Aussie
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Aussie" is a friendly (however sometimes used offensively) slang for "Australian". The correct pronunciation is "O-zee", IPA: /ˈɔziː/ and not IPA: /ˈɑsi/. Pronouncing the word with a voiceless "s" in place of the voiced "z" is strongly frowned upon by Australians, and is considered a canonically North American error, along with such errors as pronouncing the last syllables of Melbourne and Brisbane as "born" and "bane," respectively (both are correctly pronounced with a schwa).
In New Zealand and the United Kingdom the term is sometimes used to refer to the country of Australia, as well as Australian persons. In Australia itself the term is only used to refer to its inhabitants.
In Australia the term is used most notably in sporting chants, where it is often expressed with patriotic gusto by Australians. The most widely used chant, is:
- Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi oi oi!
- Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi oi oi!
- Aussie! Oi! Aussie! Oi!
- Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi oi oi!
The phrases in bold are shouted in response to a single person leading the cheer. The first line may be or may not be doubled. Volume is important. Juan Antonio Samaranch pleased the home crowd by personally leading one of these cheers at the Closing Ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. It also gained fame during the 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event, as friends of Australian Joe Hachem chanted the phrase each time Hachem won a hand. The phrase is a modified version of the original British "Oggy oggy oggy" chant.
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[edit] Uses
Some uses of the word "Aussie" include:
- "Aussie Rules" – Slang for the Australian rules football.
- "Aussie Battler" – A term used to describe working class Australian families, now more commonly used to describe farmers and other land workers who are perceived as "doing it tough" both financially and in terms of performed labour, due to a variety of modern hardships including drought and corporate exploitation.
[edit] Other uses
"Aussie" may also refer to the Australian Shepherd dog breed.
"Aussie" can also refer to a type of hat in which one part of the brim is folded up to meet with the top of the hat or Slouch hat.
[edit] Cultural moniker
In a multicultural context, Aussie is used by some in Australia as a specific term for Australians of the 'traditional' majority cultural group, that is, Aussie is sometimes understood to denote 'Anglo-Celtic' Australians. A parallel can be drawn between the usage of Aussie in Australia and Boer in South Africa, both referring to the descendants of early settlers, as opposed to later immigrants. The term Aussie in Australia excludes citizens in Australia with a Mediterranean, Asian or Middle Eastern cultural background.
The usage of Aussie in this context is regarded as offensive by some, as it can denote that some cultural groups are not equally Australian. It may also be used in a derogatory sense by those who do not consider themselves Australian to label those who do. While attempts by schools, politicians and the media to use the term as an all encompassing label for those with Australian citizenship, it has continued to retain some usage as an ethnic descriptor, especially among youth. The terminology received international attention as a result of the 2005 Cronulla riots [1], where tattoos, t-shirts and scrawlings on the beach reading "100% Aussie Pride" were largely seen as a display of ethnic identification.
During the Cronulla riots of 2005, the actions of many youths involved were viewed by some in the general populace as "un-Australian", and it is accepted by some that Australia is a multicultural country.
[edit] See also
- Down Under, a colloquialism referring to things related to, or coming from Australia
- Aussie (shampoo)
