Many years ago (1972) not long after we arrived in Australia we were asked to a BBQ. BYO, the neighbour said, oh and bring a plate. Now I knew BYO meant bring your own drinks but being a new chum was mystified by ‘bring a plate’.
Some of the groups I belonged to previously (usually young wives/mums groups) had met in members homes and we were often asked to bring cups and plates to help out at morning coffee or supper time because in those days not many young families had oodles of crockery or cutlery,
So you can guess what we did the day of the BBQ – yes, we each turned up holding an empty plate – not a skerrick of food on them. Now if the neighbour had mentioned ‘shared food or potluck’ I’d have known what to do. Meat and salads or a sweet to share would have come along with us.
- Meanings and origins of Australian words and idioms
Bring a Plate
An invitation to bring a plate of food to share at a social gathering or fundraiser. There are many stories of new arrivals in Australia being bamboozled by the instruction to bring a plate. As the locals know, a plate alone will not do. In earlier days the request was often ladies a plate, sometimes followed by gentlemen a donation (to the bar…understood) First recorded in the 1920s source
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There was a big grin on my face the day I first heard this joke
Remembering the day of the empty plates 😊
The Blonde Cowboy
A Sheriff in a small town in Texas walks out into the street and sees a blonde haired cowboy coming towards him with nothing on but his cowboy hat, his gun and his boots.
He arrests him for indecent exposure.
As he is locking him up he asks, ‘Why in the world are you walking around llike this?’
The cowboy says, ‘Well it’s like this Sheriff…
I was in this bar down the road and this pretty little red head asks me to go out to her motor home with her….
So I did.
We go inside and she pulls off her top and asks me to pull off my shirt….
So I did.
Then she pulls off her skirt and asks me to pull off my pants…
So I did.
Then she pulls off her panties and asks me to pull off my shorts….
So I did.
Then she gets on the bed and looks at me kind of sexy and says…
‘Now go to town cowboy’
*
*
‘And here I am!’
Bring a plate – Go to town….
Oh yes, it’s all in the understanding and interpretation of the words
Have you ever misunderstood the words??
Still Waters 
LOL
know the “bring a plate” but then I’m a native of that saying. Many an immigrant has slipped on that. And the plate should be over filled…
BTW I keep finding posts from you that are dated a few years back…not sure if that’s WP trick or you throwing in a memory post.
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Thanks for letting me know about the old posts Catherine- I’d been doing a little housekeeping on some old posts (links and better photos) – didn’t realise they were being reposted publicly though.
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Smiling. And yes, my mama was caught out with ‘bring a plate’ too.
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I’d never heard of it before EC…talk about being embarrassed
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Funny. Way funny. No, I haven’t been fooled.
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I can assure you it didn’t seem funny at the time Joanne….the jokes funny though. Poor young fella stood there in the street starkers all for the want of better comprehension
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Roaring here… I’m afraid I would have done the same thing — brought an empty plate and my own cutlery/drinks. Gads… tooo funny. And the cowboy joke was a new one to me. ROFL…
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Seemingly a long-standing‘tradition down here in Australia and New Zealand’. These days it helps those with allergies- they only eat what they bring, don’t have to worry about ingredients in food prepared by others
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the cowboy joke is funny but your story of bring a plate has me rolling on the floor. just to funny and I bet there was a lot of joking and kidding going on. love it
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What was strange Sandra is there was no mention of this ‘tradition’ in any of the literature from Australia House before we arrived- so no wonder we made a blunder
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We have heard of a few newcomers to downunder being caught out by the plate request. Its good to have stories to tell your grandchildren. What a boring life is one that never went off-piste occasionally. Xxx Mr T and F
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Even now as adults the kids still start conversations with….do you remember the day Mum did/said blah blah blah😊
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I too would have brought empty plates 😉 And boy would I have felt stupid!
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Hi Charlotte The others took it all in good fun – me well I wanted the ground to open up and swallow us. Never made that mistake again😊
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