Learning the Lingo

Whilst living in Australia for the past 18 months I haven't picked up any sort of accent but I have started to use Australiaisms.  Like "no worries" and "no drama", got to love that one.  This is pretty much where it stops though.  I'd like to make use of "fair dinkum" but I'm still not 100% sure what it means and wouldn't want to offend anyone by using it in the wrong context and am fairly certain it would sound ridiculous coming out of my mouth.  It's like my Australian buddies trying to get me to say "G'day".  Unless this is said in an ozzy accent it just sounds stupid and I will not be attempting this again as it causes those around me to roll around laughing.  Bah!  Most of the time communication is fine and I only occasionally get mocked for my pommy accent - most often when asking if anyone wants a cup of tea.  Apparently I sound very English when I say tea.  But every now and then the Ozzy/Pommy divide rears it's head and there is major confusion.  A nasty paper cut required a plaster (yes, another Stalky boo boo and it really was bleeding!) but asking for a plaster only generates raised eyebrows as my colleagues enquire as to why I require a plaster cast for my finger.  No, they correct me, I need a band aid.  A band aid?  I asked for a plastic wallet and it took much describing on my part for my co-workers to ascertain that I was actually after a plastic sleeve.  We've argued on numerous occasions as to why I won't refer to flip flops as thongs and when someone phoned to say they'd left their pants behind I thought we'd be looking for a pair of knickers!  Sweets are not sweets, they're lollies.  So I ask, if sweets are lollies then what are lollies.  Lollies.  Lollies are lollies and sweets are lollies.  The mind boggles.  So what's an ice lolly?  An icy pole.  Or an ice block.  Thank God ice cream still means the same thing.  Crisps are chips so what are chips?  Hot chips.  Chips and hot chips.  What about hot crisps then?  Ha!  But honestly, I do want to integrate into society and embrace the Australian culture.  It's just taking me a while to get my head around the various idiosyncrasies.  It's an interesting experience learning the lingo and I wouldn't want to be wandering around making a fool of myself.  It was only the other day that we learnt that "Root" has a whole other meaning in this country.  Good to be given the heads up.  So I'm trying to use the correct terminology, especially at work, especially when talking to young children who think I'm mental when they ask me for an icy pole and I stare back at them blankly.  I like to think I'm passing some Englishisms onto my friends.  They now know the meaning of "billy".  To be a billy, when one is on their bill.  I think they rather liked that one.  Who knows, maybe together we'll come up with a weird new hybrid language.