Grey nomad. Image: Peter Holland, flickr
Do you know someone 'doing a Johnny Farnham'' Have you played the 'thongophone'' And how do you think Australia's 'koala diplomacy' is working?. These "Australianisms", contenders for the next edition of the Australian National Dictionary (AND), prove Australian English is alive and well on the 30th anniversary of the Dictionary. First published in 1988 by Oxford University Press Australia and New Zealand (OUP ANZ), the AND records the history of uniquely Australian words from their first appearance in print to their most recent usage. Director of the Australian National Dictionary Centre, (ANDC) based at The Australian National University (ANU) Dr Amanda Laugesen said a perception that Australian English is being displaced by American English is simply not true. "Certainly we see American terms, especially slang, coming into our language, but our research reveals a lot of new words continue to enter Australian English," she said. "Phrases like 'koala diplomacy', where we use koalas as gifts to other countries as a form of Australian soft power diplomacy, or 'doing a Johnny Farnham' - a reappearance after an apparent retirement, are evidence that our distinct brand of the English language is flourishing. "In our anniversary year, we're looking back over 30 years of words that have emerged as a result of political influences, lifestyle changes, events or social and cultural trends which have shaped the language. - - "Words like 'sheila', 'bonza' and 'cobber' recognised as typically Australian have largely fallen out of use, but many new Australianisms have entered the language.
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