19 Totally 'Normal' Things To Say In Australia That Will Confuse The Rest Of The World

    The Reading Writing Hotline jingle will forever live rent-free in my brain.

    Isha Bassi
    by Isha Bassi

    Entertainment Producer

    You know when people say Australia has no culture? Well, tell them to look at this post about famous quotes that make no sense to anyone outside of our beautiful nation.

    A young girl with her mouth open in shock; it is captioned "Don't chop the dinosaur daddy!"
    The Natural Confectionary Company

    We listed a bunch of our favourites, from Kath & Kim to Muriel's Wedding and, of course, some iconic lines from Australian ads. There was a lot of discussion on Facebook about the ones we missed though, so without further ado, here are some more famous quotes that only Australians will understand.

    A woman peeping through a door; it is captioned "You're terrible, Muriel"
    Film Victoria

    1. "Tell him he's dreaming."

    The family from The Castle sitting together on the couch laughing while watching TV
    Roadshow Entertainment

    —Lauren Angela, Facebook

    The Castle is one of Australia's best films and includes many a quotable line, including this nugget from Daryl Kerrigan. Other personal favourites include "How's the serenity?" and "It's the vibe of it."

    2. "It's a big ad. Very big ad. It's a big ad we're in. My god, it's big. Can't believe how big it is. It's a big ad. For Carlton Draught."

    An army of people dressed in yellow robes marching together; it is captioned "It's a big ad"
    Carlton Draught

    —Kayla Williams, Facebook

    Carlton Draught's Big Ad went off — in fact, it was most likely one of the first viral videos, considering it was released way back in 2005. It was inspired by Lord Of The Rings and featured a huge comical battle set to "O Fortuna" — although with some very different lyrics.

    3. "Charter boat, what charter boat?"

    A man standing in his backyard in front of a boat and the clothes line; his wife is in the background playing a joke on him with a towel over her head
    RACQ Insurance

    —Steph Maclean, Facebook

    This boat insurance ad has become a classic in Australian culture thanks to this quotable line.

    4. "Wash your hands, Geoffrey! With the solvol, Geoffrey!"

    An old advertisement for Solvol soap showing a young boy washing his hands
    Solvol

    —Alison Farr, Facebook

    I'll admit, this was before my time, but I watched another Solvol ad and that had a catchy AF jingle. So, I can imagine that this had the exact same effect. Also, how relevant to now — everyone, remember to wash your hands.

    5. "Oh my goodness, it's the chips!"

    A pot filled with hot oil overfilling; the pot is on fire
    GIO Insurance

    —Tracey Savio, Facebook

    Hopefully no one reading this has had an IRL moment where they've had to say this because their kitchen was on fire.

    6. "That'll be the phone, Reg."

    An older woman talks to her husband while sitting down on their balcony
    Telecom / Telstra

    —Mandy Buckley, Facebook

    Before Telecom became Telstra in 1993, they released this wholesome Aussie ad about keeping in touch with family and friends.

    7. "Stone the flamin' crows!"

    Alf Stewart from Home And Away; it is captioned "Stone the flamin' crows!"
    Seven Network

    —Bonnie Conole, Facebook

    Are you even Australian if you haven't used one of Alf Stewart's iconic one-liners? 

    8. "We're going to need a bigger boat."

    A young boy speaking
    Jeep

    —Dianne McDonald Kaye, Facebook

    Although this line was first made famous in Jaws, Australians now associate it with this Jeep ad, where a boy looks at his father's old, small boat and says this hilarious response.

    9. "One three double oh, six, triple five, oh six."

    Cartoon people holding up coloured squares with numbers on them; together they make up the number for The Reading Writing Hotline
    The Reading Writing Hotline

    —Melissa Budnik, Facebook

    Besides my own phone, The Reading Writing Hotline number is the only one I can remember. Like so many Australians, that catchy jingle is embedded in my brain forever.

    10. "A crocodile came up, bit my guts out and bit me into parts...pieces and then my legs went that way and then my head went that way."

    A young boy speaking
    HBA Insurance

    —Tabitha Schultz, Facebook

    There must be something in the writers rooms for health insurance ads because this one from HBA still strikes a chord with Australians today.

    11. "How embarrassment."

    Effie from Acropolis Now; it is captioned "Oh my god, how embarrasment"
    Seven Network

    —Shawn Berg, Facebook

    Acropolis Now was an Aussie sit-com set in a Greek cafe that ran from 1989-1992. It blessed us with many iconic characters and lines, including this one from Effie herself.

    12. "My dad picks the fruit that goes to Cottee's. To make the cordial, that I like best."

    A dad sitting on a tractor waving to his kids
    Cottee's Cordial

    —Matthew Russell, Facebook

    '90s and '00s kids will remember this wholesome jingle that used to accompany Cottee's Cordial advertisements. Also, who could forget the alternative "My dad picks his nose" version. 

    13. "Slippery little sucker!"

    A young boy sits on a table and eats from a bowl filled with SPC fruit
    SPC

    —Karly McLaren, Facebook

    More evidence that we had the best ever adverts growing up in Australia — especially since this line will now be stuck in my head all day.

    14. "What is the charge? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meal?"

    An older man is arrested by the cops
    Seven Network

    —Isha Bassi, Facebook

    This 1990 news segment featuring a man getting arrested at a Chinese restaurant for supposedly dining and dashing has to be, hands down, one of Australia's most viral videos. If you haven't yet seen the video, please do — you won't regret it. Every single line uttered in it is a masterpiece.

    15. "The Kingswood! You're not taking the Kingswood!"

    An old man sits down on a couch with an annoyed expression on his face
    Seven Network

    —Daniel King, Facebook

    This well-known Aussie line comes courtesy of Kingswood Country, an Australian sit-com that ran from 1980-1984.

    16. "BUGGER!"

    A close up of a man saying "bugger"
    Toyota

    —Les Jones, Facebook

    Funnily enough, the use of the word "bugger" in this Toyota Hilux ad actually resulted in a number of complaints. Bugger off, I guess.

    17. And finally, "G-O-G-G-O — Go Go Mobile"

    A man talking on the phone; it is a landline phone and he is holding it to his ear
    Yellow Pages

    —Arlette Maria Ferreira, Facebook

    Yellow Pages has a history of making stellar ads and this one from the '90s takes the cake with this catchphrase now being cemented in Australia's history.