Tag: Oxford Word of the Month
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Oxford Word of the Month: July – Deso
noun: a person who abstains from alcohol at a social gathering so as to be fit to drive others home; a designated driver. In 2012 the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) in Victoria ran a competition, Make A Film, Make A Difference, which asked people aged 25 or under to come up with an idea for…
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Oxford Word of the Month: June – Convict class
noun: the cheapest class of travel; economy class. One of the most frequent complaints when it comes to travel is flying in economy class, especially on international flights. A popular term used to refer to economy class is cattle class, alluding to passengers being herded into close proximity in narrow seats with cramped leg room….
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Oxford Word of the Month: May – Tag dag
noun: a person who accidentally leaves a garment label showing. In 2008 a newspaper article with the heading ‘No panties OK, but what about the tag?’ drew attention to a fashion faux pas made by model Jennifer Hawkins. It wasn’t the fact she had chosen not to wear underpants, but that a garment label was…
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Oxford Word of the Month – April: Kangaroo mile
noun: a distance usually longer than an actual mile because of the nature of the terrain. THE STORY BEHIND THE WORD OF THE MONTH In 1842, on an overland expedition with Sir John and Lady Jane Franklin in Tasmania, settler and author David Burn wrote in his diary: ‘The path throughout, Mr. Calder reckons at…
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Oxford Word of the Month – March: Bush politician
noun: 1. a person regarded as a ‘know-it-all’. 2. a politician from a rural area of Australia and seen to represent rural values and interests. THE STORY BEHIND THE WORD OF THE MONTH In Australia, bush has been the most significant term in describing the Australian landscape. Bush and the meanings that have accrued to…
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Oxford Word of the Month – February: Field day
noun: (in rural areas) a day set aside for the display and demonstration of new machinery and farming equipment; a day organised for the discussion of specific agricultural problems, innovations, and techniques. THE STORY BEHIND THE WORD OF THE MONTH Field days in Australia began in the 1890s as an educational service for farmers. The…
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Oxford Word of the Month – January: Australian tea
noun: a social fundraising event that usually includes the sale and purchase of donated items. THE STORY BEHIND THE WORD OF THE MONTH In 1915, the newspaper Nhill Free Press gave notice of a social event soon to take place: On Thursday, July 29th, a function to be called an ‘Australian Tea’ will be held in…
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Oxford’s Australian Words of 2015
Each year the ANDC selects a Word of the Year. The words chosen for the shortlist are not necessarily new, or exclusively Australian, but are selected on the basis of having come to some prominence in the Australian social and cultural landscape during the year. Oxford Word of the Year – 2015: Sharing economy The Oxford…