTIVE is this OBJECT?"? Like "how good is this fabric?". 

Well, if you want to agree emphatically, the correct response is "Bloody ADJECTIVE".
Question: How hot is this weather?
Answer: Bloody hot.
Do not vary the adjective. That would make you sound like a wanker pretentious.

If you want to sound a bit more casual (casj in Strine), you can say "pretty ADJECTIVE".

If you want to sound cool AND agree emphatically, you can say "Pretty bloody adjective" and then slug back a swig of beer from your stubby (glass bottle) if you want to seem really authentic. (Do not get confused and say "bloody pretty adjective" or you will give yourself away as a foreigner and thus invite warnings about drop bears and bunyips (they are very dangerous. Avoid them at all costs).

You will never need any other answer than "pretty/bloody adjective". Disagreement is never required, because stating the bleeding obvious as a question is part of the national discourse.

Feel free to leave me a comment demonstrating your mastery of Strine. ;)