American fans of the hit animated cartoon Bluey have been left baffled on multiple occasions by not understanding Australian references.
From “trash chickens” to the Australian tradition of Christmas firecrackers, American parents have taken to social media to demand information about the objects, behaviors and animals seen on the popular children’s show.
On one occasion, a mother thought she saw a bottle of wine among the bushes in her backyard, but the object in question was actually a cricket bat.
CONTAINER CHICKENS
In Australian slang, a “bin chicken” is a native bird called an ibis, often seen in towns and cities rummaging through rubbish bins for food.
In one episode, Bluey and Bingo, two of the show’s characters, chase an ibis in a park. However, one American viewer had difficulty identifying the species and what it refers to in the show.
“Can anyone tell me about these birds? I’ve seen them in several episodes,” the viewer asked on the Adult Bluey fan page on Facebook.
“Are they calling them ‘boom kids’?” Someone please tell this clueless American!
Fortunately, fans quickly joined the page’s thread with explanations. Meanwhile, another US fan identified with the Australian slang term for the ibis and compared it to the Native American raccoon, also known as the “garbage collector.”
In one episode, Bluey and Bingo, two of the show’s characters, chase an ibis in a park.
The term ‘garbage chicken’ refers to the Australian white ibis (pictured), which is often seen rummaging through city rubbish bins and is considered an eyesore.
CRICKET BAT IN THE BACKYARD
Last year, an American mother was left scratching her head while looking at Bluey after spotting an oddly shaped object in the backyard.
At first, Amanda, from Massachusetts, thought it was a bottle of wine. It wasn’t until she sought help on a Facebook parenting group that she was told what it really was: a cricket bat.
“Curious minds would love to know what happens to the wine bottle in the bushes in Daddy Robot,” Amanda wrote, sharing a photo from the scene in the episode.
It wasn’t long before Australian mothers began to point out that the object was a cricket bat.
While watching Bluey, Massachusetts mom Amanda saw an oddly shaped object in the background of the cartoon and thought it was a wine bottle (circled, right). It wasn’t until she sought help on a parenting Facebook group that she was told what it really was.
KEEP THE TOILET SEPARATE FROM THE BATHROOM
It is common for Australian homes to have a toilet separate from the bathroom, a layout not often seen internationally.
“A question for Australians – is it normal for there to not be a toilet in the main bathroom and for it to be its own thing in a room with nothing else? I just watched the Hide and Seek episode and noticed she moved Chattermax to a whole new room to wash his hands,” one mum asked the Bluey Family Fans Facebook group.
Dozens of Australians joined the conversation and confirmed the trait to the American.
“Yes. The bathrooms are usually in another room, sometimes outside,” one clarified.
“Yes! I’m Australian and my main bathroom has a bath/shower and sink, and the toilet is in a separate room!” commented another fan, who also added how convenient it is to have the rooms arranged this way.
‘I love it because it means you can go to the bathroom without disturbing the person in the shower.’
USING ‘FACE PAINT’ ON THE BEACH
Another international mum was left baffled when she spotted strange coloured lines she thought were face paint on characters Bluey and Bingo.
Although she thought it was face paint, the colors were from zinc sunscreen.
“Ok moms, I’m an American mom. Is beach face paint just an Australian thing? So what is it? I would love to get some beach face paint for my kids,” Jessica captioned the post.
Many were surprised to discover that the mother was not familiar with colored sunscreen and soon explained its importance to her.
“It’s a sunscreen with zinc and color,” said one mom. “We use it on top of regular sunscreen for extra protection.”
“Thick, strong sunscreens. The colored ones come in stick form, like a roll-on lip balm, and are used on the areas most affected by the sun to prevent burning,” added another.
“Cricket players wear white zinc on their faces all the time,” noted another.
Jessica, an American mother, was very puzzled when she saw some strange coloured lines that she thought were face paint on the characters Bluey and Bingo.
AUSTRALIAN CHRISTMAS COOKIE TRADITION
Elsewhere, Brittany was watching the ‘Swimming in Christmas’ episode, where the dog family gathers around a table for a festive lunch.
The American mother noticed everyone was wearing colourful ‘crowns’ and immediately posted on the Facebook group ‘Adult Bluey Fans’ to ask why.
“Can any of our lovely Aussie members tell me why everyone is wearing crowns in Season 2 Episode 26, Christmas Swim? I thought it was so cute and would love to know more about it!” she wrote.
In Australia and the United Kingdom, it is a Christmas tradition for guests to open Christmas crackers (cardboard tubes wrapped in festive paper designs) before or during the meal.
Inside is a tissue paper crown, plus a small piece of paper with a joke or riddle written on it, and sometimes a toy.
The paper crown is then worn for the rest of the meal.
Brittany, a mother from the US, was watching the ‘Christmas Swim’ episode of the animated children’s show Bluey, where the dog family gathers around a table and toasts a festive lunch.
