- A US expat’s astonishing outburst about a common Aussie phrase has sparked outrage online
- Grace Harris claims the phrase “going to the toilet” is “gross” and demands Aussies have better manners
- The debate has ignited a firestorm, with Australians defending their local terminology and arguing it’s not “Aussie slang”
Grace Harris, a 30-year-old American expat living in Queensland, has sparked a heated debate after claiming that a very common Australian phrase is “gross” and demands that Aussies “have some manners”. In a controversial TikTok video, Harris revealed that she struggles to understand the everyday Aussie expression “going to the toilet”, preferring the American terms “bathroom” or “restroom” instead.
“Toilet just sounds so gross. Have some manners,” Harris said in the video, which has since gone viral. The comments section was quickly flooded with Aussies defending their local terminology, arguing that “toilet” is not “Aussie slang” but rather a standard term used globally.
“Toilet isn’t Aussie slang, that’s just what it is,” one user wrote in response. Another added, “It’s not a bathroom either because there’s no bath or shower in most public toilets”. A third user explained, “In some houses, the toilet is in a separate room to the bathroom so you are going to the toilet to go to the toilet”.
But Harris’s rant didn’t stop there. She also admitted to struggling with other common Aussie words and phrases, including “bin” (which she insists on calling a “trash can”), “pardon” (which she says is “what”), and “trolley” (which she claims is a “shopping cart”).
The American expat also confessed that she had no idea what the term “fortnight” meant until she heard it in a Taylor Swift song. “People here say fortnight all the time – it means two weeks. I didn’t even know what it meant until that Taylor Swift song came out,” she said.
The debate has sparked a wider conversation about cultural differences and language barriers, with many Aussies calling out Harris for her criticism of their local terminology. But Harris remains defiant, insisting that she will continue to use her own terms and phrases, even if they differ from those used by Australians.