A professional basketballer from America has revealed why he was left confused and offended when Aussies said ‘that’s alright’ instead of ‘you’re welcome’.
Andrew Robinson arrived in Australia last year to join the Bendigo Braves team in Victoria’s semi-professional NBL1 South competition.
The 28-year-old, who is originally from Maryland, has since joined the Ballarat Miners after a notable year in 2024.
Now he has attracted attention by documenting his difficulties in coming to grips with Aussie vernacular.
‘One of the first things I had to adjust to when I came to Australia was the fact that Australians don’t say “you’re welcome”,’ Robinson said in an Instagram video.
‘And what I mean by is… not even in a rude way… but … in America if you do something for somebody, and then you be like, “thank you”, you’ll say “you’re welcome”… Australians will be like, “oh, that’s alright”.’
American basketballer Andrew Robinson (pictured) has left Aussies in stitches after he revealed he was offended by a common saying used Down Under
Robinson (pictured) got a crash course in Aussie slang after posting his thoughts on Instagram
The basketballer (pictured left) is playing his second season in Australia
The American basketballer said he has come to understand that the phrase isn’t seen as negative by Aussies, but claimed it shook him when he first arrived.
‘It took me a while to come around to the fact that when Australians say that’s alright, they’re really saying you’re welcome,’ Robinson said.
Aussies who saw the post gave the basketballer a crash course on the history behind the slang.
‘It’s because we aren’t doing you a favour, we’re just doing what we’re supposed to do,’ one commented.
‘Welcome to our bizarre unique and much misunderstood lexicon. Often misunderstood by ourselves too,’ another added.
‘I say your welcome. You’re alright. You’re okay. Whatever comes out,’ a third commenter wrote.
‘I feel like “you’re welcome” implies we’ve done a service for you and put ourselves out of our way to assist you, whereas “no worries” implies that it hasn’t been a bother for us to help you at all in the first place,’ explained another.
Robinson responded, ‘Well I take it back then cuz … Lmaoo it took me so long to get used to this but we good now!’