Down Under

This article is about the geographical colloquialism. For other uses, see Down Under (disambiguation) and Land Down Under.

The term Down Under is a colloquialism which is variously construed to refer to Australia, New Zealand, and other countries in Australasia. The term comes from the fact that nearly all of these countries are in the Southern Hemisphere, 'below' many other countries on the globe.[1][2]

The persistence of the media use of the term has led to its wide embrace and usage. The Men at Work song "Down Under" became an instantly recognisable, patriotic rallying song. The famous Russian-born Australian boxing champion Kostya Tszyu was nicknamed "The Thunder from Down Under", as is Australian snooker player Neil Robertson. When the then Miss Australia Jennifer Hawkins was crowned as Miss Universe 2004 in Quito, Ecuador, she was called by the same nickname by host Billy Bush. [3]

According to Roger Ebert's tongue-in-cheek Glossary of Movie Terms, the Down Under Rule "No film set in Australia is allowed to use the word Australia in its title where "Down Under" is an acceptable alternative. For example, we don't get The Rescuers in Australia or Quigley in Australia."

The Tour Down Under is a cycling race in and around Adelaide, South Australia, and since 2009 has been the inaugural event of the UCI World Tour Ranking calendar, which culminates in the Tour de France.

References

  1. ↑ New Oxford American Dictionary (NOAD2), entry for "Down Under"
  2. ↑ Oxford English Dictionary (Electronic), Version 4.0, entry for "down under". The dictionary recodes the first published use in 1886 by J. A. Froude in Oceana p. 92 "We were to bid adieu to the 'Australasian'…She had carried us safely down under."
  3. ↑ Miss Universe 2004 Crowning 3:00

Further reading

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