The Slang Muster

The Slang Muster

Australia,
in our own words.

The words that have shaped Australian life — from the bush to the backyard.

Have a gander, squiz or Captain Cook

96 words and expressions

Behind the words

Every bit of slang has a story.

We go looking for where a word came from, how Australians used it and the twists it took along the way.

  1. 01
    Spot it

    Gather good finds from dictionaries, newspapers, books and readers.

  2. 02
    Trace it

    Follow the word through time, place and changing meanings.

  3. 03
    Share it

    Tell the story clearly, in fresh words, with the sources there for anyone who wants them.

Where we go looking

Old dictionaries, newspapers and plenty of rabbit holes.

Australian National Dictionary CentreMeanings, histories and Australian usageAustral English (1898)Edward E. Morris’s public-domain historical dictionaryTrove NewspapersDated evidence from the National Library of Australia