Shard

On the Canadian forum there's a term "cradle" which is used to refer to Canadians born and bred (to distinguish from long term immigrants). Wondering if you use a similar term on the Aussie forum?

spouse of scouse

No

Shard

Maybe 'expats' to Aussieland are more secure in their Pom-ness.

spouse of scouse

I just don't think it's a 'thing' on the Oz forums Shard, in fact it's the first of heard of such a distinction on BE. Sounds harmless enough though!

Shard

Interesting that it is on one and not the other. Maybe because Australian identity is fairly strong, and it's geographically far (from Britain) expats don't question Australian norms so much. In Canada, perhaps because the big ol' USA is next door, there seems to be a stronger affinity with Britain, and some British expats still see themselves as British first, Canadian second, and hence the distinction between naturalised Canadians and birth Canadians.

Dorothy

I personally find it slightly offensive. It's more the intent of the word than the actual word that bothers me though. Much like the way the term poms could be seen as offensive in some contexts.

the troubadour

Rather taken back, a number of years ago, when first heard the term 'Aussies' referring to white Australians, mentioned in speech by an Anglo Indian here since two years of age.


He referred to himself as Indian (had dark complexion) and it was in context of not liking Aussie food but Aussies themselves not too bad.


Since then I have read and heard Aussies refer to people of Italian origin, but born here as Italians, same for Lebanese and Africans.


Especially so in bad connotations like crime but not only in that context. Everyone likes a winner of course, Aussies perhaps more than most, and all are Aussies usually in a situation as such regardless of ethnic origin.


Canadians are generally nice/gentler (?) people it is usually assumed and cradle sounds less ethnic,nationality specific or racially inclined than Poms and other terms more readily used in the Australian context

ozzieeagle

I think the only thing close to this would be when Aussies point out they are 4th 5th or "6th Generation"

There again my kids could say they are 6th Gen despite them having a UK dad.


On a side note, I had a young 23yo visitor from London here recently, I pointed out to him the fact that the term Pom is dying out and asked him to look out for it.

He never got referred to as a Pom once in his 2 months here. So nowadays that term is almost non-existent in Melbourne. He didn't hear it in Orange either which surprised me a bit. He also visited Tasmania for 10 days, Adelaide for 7 days and Sydney for 14 days.

I reckon he would have heard it in Queensland or WA personally and points more rural potentially even in Victoria.

the troubadour

I agree with above post. Hardly ever hear the term Pom here in WA anymore. Probably more in the media on odd occasions in reference to sport than being verbally expressed.


Saying that the sort of people I engage with are less likely to use such a term, so it probably depends on the environment one tends to inhabit.


Quite probably an English accent doesn't tend to stand out as much as decades previously with the arrival of a wide range of people's and differing accents from a far wider area.

moneypenny20

Not sure why, I rarely hear it. I can probably count the number of times I've heard it in 12 years on two hands and even then it's more likely been said by a Brit than an Australian.

scrubbedexpat098

I hear the term pommy most days when I'm out on the tools, most people know that it's not taken as anything other than inoffensive, this is a world where the word c@@t is a term of endearment.

When I'm in the office, I don't hear it at all, I think it's such a modern, PC anmosphere that no-one dare mention another person's background or skin colour, I find that a bit sad really.

Pollyana

Its changed in that way since I came here. I often used to be called a pommy at work, occasionally derogatory but usually just in passing, and I would use the term myself. Now I rarely hear it at work, and as you say the pc brigade object to it, which I find odd. If I am happy to call myself a pom then surely thats my business, but some people think we should all act and speak the same.
It changed for our team I think when a Canadian lady worked for us for a while. She objected to being known as 'the Canadian one' by people who didn't know her name, and felt I should take the same attitude and object to being known as 'the pommy one'. Looking back, her excessive pc attitudes killed a lot of the camaraderie that we once had in the team.

Beoz

Poms are the predominant nationality in my office.

Can't get good staff locally these days.

Shard

Why's that? Are you in the sticks?

Beoz

Nope. Right in the thick of it. Australia just doesn't have the talent.