Aussie Life
Language
It’s easy to picture the situation: a politician who has been an outspoken supporter of China (insisting their government is…
Aussie life
In a world of pointless questions like ‘Are tariffs good for me?’ and ‘Why does Kevin Rudd have a beard?’,…
Language
I am frequently asked about the expressions ‘First Nations’ / ‘First Peoples’. And Speccie reader Kay has raised it again,…
Aussie life
When Kermit the Frog told us in 1971 that it’s not easy being green it was meant as a plea…
Language
Speccie reader Joseph has written to ask: What is ‘identity politics’? First, the history. The term ‘identity politics’ is recorded…
Aussie life
Following the BLM protests in the US, which were seized on by the Aussie media and in schools, Disney declared…
Language
A Speccie reader, Lillian, has sent me this information about a brand-new word – governmentium. ‘Scientific research has led to…
Aussie life
Older Speccie readers would have smiled at the vinyl revival. And some would have laughed out loud at the reappearance…
Language
When the Seven News Network asked me to explain the story behind the Aussie expression ‘no worries’ I did some…
Aussie life
If you’ve ever suspected that left-wing crusaders are whingers with a chip on their shoulder and a negative outlook on…
Language
‘Palindrome’ has been part of the English language since 1636 and means (as you know) a word or phrase that…
Aussie life
In the UK, where I have just spent a few weeks, Christmas officially starts when you can’t enter a supermarket…
Language
As Joe Biden rushed (sorry, stumbled) out of the doors of the White House, he flung around things called ‘pre-emptive…
Aussie life
Harpy. Shrew. Harridan. Virago. Vixen. Hellcat. Scold. Fishwife. Fury. The English language has no shortage of words for belligerent and…
Language
We are still at the beginning of 2025, but Brendan O’Neill has already named his ‘most irritating phrase of the…
Aussie life
Like many public-facing organisations trying to have their zeitgeist and eat it, the Australia Institute is getting down with ‘youff’. They’ve…
Language
I’ve been intrigued recently by the verb ‘to unsee’. It turns up as a trendy way of saying that something…
Aussie life
The public shaming of elite pole vault coach Alex Parnov reminds me of the time I was sent to cover…
Language
We missed it! Back on January 18 we should have been celebrating National Thesaurus Day. Mind you, the day is…
Aussie life
As if Hollywood’s elite didn’t have enough to be worried about, the Governor they elected, and whose homelessness laws and…
Language
It is easy to miss the fact that a good deal of slang has a long-forgotten rhyming component (and is…
Aussie life
It’s hardly surprising that Doris Day’s jaunty homage to Marcus Aurelius ‘Que sera, sera’ was one of the 1956’s best-selling…
Language
At the start of each year, Lake Superior State University publishes a list of ‘Banished Words.’ These are the words…
Aussie life
Like many Speccie readers I was shocked by the public expressions of anti-Semitism which blighted the closing months of 2024.…
Language
The verb ‘to unsee’ turns up as a snappy, or trendy, way of saying that something is unforgettable—in a bad…
