How “no worries” infected American English • Hacker News Board

Re: How “no worries” infected American English

#21

Post by vacri » Wed, Jan 20, 2016, 1:06 PM UTC

rmccue wrote: post #9

Never even realised this was an Australian thing. I kind of assumed it was a universal English thing, with the more Australian variant being "no wuckas".

'No wuckas' is nowhere near as common as 'no worries' in Australia. 'No wuckas' is only when you're being blokey and making a point of the phrase; raising the 'ocker' factor. Most day to day usage is 'no worries' - in most retail shops, for example, if you thank the staff for help, they're not going to say the 'wuckas' variant.

Re: How “no worries” infected American English

#22

Post by vacri » Wed, Jan 20, 2016, 1:07 PM UTC

13hours wrote: post #13

davidgerard wrote: post #10

Just wait for the Americans to start saying "no wuckas", and see how long it takes them to work out how it came about. (don't post spoilers, Australians!)

No wucking furries cunts!

I think the seppos already have that last one.

Re: How “no worries” infected American English

#23

Post by steveyolbert » Wed, Jan 20, 2016, 1:07 PM UTC

weeksie wrote: post #2

Like the flat white, "No worries" really started to take off around the time the work visa requirements for Aussies lightened up. Quid pro quo for Johnnie Howard's support of the Iraq war and all.

I think his name is John Howard, he never called himself Johnnie.

Unless you were calling him 'Johnnie' to make him sound small. Which would be a breathtakingly childish and hollow rhetorical device. Stick to the meaningful policy debate.

Re: How “no worries” infected American English

#24

Post by allengeorge » Wed, Jan 20, 2016, 1:13 PM UTC

jathu wrote: post #12

JamilD wrote: post #5

I live in Canada, and have started to use this almost exclusively as a substitute for "you're welcome". No idea where or when I picked it up, or why I've started using it. Would have never guessed it was a relatively new addition to North American English.

I grew up around Toronto and we started saying this in high school back around 2009/2010. I always assumed it was patois influenced, like ever other slang in Toronto, but I guess it's Australian. "yeah, no worries bro", or simply in texts as "nw".

I grew up in the GTA and I remember using this in the early 2000s. It wasn't common though (I was one of a handful of people in my social circle who used it).

Re: How “no worries” infected American English

#25

Post by furyg3 » Wed, Jan 20, 2016, 1:13 PM UTC

hellofunk wrote: post #6

I've noticed the phrase is used quite a lot here in the Netherlands, which isn't even on that list. I don't recall hearing it much in Singapore when I lived there, despite that it's at the top of the list.

I'm an American who picked 'no worries' up here in Holland. How that happened, I do not know...

Re: How “no worries” infected American English

#26

Post by VeejayRampay » Wed, Jan 20, 2016, 1:14 PM UTC

I don't really understand the use of the word "infected" here. It somehow paints the whole phenomenon with a pejorative brush. It's nice that languages and dialects evolve and influence each other like that. It's an especially important subject for me as a native speaker that has a very hard time taking steps away from its past (French).

Re: How “no worries” infected American English

#27

Post by nailer » Wed, Jan 20, 2016, 1:17 PM UTC

phphphph wrote: post #18

weeksie wrote: post #2

Like the flat white, "No worries" really started to take off around the time the work visa requirements for Aussies lightened up. Quid pro quo for Johnnie Howard's support of the Iraq war and all.

So basically: Thanks, Saddam?

For Americans: there's a special E1 visa for Australians that's part of a Free Trade Agreement Australia received for invading Iraq.

Re: How “no worries” infected American English

#28

Post by kasey_junk » Wed, Jan 20, 2016, 1:18 PM UTC

I worked for an Aussie company for a few years a long time ago. I've used "no worries" ever since then. That one gets remarked on way less often than "good on ya" which I also still use.

My favorite phrase I picked up was "bouncing around like a blue assed fly"...

Re: How “no worries” infected American English

#29

Post by notahacker » Wed, Jan 20, 2016, 1:21 PM UTC

hellofunk wrote: post #6

I've noticed the phrase is used quite a lot here in the Netherlands, which isn't even on that list. I don't recall hearing it much in Singapore when I lived there, despite that it's at the top of the list.

I think I picked it up when I was in Singapore, but I did have quite a few Aussie friends there...

Re: How “no worries” infected American English

#30

Post by jen729w » Wed, Jan 20, 2016, 1:22 PM UTC

steveyolbert wrote: post #23

weeksie wrote: post #2

Like the flat white, "No worries" really started to take off around the time the work visa requirements for Aussies lightened up. Quid pro quo for Johnnie Howard's support of the Iraq war and all.

I think his name is John Howard, he never called himself Johnnie. Unless you were calling him 'Johnnie' to make him sound small. Which would be a breathtakingly childish and hollow rhetorical device. Stick to the meaningful policy debate.

How'd this get a downvote?! Perfectly valid point. Australian here. John Howard has never, ever, by anyone, ever, been called "Johnnie". Ever.