In honor (or honour) of the best (in my American opinion) Aussie expression I have heard so far, I have started a running list on all things that are not “too easy” in Australia — well, Melbourne for now — and how the world of online publishing has come to my rescue.
And I suppose “Melbourne” is the logical place to start. Before leaving the States, I was informed that it was in fact pronounced “Melbin“, not “Melburn” or “Melborn”. (Forvo.com is a pretty cool user-fueled pronunciation resource. Click here to hear an Australian and an American pronounce “Melbourne”.) In preparation for my 18-month stint in the city, I said “Melbin” out loud a few times in the shower, feeling each time like I was an impostor.
Next, I moved on to slipping it into conversations with my husband, who without fail noticed and commented. I gave up the effort when he started alternating between “Melbin” and “Melburn,” and I became positive that when grouped with “college”, “friend”, “bar”, “trash”, “elevator”, “fries”, “ketchup”, etc., “Melbin” just didn’t belong. (Here’s a list of Australian-American translations. Dorky but interesting.)
I made it through almost two weeks in Melbourne before I was politely corrected by an absolute stranger. I confessed that I knew the local, correct pronunciation but felt like a faker using it. He assured me that I must take up the local lingo, out of respect and acknowledgement, and that Aussies wouldn’t mind, they’d just laugh. Brilliant.
Well, the whole thing has got me thinking about phonology and the complexities of the English language. And also about the differences between Australia and the US. And about how I will stay connected to the US while abroad.
