Category: Australian National Dictionary
-
Word of the Month – January: Pinkie
Pinkie: noun a baby marsupial that has not yet grown fur, and is too young to leave its mother’s pouch. THE STORY BEHIND THE WORD OF THE MONTH Winter months in Australia see a rise in the number of vehicles colliding with animals, especially native animals such as kangaroos. This is due to shorter daylight hours,…
-
How dictionaries preserve and celebrate Australian English
Through the last 30 years, the Australian National Dictionary Centre (ANDC), in collaboration with Oxford University Press (OUP), has produced Australia’s most authoritative and successful dictionaries, as well as a significant number of research monographs. This body of work has documented the rich history and contemporary dimensions of Australian English. Before the production of the…
-
‘I can’t believe it’s not chicken!’: Mock foods in the Australian Women’s Weekly
By Lauren Samuelsson Then the Queen left off, quite out of breath, and said to Alice, ‘Have you seen the Mock Turtle yet?’ ‘No,’ said Alice. ‘I don’t even know what a Mock Turtle is.’ ‘It’s the thing Mock Turtle Soup is made from,’ said the Queen. — Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, 1869….
-
Oxford Word of the Month – September: dog act
Dog act noun an action seen as treacherous, cowardly or unacceptable. THE STORY BEHIND THE WORD OF THE MONTH The term dog act might bring to mind the idea of a performing dog circus act, dog control legislation or, if you are familiar with Australian English, a now defunct law that prohibited the sale of alcohol…
-
Oxford Word of the Month – August: green whistle
Green whistle: noun a disposable handheld inhaler for short-term pain relief following accident or injury. THE STORY BEHIND THE WORD OF THE MONTH Since the 1970s, many Australian accident and trauma victims have used the green whistle, an emergency analgesic device commonly carried by paramedics to give temporary pain relief for patients on their way to…
-
Oxford Word of the Month – July: Anzac Day rule
Anzac Day rule noun a tradition that heaters should not be used in Canberra before Anzac Day. THE STORY BEHIND THE WORD OF THE MONTH An Australian Government website on energy use has a page headed: ‘Your energy bill and the ANZAC Day rule’, and provides the following advice: Unknown to ACT outsiders, an ancient practice…
-
Australian Word of the Year 2017: Kwaussie
Kwassie has been named Australian Word of the Year 2017! Kwaussie: ‘a person who is a dual citizen of Australia and New Zealand; a New Zealander living in Australia; a person of Australian and New Zealand descent’. The Australian National Dictionary Centre, based at The Australian National University, selected Kwaussie, a blend of Kiwi and Aussie, as…