In Australia, "dobbing" means informing on someone to an authority figure (like a teacher or parent) about wrongdoing, similar to tattling or snitching, and it's generally viewed negatively as a betrayal of mateship, though the line blurs with genuinely dangerous actions. It's considered un-Australian, rooted in historical convict culture, and carries a strong social stigma, with phrases like "no one likes a dobber" being common, though parents teach kids to report truly harmful behaviour.
Dobbing. Telling on someone. Imagine you're playing a game, and your friend breaks the rules. Instead of sorting it out yourself, you run to tell an adult! In Bluey, this is what's known as “dobbing.” It sparks silly debates among the characters about whether to be honest or just keep playing.
to inform against or report, esp to the police.
(slang, chiefly Australia, New Zealand) To report (a person) to someone in authority for a wrongdoing. I'll dob on you if you break in. You dobbed me in!
When we tell on someone (also called dobbing or snitching), we are trying to get someone in trouble on purpose. Telling someone is different, as we are speaking up because we are worried that something bad might happen or someone might get hurt.
Yes, dobbing is the same as tattling, telling on someone essentially. Autocorrect doesn't even recognise it, but then it doesn't understand many Aussie terms or slang words.
Complaints that count as whistleblowing
a criminal offence, for example fraud. someone's health and safety is in danger. risk or actual damage to the environment. a miscarriage of justice.
"Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy, Oi, Oi, Oi!" is a popular Australian sports chant, a variation of the British "Oggy, Oggy, Oggy" cheer, used to express national pride and support for Australian teams, with "Ozzy" being slang for "Australian" and "Oi, Oi, Oi" a general interjection for enthusiasm or attention, much like "USA!". The chant involves one group shouting "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!" and the crowd responding "Oi, Oi, Oi!".
Common Australian slang for a girl includes "Sheila" (older, sometimes dated or slightly derogatory), "chick," or just using general terms like "mate," "gal," or "lass," with context and tone being important, but "girl" is still widely used; some slang, like "moll," can refer to a girlfriend or a promiscuous woman, while "bogan" describes an unsophisticated person.
The word is probably related to British dialect dob meaning 'to put down an article heavily or clumsily; to throw down', and 'to throw stones etc. at a mark' (often used to describe throwing and hitting in games of marbles). Dob is first recorded in the 1950s.
If you heard or read that someone had been dobbed in, would you know what that meant? It's an expression used mainly in the UK, Australian and New Zealand that means to inform on someone to the authorities – i.e. the police, parents, teachers, etc.
A classic Scots insult, "dobber" refers to someone acting like a bit of an idiot—perfect for winding up a pal or adding some humor to your home.
informal in the nude; naked.
Bluey is a girl, as are all the main Heeler characters, despite some viewers mistakenly thinking she's a boy because she's blue and doesn't fit traditional gender stereotypes, though the show subtly includes LGBTQ+ representation through characters like Miss Lulu and a family with two mums, emphasizing inclusive play and diverse families. The creator based the show on his own daughters, confirming Bluey and her sister Bingo are female.
The Australian word ranga is a relatively recent addition to colloquial terms for red-haired people and it has an interesting story. Ranga is an abbreviation of orang-utan (a primate with reddish-brown hair native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia).
Here are 5 common Aussie slang words/phrases: G'day (hello), Mate (friend), Arvo (afternoon), No worries (no problem/you're welcome), and Barbie (barbecue), with many Aussies shortening words (like Brekkie for breakfast, Servo for gas station) and using colourful terms for everyday things.
Missus. A person's wife or girlfriend. I'm taking the missus out for their birthday.
Cheerio | Goodbye, "see ya later"! There is some unconventional English in our local dialect around outback Australia. As the miners, chaps from the cattle stations or oil rigs come to town to relax you may hear it a bit stronger.
Pommy or pom
Newspapers in Australia were using the term by 1912, with it appearing first in Western Australia, and was said to be short for pomegranate, with the terms "jimmy" and "jimmigrant" also in use. The term Ten-pound Pom refers to British (subsidized) migrants to Australia and New Zealand after World War II.
Another classic case of Australians shortening everything. Meaning 'thank you', ta is usually used for the times when you are in a rush or want to send a quick text to show your appreciation for something.
White Australian
It is likely that many people do not even consider whistleblowing not only because of fear of retaliation but also because of fear of losing relationships both at and outside work.
Bridenbaugh (known as the GE Three) "blew the whistle" on safety problems at nuclear power plants, and their action has been called "an exemplary instance of whistleblowing". The three engineers gained the attention of journalists and their disclosures about the threats of nuclear power had a significant impact.