Light switches work in reverse (down is on), traffic drives on the left-hand side of the road, taxes are included in the advertised price, residents pay for local phone calls within Australia, and yes, the water does go down the drain clockwise (compared to anti-clockwise in Canada).
One cent pieces (i.e., ‘pennies’) went out of circulation in 1991, and Australia has been metric for about three decades. Seasons are the exact opposite to Canada, it never snows at Christmas, and Boxing Day is usually spent at the beach.
Rice Bubbles are ‘Rice Krispies’, capsicums are ‘peppers’, biscuits are ‘cookies’, rockmelons are ‘cantaloupes’, a beanie is a ‘toque’, petrol is ‘gas’, tomato sauce is ‘ketchup’, a jumper is a ‘sweater’, a pinafore is a ‘jumper’, and there are rubbish bins instead of ‘garbage cans’. ‘Tires’ are spelt tyres, and ‘Mom’ is spelt Mum. Bonnet is the ‘hood’ of a car, and boot is the ‘trunk’, while entree is the ‘appetizer’, and main course is the ‘entree’.
And there are others. Got a favourite? Let me
know! words@jennygates.com