Diminutives in Australian English


Diminutive forms of words are commonly used in everyday Australian English. While many dialects of English make use of diminutives and hypocorisms, Australian English uses them more extensively than any other. Diminutives may be seen as slang, but many are used widely across the whole of society. Some forms have also spread outside Australia to other English-speaking countries. There are over 5,000 identified diminutives in use in Australian English. A similar phenomenon also occurs in New Zealand English.

Usage

In other English dialects, diminutives usually imply smallness or have a childish connotation such as in 'birdie', 'doggy', or 'kitty'. While diminutives can be used in this way in Australian English, they are also used widely in a non-childish manner, with over 4,300 being recorded. For example, bikie, does not imply a bicycle in a small or childish sense as it may in other English dialects.
In Australian English, diminutives are usually formed by taking the first part of a word, and adding an ending such as a, o, ie, or y. Sometimes, no ending is added. While the form of a diminutive is arbitrary, their use follows strict rules. Diminutives are not used creatively. For example, an ambulance paramedic is called an ambo, never ambie, or amba.
Some diminutives are almost always used in preference to the original form, while others are rarely used or restricted to certain groups or locations. The use of diminutives also evolves over time, with new words coming into use and others falling out of favour. Some diminutives have become so common that the original form has fallen out of common usage. For example, Salvos has begun to replace the name Salvation Army to such an extent that some Australians do not recognise the Salvation Army name. Deli has become so universal that delicatessen is rarely used. Some words, such as ute, from utility vehicle, a car with a tray back, have become universal.
There is common usage of the diminutive forms of people's names; Hargrave → Hargie; Sharon → Shazza; Wilkinson → Wilko; John → Jonno; David → Davo; Hogan → Hoges; James → Jimmy → Jim → Jimbo; Benjamin → Ben → Benno; Barry → Bazza. This is usually a display of affection and acceptance rather than belittlement.
Organizations and businesses will often embrace the diminutives given to them by Australians, using them in their own advertising and even registering it as a trademark. McDonald's Australia, for example, has registered and uses the name Macca's, rather than the term McDonald's still seen on its restaurants in Australia.
Diminutives are often used for place names, and are only recognised by people in the local area, for example, cot for Cottesloe Beach in Perth, Parra for Parramatta in Sydney and Broady for Broadmeadows in Melbourne. Even entire cities and States, such as Shepp for the major regional Victorian city of Shepparton or Gong for the New South Wales coastal city/region of Wollongong or Tassie for the state of Tasmania.
Pub and hotel names in particular are often shortened. For example, the Esplanade Hotel in St. Kilda, will often be called The Espy.

Purpose and history

The purpose of diminutives in Australian English is not well understood despite being a prominent part of Australian culture. Some research suggests that the use of diminutives serves to make interactions more informal, friendly and relaxed. Linguist Anna Wierzbicka argues that Australians' use of diminutives reflects Australian cultural values of mateship, friendliness, informality, and solidarity, while downplaying formality and avoiding bragging associated with tall poppy syndrome.
Records of the use of diminutives in Australian English date back to the 1800s. Older Australians tend to prefer diminutives with endings such as '-o' in smoko ; however, younger Australians have begun to use endings such as -s as seen in totes.

List of diminutives

This list contains noteworthy and commonly understood diminutives from Australian English.
Those marked ‡ are also common in other English dialects.

A

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B

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C

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D

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E

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F

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G

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H

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I

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J

  • Jocks, men's briefs, esp. in phrase "socks and jocks"; from the brand name "Jockey"
  • ‡Journo, a journalist
  • Jindy, short for Jindabyne
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K

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L

  • Landy, a Toyota Land Cruiser or Land Rover automobile
  • Lebo, or Leb, for Middle Eastern immigrant, specifically from Lebanon, sometimes pejorative.
  • Lecky, electrical, as in "lecky tape"
  • ‡Leftie, a person with left wing views; a left-handed person
  • Lesbo or lezzo, a lesbian
  • Liftie, a ski lift operator
  • ‡Limey, a person from the UK, prominently English
  • ‡Lippy, a lipstick
  • ‡Lappy, a laptop computer
  • Locko, covid lockdown or isolation
  • Lonny, Point Lonsdale, Victoria
  • ‡Loonie, a lunatic
  • Lotto, the lottery
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M

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N

  • Nasho, a conscript in the army. Derived from national service. Used especially around the Vietnam war. In the Army it was used in a derogatory sense. The term has fallen out of use as conscription in Australia ended in the 1970s. Common use is now Nationality
  • Newie or Newy, Newcastle
  • Nibblies, small portions of food nibbled on at parties
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O

