The Beetoota Advocate is as proudly Australian as a Southern Cross tattoo. They are full of national pride and lay claim to Australia’s oldest newspaper accolade. Those playful minds behind a publication that has fooled actual news outlets have released a new book called Beetoota-isms. It is a kind of companion piece to their previous release, Beetoota’s Australia, except that this one is a comical dictionary about Australian English.
For those readers who are familiar with The Beetoota Advocate’s online site, this book is certainly cut from a similar cloth. The idea is to bring together the dry irreverence for different topics and skewer some sacred cows. For instance, our fearless politicians are given affectionate monikers like Scotty from Marketing (Prime Minister Scott Morrison) and Dictator Dan (Victorian Premier Dan Andrews).
You can laugh along at each entry, with each one defined just like a real dictionary. Pronunciations are offered along with an example in case you were wondering how to use this thing in a sentence. Here is an example for “Sugarcane Champagne” AKA Bundaberg Rum: ‘You’ve always gotta be careful on a night out in North Queensland, those pubs are full of blokes who fill up on the Sugarcane Champagne and throw hands.’
The book has an index and is divided into different sections. There is a little something for everyone with topics covering: sport, automotive, fashion, celebrity and food. The latter includes things like “Concreter’s caviar” and “Bachelor’s handbag” AKA a can of tuna, and a roast chook from Coles or Woolies, respectively. This is certainly like a time capsule documenting elements of Australian culture and life; with a particular emphasis on rural and Northern Queensland ‘isms’.
Beetoota-isms is a fun little book that you can dip in and out of for a giggle or a pleasant escape. It is one for readers who enjoy the group’s brand of shit-stirring irreverence. I didn’t think it was possible to make covid funny but these boys have done it with their oddball slang and sayings (eat your heart out Michelle Pfeiffer AKA Pfizer). This really is an affectionate ode to some true blue Straylian sayings. Hooroo!
THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Beetoota-isms is available now through Pan Macmillan Australia. Grab yourself a copy from Booktopia HERE.
