Former Marine Corps member, Presten Boydstun, has embarked on a new adventure in Western Australia, working on a cattle ranch after leaving the military. While Boydstun has been enjoying his time in Australia, he has encountered some difficulties in understanding the local slang. He has compiled a list of 50 unfamiliar phrases, including terms such as “hoon,” “fanging,” and “Ken Oath.”
Boydstun, who served four years in the Marines before leaving in July, revealed that he experienced a period of depression due to the loss of some of his comrades. Seeking a fresh start, he accepted a job offer from a veterinarian family friend who operates cattle farms in Western Australia. Since September 1, Boydstun has been documenting his blissful experiences on TikTok, where he has amassed a following of over 286,000.
Residing in a charming rural city with approximately 14,000 residents, Boydstun is just a short drive away from the ocean. However, he has had to adjust to Australian slang, which he discussed in a popular TikTok video that garnered 2.3 million views on October 17. To keep track of the unfamiliar phrases, Boydstun has created a list, which currently includes approximately 50 entries. For example, he has learned that an “esky” is a cooler, a “brolly” is an umbrella, and a “ute” is a pickup truck. He has also discovered that “hoon” refers to a reckless driver, “fanging” means going fast, and “rooted” means tired. Additionally, Boydstun has picked up on phrases such as “ken oath,” which translates to “heck yeah,” and “not here to F spiders,” which means “not here to mess around.”
The American accent occasionally surprises locals, but Boydstun has even incorporated the greeting “Oi” to fit in better. Australian TikTok followers have found his assimilation process amusing, with one commenter stating, “As an Aussie, I really didn’t realize how many ‘sayings’ we have till you point them out in a huge list like that.” Another commenter advised newcomers to Australia, “You can determine what we mean by the way we say it, not what we actually say.”
Aside from language challenges, Boydstun has also had to adapt to driving on the opposite side of the road and the local cuisine. He has sampled the famous “Tim Tam slam” and the renowned Vegemite spread, the latter of which he now swears by, claiming that it “changes your life.”
Currently on a yearlong holiday visa, Boydstun intends to apply for a more permanent work visa to extend his stay in Australia. By then, he hopes to have achieved fluency in Australian slang. Reflecting on his newfound happiness, Boydstun exclaimed, “I’m just a happy freaking guy. I’m so happy and blessed to be out here.”
