Products and business names in Oz

PRODUCTS

• They are VERY serious about tobacco warnings in this country. None of that fine-print jive we get in the States: Right on the front of the package, on the flip-top lid more prominent than the brand name, in big black letters: "SMOKING KILLS. " Below that, smaller: "Government Health Warning." And on the back of the flip-top lid, a five-line message under the heading "SMOKING KILLS": "In Australia, tobacco smoking causes more illness and early death than any other drug. Tobacco smoking causes more than four times the number of deaths caused by car accidents. For more information, call 13 2130." Other messages in the series: "SMOKING IS ADDICTIVE," "SMOKING KILLS," "SMOKING CAUSES LUNG CANCER," "SMOKING CAUSES HEART DISEASE," "SMOKING WHEN PREGNANT HARMS YOUR BABY"
• Bell peppers are known as "capsicum"
• Chicken Chippies, little anthropomorphic french-fry-shaped frozen goodies with faces (on the package, anyway -- presumably not on the foodstuffs themselves)
• In the Cadbury's ice cream freezer: "Crave" bars; "Memphis Meltdown" bars; Cadbury's Fruit and Nut bars (I used to love their Fruit and Nut chocolate bar, back when I ate a lot of chocolate); Chupa Lups push-up (related to the "ice cream flavored" lollipops I enjoyed in Hawaii); and Schweppes lemonade ice bars
• Speaking of lemonade, Rita asked for it at a restaurant and was served 7-Up
• In the butcher shop, what we call "breaded," they call "crumbed," as in "crumbed chicken schnitzel"
• The butcher also sells "lamb chump chops"
• What we call hamburger is here known as "mince meat." A poster in the store window pointed out that kids love it, and because it's got so much iron, it loves kids, too. The poster was illustrated with a plate of spaghetti Bolognese, a plate of meatballs, and a plate of shepherd's pie
• The Burger King logo here belongs to a chain called Hungry Jack's
• The fast-food joints are big on sporks around here; a half-assed spoon and a half-assed fork in one flimsy plastic utensil-manque
• What we see in the States as "generic" products, in yellow packages with plain black type, are "Black and Gold" brand here
• A powdered stomach remedy named ENO; a laundry detergent named OMO
• Potato chips are known as "crisps," and they come in countless varieties, just like at home -- including a plethora of "Star Wars Episode 1" promotions. In a vending machine at the Katoomba train station: Burger Rings; roast chicken-flavored crisps (potato chips); and a packet of crisps labeled "The Full Monty" (according to our friend Lara, "full monty pototato chips are multi-flavoured - they've 'got it all'").
• We say "discount," they say "concession"
• Chocolate-covered cookies called "TV Snax," in several varieties: "Honey cards" -- hearts and spades and diamonds and clubs; "Peanut movies" -- stars and lips and other shapes
• A roll candy called "Columbines"
• Rice Krispies are known here as Rice Bubbles
• The bacon canon: Prime bacon, cafe bacon, bacon eye, picnic bacon, smoked middle rashers, bacon streaky, bacon short cut
• Glad's new Eucalyptus scented kitchen bags ("Bring the clean fresh smell of the outdoors, indoors with GLAD 'tuff stuff' bags!" says the billboard)
• Restaurants offer little packets of Vegemite, and peanut butter, along with jam and honey.
• Some venerable American car names still thrive here: Plymouth Valiant, for example, and Ford Falcon Futura
• In the country we were acquainted with the term "thunder box" for permanent outdoor toilet (as opposed to "porta-loo")

• Verne Jewels (Katoomba)
• Hot Tuna, a boutique whose mascot is a grinning red devil (resembling the Checkered Demon) sipping a cold drink and standing in a wading pool (Paddington)
• Holy Sheet! (bed-linen shop in Paddington)
• Museum of Fire (seen from the train just outside of Penrith)
• Kwikasair (delivery service truck seen in Brisbane)
• Condom Kingdom (a national chain)
• Ahead in Wigs (Sydney)
• Double Trouble (unisex hair salon in Sydney)

 

 
 





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