Australians have painted an unintentional self-portrait after a Swiss tourist asked for an explanation on our nation’s “unwritten rules”.
The question — asked in the Reddit thread “Ask an Australian” — drew hundreds of replies from locals who insisted there were many rules everyone follows without ever saying them out loud.
One of the first warnings was practical: never put your shoes on without checking what’s moved in overnight.
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Several commenters joked footwear left outside was effectively a rental property for spiders, frogs and anything else looking for a warm spot.
Beach culture also came with its own strict code.
If someone has wrapped their belongings in a towel and gone for a swim, Australians say that towel becomes untouchable — “more secure than a bank vault”, as one put it.
Interfering with it is considered a social crime.
The thread also revealed one of the country’s most misunderstood phrases: “bring a plate”.
While it means “bring food to share”, one commenter said their Swiss mother once arrived at a party with a literal empty plate, assuming the hosts were short on crockery.
Public transport etiquette was also something up for debate.
Thanking the bus driver was described as non‑negotiable, while on the road, a simple apologetic wave was said to erase any wrongdoing instantly.
“Stay on the left side of the escalator, use the right side if you’re in a hurry,” one wrote.
“Always walk on the left side. Footpath, shopping aisle, if you need to overtake slow walkers always jump back left,” another replied.
When and where to wave or speak to strangers was an important part of the debate too.
“Waving in cars rurally. Not like the thank you wave as someone lets you back out of a car park or gives way to you on a suburban street with off street parking and only one car can pass. This one is different,” one commenter said.
“It’s the wave of happenstance on a road where in all the world only you two people happened to be at that location at that time. You may be waving to someone socially isolated who really appreciates it. But f**king wave.
“The actual wave itself need not be vigorous. You’re not waving for assistance. A raised index finger off the wheel is often ample but you need to acknowledge the other driver. It’s incredibly rude not to.”
Australians also admitted to a long‑running tradition of backing each other’s lies to tourists about dangerous animals, even though the real wildlife is already frightening enough.
“If another Aussie is making something up and asks you to confirm it, you do,” one user wrote.
Cultural rituals also made an appearance.
When Nutbush City Limits plays at a function, commenters said every Australian is expected to know the choreography and join.
And if you’re using barbecue tongs — many insisted you needed to “double‑click” them.
This wasn’t for any practical reason, but because it’s simply what you need do.
One commenter also summed up some of the most confusing bits of Aussie vernacular.
“Yeah nah means nah,” they wrote.
“Yeah nah yeah means yeah/maybe/still thinking.
“Yeah nah I don’t know means I don’t know.”
“You forgot Nah yeah which means yeah,” someone replied.
