Amazon has teamed up with Sophie Monk and viral duo – The Inspired Unemployed – to teach Alexa some of Australia’s unique and need-to-know phrases. Thanks to this training, Alexa now understands over 100 true blue words and phrases from “flick it on” to “switch on” the lights and even “sparrows fart!”
Speaking about the campaign, and her love of Aussie English and culture, Sophie Monk said: “It’s no secret that I’m a self-confessed bogan, but I honestly love the way us Aussies talk, it’s unlike anywhere else in the world. It’s so funny to me because I was born in the UK, yet I’m such a true-blue Aussie. I can’t shake it – even living overseas for 10 years didn’t make a difference. People had no idea what I was saying half the time, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. It makes me feel at home. That’s why I’m excited to help Alexa understand the Aussie phrases we all love.”
It’s true – Sophie Monk is up there as one of our national treasures but to give you some inside information – she’s a bit of a homebody. Soph loves nothing more than putting her culinary skills to work and cooking up tasty treats for her partner. Alexa loves to help her with that.
Here are some of the common questions Sophie asks Alexa when she’s in the kitchen:
“Alexa, give me a chicken parmy recipe”
“Alexa, give me a lamington recipe”
“Alexa, find me a meat pie recipe”
Sophie is also a bit on the curious side and loves to learn about things. Try saying, “Alexa, tell me something Aussie” to join Sophie in her quest to kill it at the next trivia night.
Sophie’s bedtime routine
When Sophie isn’t being her usual glam icon self, she’s relaxing at home in her trackies. She gets pretty chilled, and sometimes needs a sneaky reminder to keep her day on track. That’s where Alexa helps out. Sophie will often say something like: “Alexa, remind me to call my bestie this weekend”.
When it’s time to wind down at the end of another hectic one, Sophie has created her very own Bedtime Beauty routine and here it is to share with you:
You say: “Alexa, time to pack it in” and then Alexa takes these Actions:
- Action 1: I’ll set the mood by dimming the bedroom lights
- Action 2: As you settle in I’ll bid you a “Good Night”
- Action 3: To ensure that Sophie is left to sleep peacefully, I switch on “Do Not Disturb” mode.
- Action 4: Then I’ll start a 15 minute meditation from the Headspace skill that helps Sophie relax before bed.
Amazon has done some research and some of the most popular Aussie slang on Alexa includes Yeah/Nah (38%), Mozzie (32%) and Barbie (28%). Other key findings from the research include:
- A third (29%) of Aussies say that using uniquely Aussie phrases has helped them nab a date with non-Aussies
- Over half (53%) say hearing Aussie slang makes them feel at home
- 22% of young Aussieshave used Aussie phrases in professional settings, and a sixth (14%) have used in their wedding vows or proposal.
- Our language is changing, a fifth (21%) of those over 64 years old have had to ask younger family members to explain new slang
Special thanks to Matt, Jack and Sophie for sharing their Alexa routines with us.
If you’d like some more information about Alexa, you can browse the Meet Alexa Hub or explore the Amazon Echo Family of Devices here.