Nenagh Kemp, a psychologist at the University of Tasmania, told Australian Geographic her theories behind why Australians use these shortened words so often. Her theory is that Australians use them as a way of coming across as more friendly and less pretentious.
Over 30% of Australians admit to using slang in most conversations. The most well-known slang words in Australia are 'mate', 'thongs' and 'sunnies'. The most annoying slang words in Australia are 'sheila', 'crikey' and 'cake hole'.
Many terms we think of as classically Australian, like tucker (food), came from British or Irish English. Quite a few are applications of Cockney rhyming slang, some of which are or were also found in London, some of which are Australian innovations on the Cockney “game”.
There can be few languages, or dialects, with a stronger history of slang than Australian English. "Australian slang really seems to have built up a head of steam in the late 19th Century," says Tony Thorne, linguist at Kings College London and author of the Dictionary of Contemporary Slang.
So, slang continues to flourish. It's also clear there's no sign that we're about to give up our shortenings — as seppo, firie and trackie daks attest, Australians still love abbreviations.
This could occur because the word “no” is an example of what linguists call an open syllable, meaning it has no consonant at its close. This allows the speaker to lengthen the vowel and draw it out – a feature we love in different Australian accents!
These alternative forms of words are often described as "diminutives" (or hypocoristics). Pet names with such endings can show we have a warm or simply friendly attitude toward something or someone (think of the on -s on cuddles). Certainly, on names, -ie/y and -o are often affectionate (think Susy and Robbo).
Let's start with the most common, most well-known, and most quintessentially Australian slang term for girls: Sheila. While everywhere else in the English-speaking world, Sheila is a specific person's name, in Australia it can be used to refer to any woman or girl.
The American accent is rhotic, so when a word is spelt with an "r," a "hard r" sound is used. When Americans apply their pronunciation to the Australian "no," it results in the phonetic spelling of "naur." (To an Australian, "naur" looks like it would be pronounced "naw.")
WHY DO AUSSIES CALL THEM THONGS? The word THONG means restraint, referred to as the piece of rubber that is used to slide between the big and second toe to keep the soul of the sandal.
Bludger. (Noun) A lazy person. “I'm running around like a headless chook organising this bloody barbie, and Johnno's just sitting there like a bludger!”
Contributor's comments: The meaning of Bubs I grew up with is a baby, or quite often the youngest member of the family is called "bubs" from an older sibling.
If you're feeling unwell, you could say you are crook. If someone is angry, you could say they've 'gone crook'.
Oi /ɔɪ/ is an interjection used in various varieties of the English language, particularly Australian English, British English, Indian English, Irish English, New Zealand English, and South African English, as well as non-English languages such as Chinese, Tagalog, Tamil, Hindi/Urdu, Japanese, and Portuguese to get the ...
If you say “no” with an extra syllable or two, chances are you are actually saying naur, an Australian-ism defined by its listeners, not its speakers, which continues to be one of the internet's favourite jokes.
“Bugger” is common in both Aussie and British slang, and vaguely refers to someone or something that is annoying. Calling someone a bugger can be used affectionately or derogatorily. The general expletive can be used in any situation, and roughly means,“F*** off/me” or “Well, I'll be damned!”
Most commonly, stunner is used to describe a person—often not to their face. So, someone who is particularly attractive would be a stunner: “I met this total stunner the other night,” for example. As you can probably guess, this term derives from the word 'stunning'.
Australian Shepherd
They may bark to alert their owners of a stranger or an unfamiliar situation but other than that, you won't hear much from them. This fits the self-controlled personality that Aussies possess. Most Australian Shepherds are thinking dogs, not impulsive ones.
The differences in height are the result of a number of different public and personal health factors, including the increased availability of food (protein was comparatively abundant and affordable in the Australian colonies, and the comparatively benign environment (lower population density and cleaner drinking water) ...
"Barbie" is Australian slang for barbecue and the phrase "slip a shrimp on the barbie" often evokes images of a fun social gathering under the sun.