Of Bikkies and Brekkies

Australians have nicknames for everything. It is a defining characteristic of the Australian vernacular. Football is footy. Mosquitoes are mozzies. The grocery store isn’t Woolworths; it’s Woolies. Some of these diminutives really make us giggle, like when the radio talk show host was complaining that it was so cold that he had to sleep with a "hottie" in his bed (see the previous link for translation). This nicknaming extends to Australian wildlife as well. For example, the largest predator on the continent, the saltwater crocodile, is a “salty.” Even knowing this, we got a really good laugh out of this recent headline:

I guess until this article came out I had supposed the world’s biggest wedgie would be found in some school building between the cheeks of the unfortunate victim.

To learn more about Aussie English, click here. And here's some more slang, just because it's fun. I challenge you to use one new word or phrase in conversation today.