There are plenty of things that I do on an everyday basis without giving it too much thought. For example, referring to McDonald's as Macca's, getting pissed off if I have to pay extra for sauce at a takeaway shop, or checking for lurking cockroaches and spiders when walking around the house.
As an Aussie, these cultural habits are totally 'normal', but I've never really considered how strange they might be to the rest of the world...that is until I stumbled upon a Reddit thread discussing the unwritten rules of living in Australia.
Redditor u/moistflower94 asked the question, "What are the unofficial rules of Australia?" and it quickly went viral, with many of the responses being 100,000% accurate when describing what it's like to both live in Australia and be Australian. Here are some of the best ones!
1. "If someone lets you through in traffic you must thank them with 'the wave.'"
—u/biteme1982
"Omg this! I moved to California and rage when I let someone in and they don't have the decency to wave (which none of them do)."
—u/mikugura
2. "Saying 'she'll be right, mate' after a life-threatening situation."
—u/bigPHATduck
"Literally every Queenslander describing their harrowing escapes from the flood or looking at their completely destroyed home or business this week.
I know I'm truly Aussie now because our whole fuckin' roof leaked and destroyed two rooms' ceilings and the entire upstairs carpet. I grabbed a bucket, stood there — hands on hips — and gave it a 'she’ll be right'. It's basically a second citizenship test."
—u/dogsonclouds
3. "You must clack the tongs at least twice before use."
—u/TyphoidMary234·
4. "You must tease New Zealanders. But if someone else does it, threaten them with violence if they say nasty things about our neighbours!"
5. "Saying the phrase 'yeah, righto' followed by any of these non-threatening titles, like 'mate, chief, champ, big fella, turbo, tiger, buddy', is an insult of huge proportions."
—u/n_original
6. "We will tell you what something isn't before we tell you what it is."
9. "When tying something onto your car's roof racks or trailer, tug the rope a couple of times and say 'that's not going anywhere.'"
10. "No changing footy teams once chosen (exceptions made only if a new team starts up or your family members join a club)."
—u/idiosyncrat
11. "Never look into a meat pie after the first bite."
—u/grantmct
"And if it's hot, you gotta make the 'AAAAshashashahahsha' noise."
—u/Gullyhunter
12. "At the beach, your towel serves as a perfectly secure locker by throwing it over your stuff when you're in the water. No one will ever touch anything covered in a towel."
—u/iknowaruffok
13. "Using the stud finder to find a stud in your home to hang something, but first holding it against your chest, looking at your missus and saying 'found one.'"
14. "Never, ever put shoes on without checking if they have been outside all night."
15. "We make up new rules at the drop of a hat to annoy new Australians. You have to eat Vegemite."
"Vegemite's gold, but you need to get the right ratio of butter and Vegemite. Poor bastards come over here and have some bellend slap it on toast like it's Nutella for them to try. Not saying it's not funny though."
16. "Can't leave before your shout."
—u/Fug_Nuggly
17. "When asked to bring a plate, do not just bring a plate...bring a plate of food to share."
—u/Jitsukablue
18. "If someone starts bull-shiting to someone, you go along with it and back them up entirely."
—u/Cirn0byl
19. "If you have a ute, when asked if something will fit in the tray, the correct response is always 'She'll be right, chuck 'er in the back.'"
20. "After a sip of beer, it is customary to enthusiastically 'ahh' to inform present company of your enjoyment of the beverage."
21. "Never go to a party without drinks and never take home any un-drunk bottles. Unless you bring an esky as a seat — this is a work around for the common law."
22. "It is 100% mandatory to bonk the nearest person on the head with the empty roll of wrapping paper."
23. "Always shorten long names and always lengthen short names. For example: Australia = Oz, McDonald's = Macca's; Jonathan = Jonno, Rob = Robbo, etc. Basically, whatever you need to do to fuck up a perfectly good word or name, do it. It's all good."
—u/zombumblebee
24. "You must say thanks to the bus driver or cab/Uber driver as you get out. Also the first topic in any cab/Uber ride is 'busy night, mate?'"
—u/auntyjames
25. "On departure, say 'see you later' to everyone regardless of whether you will ever see them again Examples: Exiting a taxi to the driver: 'Thanks mate, see you later.' On the phone to a phone survey person: 'Ok, are we done? See you later.' At a funeral to the deceased, even if you're not religious: 'Well, that's it. See you later, old fella.'"
—u/rob1sydney
26. "When you build or repair something you have to say 'just like a bought one.'"
27. "Never call your mates by their names. The worse the insult, the better the mate."
29. "Directions are given by the proximity of the nearest pub, as in: 'The third house on the right past the Cricketers Arms.'"
30. "If someone tells you about an offer they received, you must respond with 'Tell 'em he's dreaming.'"
—u/tchiseen
31. "When spinning a yarn, it is completely appropriate to refer to anyone as 'old mate' and everyone will know who you are referring to."
—u/emms222
32. "If a kid has a Cadbury Fundraising Box you must purchase, at the very least, two chocolates from it."
—u/wattyaknow
33. "Understanding that the phrase 'your mate' is, in fact, a derogatory statement."
—u/lilgremmy
34. "It's pretty much illegal to not grab a fundraiser snag if you head to Bunnings on the weekend."
—u/Poplened
35. "If you forget your pluggas on a Macca's run in the middle of summer in 40+ degree heat, you are to run along the white lines of the car park as though they are a balance beam and then hot foot it like a cartoon villain to the nearest white line, shades area or the entrance. Profanity is accepted when hearing that the ice cream or Frozen Coke machine are out of order, however it must not be directed at the 14-year-old serving you. A filthy glance at the McManager is allowed."
37. And lastly: "Show zero interest in most other sports until the World Cup or Olympics is on. Read the whole pub menu knowing you're going to order the parmi/parma anyway. Don't hit backwards on a pool table. You're next for the park BBQ if your snags are on a plate closest to the current cook. On a 38 degree day, step outside and say 'Fuck, it's hot.' Minimum five teaspoons of Milo. The answer to 'Chicken salt?' is always yes. Continually remind foreigners that we named a pool after a prime minister that drowned."
—u/brghfbukbd1
Reddit submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Are there any other unwritten rules to living in Australia that were missed? Let us know in the comments!
And if you're a non-Aussie, tell us about the unwritten rules that exist in your country.