Australian and New Zealand English: doona and thongs

Donna is a word which cropped up today in a video on how to put on a doona cover. I could see what it is.

 In England we would call it a duvet, which is a French word. I remember when I first learned the word duvet, probably in the nineteen Sixties or Seventies. Before that we had quilts. According to the online dictionaries, doona is an Australian word.

I have previous posts on words which are different in Australia and New Zealand and England, such as sheila (a female in Australia), thongs (sandals with toe posts in Australia) but called flip-flops in England, where thongs are ladies' underwear or bikini bottoms with a string at the back.

Angela Lansbury, BA Hons, English language teacher, teacher of public speaking, blogger, travel writer, author and speaker.

English language, American, Australian, New Zealand

When I found myself sitting next to a New Zealander who had an Australian wife I took the opportunity to ask them about words which are different in England and 'down under'.

English clingfilm; NZ Glad wrap or Glad bags (brand names)
English flip flops; NZ Jandles (short for Japanese sandals); Australia thongs
English cool box; NZ chilly bin; Australian esky (short for eskimo)
English loo (or toilet or lavatory); Australian d u n n y (I had to separate the letters because predictive text changed it to funny)
English paper hanky - USA Kleenex
English kettle / put the kettle on - NZ put the jug on; Australian billy
English duvet; Australian doona
English vacuum cleaner / Hoover; NZ Electrolux

Angela Lansbury travel writer and photographer, author, researcher, English teacher

French words: bouquet, courier, premier, sihouette

Any word ending in euro is likely to be French in origin. Also look out for word endings such as et ... ballet, bouquet, croquet, duvet, all pronounced 'ay', or ette - baguette, banquette, serviette, silhouette, all rhyming with bet, get, met, set. I'm thinking about banquet, which seems to break the rule.

A courier - a carrier, a person who carries goods or documents from place to place
premiere - (I saw this in yesterday's paper as premier in English) important first, first night or showing of a play or performance, first in the list of a group of people, or their president or representative  eg he is the premiere of ... (think premium brand).