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P

  • Parra, Parramatta
  • Parma, Parmi or Parmy, chicken parmigiana, a pub food staple
  • Paro or ‡Para, Paranoid. Also, extremely drunk.
  • Pav, pavlova
  • Penno, Pennant Hills
  • Physio, physiotherapy or physiotherapist
  • Pokey, pokies,, a poker machine
  • Pollie, a politician
  • Pommie, English or English person also Pom
  • ‡Postie, a postman or postwoman
  • Povvo or Pov, a poor or cheap person. From poverty
  • Preggo or ‡preggers, pregnant
  • ‡Prezzies, gifts, presents; use widespread outside Australia
  • Probs, probably, also used for problem in the phrase "no probs"
  • ‡Prozzies, prostitutes
  • Pushie, pushbike, a bicycle
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Q

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R

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S

  • Saltie, a saltwater crocodile
  • Salvos, Salvation Army. The term is used officially by the Salvation Army in Australia.
  • Sanga or Sanger, a sandwich. Originally sango, but evolved to its current form by the 1960s.
  • Sanny, hand sanitiser
  • Sav, saveloy, especially battered sav, a showtime treat
  • Savvy B, Sauvignon Blanc wine
  • Scratchie, a lottery ticket
  • ScoMo, self-identified by Scott Morrison, 30th prime minister of Australia
  • Scrooge or screwge, a screwdriver
  • Selfie, a self-shot photograph. This term originated in Australia and has been adopted worldwide via the internet. It became The Oxford Dictionary's 2013 word of the year.
  • ‡Semi, a semi-trailer truck, also a semi-final
  • ‡Seppo, a pejorative term for an American. Seppo is a diminutive of septic tank which is in turn rhyming slang for yank, which is a diminutive of yankee.
  • Servo, a petrol station, service station
  • Shazza, Sharon
  • Shep or Sheppo, the Victorian regional city of Shepparton.
  • Shoey, the act of drinking from shoes, typically alcoholic beverages
  • ‡Shottie, a shotgun; also the act of riding in the front passenger seat of a vehicle, sometimes announced as "I call shotgun/shottie", to indicate that a person has claimed this seat. Can also refer to the carb hole in a bong.
  • ‡Sickie, a sick day, often with a connotation of there being insufficient medical reason for missing work
  • Sicko, a psychology disturbed person‡, or someone who may be fanatically into horror movies
  • ‡Smithie or ‡Smithy, Smith (surname)
  • Skato, a skatepark.
  • Smoko, a smoking break while at work. Since smoking has been banned in many workplaces, a smoko has come to mean any rest break at work.
  • Snag, Sausage
  • Sparky or Sparkie, an electrician
  • Spenny, expensive
  • Stezza, a stereo playback system such as with home audio or vehicle audio
  • Straya, short for Australia
  • Stubby or Stubbie, a small, wide bottle of beer
  • Subbie, a subcontractor
  • Subi or Subie, a Subaru car, or the suburb of Subiaco, Western Australia
  • ‡Sunnies, sunglasses
  • Surfie, a surfer
  • Susso, from sustenance payments, a form of welfare during the Great Depression in the form of food coupons. The word has fallen out of use.
  • ‡Susie or ‡Suzy, Susan
  • ‡Suss, suspicious.
  • Swaggie, a swagman
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T

  • Taddie, tadpole
  • Tanty, a tantrum
  • Tassie, Tazzy or Taz, Tasmania or Tasmanian
  • Techo, technician, technical
  • ‡Tellie or telly, a television
  • ‡Tinnie, historically referred to a beverage can but today generally refers to an aluminium flat-bottomed boat. From tin can
  • Tomo or Tommo, Thomas (name)
  • Tonguey, to French kiss
  • Toonie, Toongabbie, a historic suburb in Western Sydney
  • Towie, tow truck or a tow truck driver
  • Townie, a townsperson; in contrast to bushie, a bushman
  • ‡Trackies, track pants or a tracksuit. Track pants are also known as "trackie dacks", with "dacks" being a colloquial term for trousers.
  • Tradie, a tradesperson
  • Traino, a train station
  • Trannie or tranny, a car's transmission, or an electrical transformer, or an offensive word for a transgender person; also outdated slang for a transistor radio
  • Troppo, from "tropics" as in "gone troppo", unhinged mentally
  • Truckie, a truck driver
  • Tuggers, the district of Tuggeranong in the Australian Capital Territory
  • ‡Turps, alcohol, from turpentine, a toxic solvent historically used to adulterate gin. Usually used to say a person is "on the turps".
  • ‡Typo, a typographic error
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U

  • ,'U'ie, as in "Chuck a u-ey" — to perform a U-turn
  • Umpie or Ump, an umpire at a sporting game
  • ‡Undies, underwear. This word is used widely outside Australian English.
  • ‡Uni, university
  • Ute', an abbreviation of "utility"; a passenger vehicle with a cargo tray in the rear. Festivals that involve gatherings of utes are popular in rural areas and are called ute musters.
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V

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W

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