Historians believe the widespread use of the word "mate" can be traced to the harsh conditions of the Australian frontier in the 1890, and the development of a code of mutual aid, or "mateship".
Alternatively, Australians may just be really hopeless with remembering people's names.
* The shorter the nickname, the more popular you are.
* There is no Australian event that cannot be improved by a sausage sizzle.
* There is no food that cannot be improved by the application of tomatoe sauce.
* On the beach, all Australians hide their keys and wallets by placing them inside their shoes. No thief has ever worked this out.
* Industrial design knows of no article more useful than the plastic milk-crate.
*It's not summer until the steering wheel is too hot to hold.
* A thong is not a piece of scanty underwear, as in America, but a fine example of Australian footwear. A group of sheilas wearing black rubber thongs may not be as exciting as you hoped.
* It is proper to refer to your best mate as "a total bastard".
* If you can't stomach a good slathering of Vegemite on toast, you're just not true blue.
* It's considered better to be down on your luck than up yourself.
*On picnics, the esky is always too small, creating a food-versus-grog battle that can only be resolved by leaving tha salad at home.
* There comes a time in every Australian's life when he/she realises that Aerogard is worse than the flies.
* We want to make: "no worries, mate" our national phrase
"She'll be right, mate" our national attitude and
"Waltzing Matilda" our national anthem (so what if it's about a sheep-steeling crim who tops himself)
*We also have the biggest rock, the tastiest pies, and the worst-dressed Olympians in the known universe.
*And, finally, don't let the tourist books fool you. No one ever says "cobber" to anyone...ever!
