Kwaussie wins Australia’s Word of the Year

Kwaussie:  a person who is a dual citizen of Australia and New Zealand; a New Zealander living in Australia; a person of Australian and New Zealand descent. The Australian National Dictionary Centre's Word of the Year for 2017 is  Kwaussie , a blend of  Kiwi  and  Aussie. Director of the Australian National Dictionary Centre, based at The Australian National University (ANU), Dr Amanda Laugesen, said the word came to the Centre's attention during the constitutional crisis over dual citizenship that engulfed parliament in 2017. "Kwaussie was used to describe the most high-profile casualty of the crisis, Deputy Prime Minister and National Party leader Barnaby Joyce," said Dr Laugesen "He revealed to parliament in August that, despite being born and bred in country New South Wales, he was also a New Zealander by descent. "In a time of covfefe, fake news, and tweetstorms, the Australian National Dictionary Centre has looked for a word of the year that is both lexically interesting and Australian." Kwaussie was chosen from a shortlist reflecting many of the events which shaped Australia's political, cultural and social landscape in 2017.