Abbreviations
Aussies are renowned for shortening or abbreviating words and expressions, often adding –o or –ie after the word has been abbreviated.
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Cartoon: David Pope
Arvo
Afternoon, as in 'see you Saturday arvo'.
It is often used in the phrase this arvo, which is sometimes shortened to sarvo — 'meet you after the game, sarvo'.
Arvo is an example of a special feature of Australian English, the habit of adding –o to an abbreviated word. Other such words are bizzo 'business' and journo 'journalist'.
Hear the word arvo in use (MP3 50kb)
Cartoon: David Pope
Esky
A portable insulated container to keep food and drink cold — essential in a hot Australian summer.
Esky is a trade name that became a general term for a cooler in the 1950s. It is an abbreviation of Eskimo.
Esky recently gave rise to eskylid, a derogatory surfing term for a bodyboard, and eskylidder, a person who rides a bodyboard.
Hear the word esky in use (MP3 43kb)
Cartoon: David Pope
Mozzie
A mosquito.
Mozzie, first recorded in 1936, illustrates a distinctive feature of Australian English — the addition of -ie or -y to abbreviated words or phrases.
Other examples include: barbie 'barbecue', blowie 'blowfly', Chrissy prezzie 'Christmas present', cossie 'swimming costume', sickie 'a day's sick leave', budgie 'budgerigar', lippy 'lipstick', maggie 'magpie', U-ey 'U-turn', and sunnies 'sunglasses'.
Hear the word mozzie in use (MP3 49kb)
Cartoon: David Pope
Noah
A shark.
This is an example of rhyming slang. In rhyming slang, an everyday word is replaced by a phrase, the last element of which rhymes with the everyday word. Thus Captain Cook is rhyming slang for 'a look'.
Sometimes the rhyming element is omitted. Noah was originally Noah's Ark. Similarly, on one's Pat is short for on one's Pat Malone, 'alone'.
Hear the word noah in use (MP3 43kb)
Cartoon: David Pope
Sanger
A sandwich.
Sango appeared as a term for sandwich in the 1940s, but by the 1960s sanger took over to describe this integral part of Australian cuisine.
Sangers come in all shapes and sizes for all occasions — there are gourmet sangers, steak sangers, veggie sangers, cucumber sangers, and even double banger sangers.
Hear the word sanger in use (MP3 32kb)
Cartoon: David Pope
Trackie Daks
Tracksuit pants.
Australia relaxes in trackie daks, a favourite item in the nation's weekend wardrobe. Daks began as a trade name for men's pants, and is now used as a general term for pants.
The term tracksuit pants was shortened to track pants, and then -ie was added to track to form trackie, and daks substituted for pants — hence trackie daks.
Hear the word trackie daks in use (MP3 43kb)