Australians love a nickname, and certain jobs are no exceptions. So whether you’re a journo, brickie, shrink or cop, there’s a rich history behind the slang.
- Senior Lecturer in Linguistics, Monash University
Have you ever wondered why Australian accents are so similar compared to the US and UK? There are some subtle differences between states, though.
The dictionary is a living, breathing and evolving record of how language is wrapped up in who we are as Australians. It is vital we protect it.
Yes, some slang certainly makes its way across the Pacific. But the history between the two versions of the English language is more complex than you might think.
In political campaigns, certain words can sometimes land outsized blows. And in the 2024 presidential election, that word is “weird”.
Para peneliti menyaksikan pengetahuan masyarakat Australia tentang bahasa dan budaya Indonesia perlahan-lahan mati karena diabaikan.
Researchers are watching Australians’ knowledge of Indonesian language and culture slowly die of neglect.
How politicians have cynically used metaphor to imply meaning through language.
Through characters such as Bazza McKenzie, the late comedian promoted Australian vernacular – the witty, the crude and both – to new audiences.
Colloquialisms such as barbie and smoko are like accents – part of the glue that sticks Australian English speakers together.
New research shows there is still a lot of love for rhyming slang – but mostly among older Australians.
The Australian summer has provided its own colourful vocabulary over the years, from Spooners to speedos and bush walks to hikes.
As you make your yuletide preparations, ever wonder where some of the season’s strange words come from? Well, our linguistic experts have the answers.
An extensive study is underway to catalogue Australian slang, its origins, and why it is such an important part of our language.
With so much recent focus on how women are treated, we need to look first at how we use language. And for a long time, it has been used to belittle and silence women.
Medicine’s linguistic history in English is rich indeed, peppered with borrowings from French. But the Old English renderings retain a certain charm.
“Karen”, the name that has become code for boorish, entitled behaviour, joins a long history of names being appropriated for various purposes – often unkindly.
Times of crisis have always changed our slang, with the help of a little black humour. Coronavirus is no exception.
Bahasa selalu berubah dan berkembang – penyebab utamanya karena manusia selalu bergerak dan berpindah.
Languages are always changing and evolving- largely because humans have alwasy been on the move.
If you’re hungry for information on how we talk about food, this will put a damper on it.
We may no longer say ‘shiver me timbers’, but we still use plenty of pirate words for other things.
The Aussie accent has been lambasted as “lazy”, but this view doesn’t come from the facts.
Ever wonder where the words ‘sport’, ‘umpire’ and ‘drubbing’ come from? Here’s a short primer of sporting lingo ahead of the AFL and NRL Grand Finals.
Irish influence on Australian English is much like the influence of the Irish on Australians themselves — less than you’d expect on the surface, but everywhere once you start looking.
