At the Macquarie Dictionary, we are preparing to announce which word survived the battle royale of 2020 to come out on top as Word of the

Are you a couple of lamingtons short of a CWA meeting? We hope not, because this ingenious phrase means stupid, as in lacking a full

This week we are investigating a rort, that is, a trick, lurk, or underhanded scheme: a confidence trick. We have looked at this before through the

Surf’s up. Grab your board and catch the five o’clock wave, a fictitious wave that passes down the Murrumbidgee River in Wagga Wagga each day. The

Ah, the smell of peak hour traffic, don’t you just love it? Well, no, but while you’re on the school run, you might find yourself

This week we have a piece of chargrilled Aussie slang we can’t wait to slather in sauce and sink our teeth into. That’s right, we’re

Australia has some of Earth’s most unique fauna. We have animals like the platypus and echidna that can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

Yes, that’s right, as 2020 creeps towards 2021, we at Macquarie Dictionary HQ are gathering our committee of wordsmiths to decide on our Word of

This blog was inspired by the blue swimmer, which as well as being a kind of crab turns out to be a slang name for

We’ve got a sugar rush of Aussie slang for you to chew on, so sit down and unwrap this week’s Word of the Week. A

There’s a fundamental rule in dictionary-writing that colloquialisms should be avoided in definitions. The idea is that the language should be neutral in register – not

You think that merino woollen jumper you’re wearing just came to you beautiful and soft. No! You are wearing that jumper thanks to the work of a ringer!

This week’s Word of the Week is a versatile piece of Aussie slang that often arrives in chunks. Chuck means, among other things, to vomit,

October is here. The weather is heating up, and though the footy finals have been moved from their traditional slots, you can console yourself with

That TV show you can’t stop binging or the dessert you’ll never say ‘no’ to… Are these things addictive or addicting? What about cigarettes —

In this stressful time of coronavirus, it’s interesting to see that our passions have been aroused by an international dispute over the pronunciation of a

Rebel Without A Clause by Sue Butler is a fascinatingly idiosyncratic romp through the world of words from the former Editor of the Macquarie Dictionary coming

Aussies love sticking a bet on the races, particularly at Melbourne Cup time. If you’re lucky enough to win big you might find it in