The word Digger has been around since the early days of the gold rush in Australia and anecdotally there is evidence that some Colonial Australians were given the nickname Digger because of their mining endeavours. Even earlier, in the 1600's, Shakespeare referred to British Diggers and others in a military scenario.
Private Tudor Roberts wrote in September 1917 from France that: “the name Digger came from the (British) Tommies who think we Australians are all miners or cowboys.” Charles Bean, the Australian Official War Historian writing of the mid 1917 period, said: “It was at this stage that Australian soldiers came to be known, ...
Digger became the general mode of address for Australian and New Zealand soldiers although its usage disappeared for the latter troops, who became known simply as Kiwi's. Australian soldiers in World War One soon adopted the term with great pride and continue to do so.
digger. An Australian soldier. The term was applied during the First World War to Australian and New Zealand soldiers because so much of their time was spent digging trenches.
“ANZAC” was created in 1915 and became seminal to Australian identity, while “cobber”, “digger”, “dinkum”, “mate” and even “bloody” all received new life and meaning in the Australian lexicon through the Great War experience.
'Digger' was a colloquial name applied to Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) personnel that developed during the war (although the term was already applied to miners back in Australia and New Zealand).
Caught on it did. Digger became the general mode of address for Australian and New Zealand soldiers although its usage disappeared for the latter troops, who became known simply as Kiwi's. Australian soldiers in World War One soon adopted the term with great pride and continue to do so.
A drongo is a slow-witted or stupid person: a fool. This great Australian insult was originally an RAAF term for a raw recruit. It first appeared in the early 1940s, but its origin reaches back to the name of the racehorse Drongo, who ran around in the early 1920s.
The snake is derived from the original, "Don't Tread on Me" serpent, a symbol of American independence during the 18th century. Together with the torch and breastplate, it indicated readiness to defend. The breastplate is a symbol of strength.
Bogan: Australian slang for a person whose speech, clothing, attitude and behaviour are unrefined or unsophisticated.
There are also a number of terms for Australia, such as: Aussie, Oz, Lucky Country, and land of the long weekend.
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Australia is colloquially known as "the Land Down Under" (or just "Down Under"), which derives from the country's position in the Southern Hemisphere, at the antipodes of the United Kingdom.
These Australianisms have been largely replaced by the international cops, coppers, pigs or bacon. However the older, more affectionate wallopers is also still used.
The Diggers were groups of agrarian communists who flourished in England and were led by Gerrard Winstanley and William Everard and lasted just under one year, between 1649 and 1650.
In Australia a stockman (plural stockmen) is a person who looks after the livestock on a large property known as a station, which is owned by a grazier or a grazing company, traditionally on horseback. In this sense it has a similar meaning to "cowboy".
Rack Out - To go to sleep. Soup Sandwich - A mess, usually a service member who doesn't have his/her life together or a uniform that worn incorrectly. Snivel Gear - Issued cold-weather clothing.
Pineapple – Similar to being Dirked or Stabbed. Being made to do something you hate. “The Sarge just gave me a pineapple.
The Royal Australian Infantry Corps motto is 'Duty and Honour', while the motto of the infantry units varies individually.
Galah. (Noun) A stupid or idiotic person; often accompanied by the adjective 'flaming'. Inspired by our very own native bird, known for flying into windows. “Nah mate, Johnno's a flamin' galah.”
Chook comes from British dialect chuck(y) 'a chicken; a fowl' which is a variant of chick. Chook is the common term for the live bird, although chook raffles, held in Australian clubs and pubs, have ready-to-cook chooks as prizes.
An uncommon alternative name for the Australian Magpie is Flute Bird. The magpie can mimic over 35 species of native and introduced bird species, as well as other animal calls, such as those of dogs and horses. Magpies have also been noted to mimic human speech, when living in close proximity to humans.
The Australian Army sniper is issued the SR98, with Folding Butt, which provides snipers with the capability to engage targets beyond 800 metres.
ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces became known as ANZACs. Anzac Day is a commemoration of the anniversary of the landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli, Turkey on 25 April in 1915.
Ranga in Australian slang is a reference to red hair. Generally, if an Australian is being effusive about someone with red hair, they'll use redhead to describe them.