Bloody oath! Aussies love swearing, just ask Cate Blanchett. But there are times when swearing isn’t appropriate, like when your granny comes to visit. Don’t fret. If you need to let off some steam, or if your lingo consists mostly of language that would make your granny blush, then the Macquarie Dictionary has got you … Read more
The idea for a dictionary of Australian English was conceived in the 1960s, but it wasn’t until 1981 that the first edition of the Macquarie Dictionary was published. More Than Words tells the story of how the dictionary was brought to life during this period – from identifying the need for a genuinely Australian dictionary … Read more
Welcome to March. Summer is slipping away. Soon it will just be a memory of sunburn on your skin after a long day at the beach. If you dread short days and chilly weather, console yourself with these six new words. Ah, the sizzle of bacon on the frying pan. If you love bacon you … Read more
Starve the lizards! No, this isn’t the beginning of some peculiar anti-reptile campaign, rather, starve the lizards is a great Aussie exclamation of surprise that has sadly fallen out of use. Occasionally changed to stiffen the lizards, this scaly piece of slang was first recorded back in the 1920s. Stone the crows is a similar … Read more
Drinking: an Aussie tradition, and though we try to do so in moderation, occasionally things get out of hand and we find ourselves doing a shoey. A shoey is the act of drinking a beverage, usually an alcoholic beverage, out of a shoe. Often a ritual at the end of a sporting competition, especially motor sports, … Read more
This week we are offering discounted slang words. Ever been ripped off? Ever shoveled out ten bucks for a slice of gluten free bread about the size of a credit card? If so you have felt the rough end of the pineapple. Unfortunately, this incredible piece of slang means that you got a raw deal; the … Read more
Slip on your thongs and grab a stubbie because this week we going ocker. Referring to the archetypal uncultivated Australian working man, ocker also known as occa and okker, is generally used in a negative way to depict a chauvinistic, misogynistic, sports-loving, beer-gutted, esky-carrying, rubber-thong-wearing yob who is totally lacking in sensitivity, compassion, gentleness and insight. It’s … Read more
At the Macquarie Dictionary head office, we are fond of road trips. One of our favourite parts of cruising through the outback is when you notice your fuel drop down to two bars with a hundred kilometres to go before the next servo. Oh, the thrill of not knowing whether you’ll make it. Ah, the … Read more
The pub test is the notional measure of public opinion on a proposal or candidate arrived at by asking the average drinker in a hotel what they think. With the possibility of a Federal election in 2021, you’re likely to hear and see this phrase a lot more. At this point in the blog we need … Read more
This week we are looking at provocative slang words. Do you have a mate who likes to stir the possum? That is, creates a disturbance or uproar? Stir the possum has been Aussie slang since the 1900s, so named because a sleeping possum does not take well to being stirred up. Stir the possum can also … Read more
