Tim Blair

Well, of course we Americans know what a barbie is. You can thank Paul Hogan for that. But I had no idea the word "bludger" meant anything except in the context of Quidditch. Does the new Merriam-Webster include terms like "muggle" and "apparate"? There can't be many Americans left who don't recognize these.

Before I ever visited Australia I thought "bludger" was some kind of bird and a "barbie" was a small tropical fish. Actually the word "barbecue," which has a very specific meaning in the American South and Midwest, was often used in the Northeast of my youth to refer to a cookout (and sometimes to the grill used for that purpose) involving burgers, steaks, or chicken -- but never seafood (a cookout where fish or shellfish were served was called a clambake, whether or not clams were actually on the menu). So the evolution to "barbie" is quite natural, though I'm sure Paul Hogan did much to move it along.

Wot? Bludgeoning a Barbie.

Isn't that assault on a sex kitten doll?

"Bludging" means to avoid work or responsibility? I thought that was "blogging".

And 'scrubs up' didn't make the list?

Bludge also means to live off the earnings of a prostitute, like "pimp''. So you could bludge off a Barbie.

Cultural imperialism, if ever I saw it. Aussie slang is going to take over the world! Go you good thing!

So all those bloggers who get fired for blogging at work can be said to inhabit the "bludgeosphere"?

Treacher just sent a note. Subject line: "Blair: It's Australian for 'Douche'!"

Hey Tim, I'd heard that 'barbie' was not really Aussie slang, just something Paul Hogan made up in his Australian Tourist Board ads, which were ubiquitous here in the States. True?

To be added next year:\
Bonza = great
Beauty = well done, not hard on the eyes
Feral = person with questionalable hygiene habits who likes to busk and hand out greenpeace leaflets.
Sod = a piece of earth; also a person who other people would like to grind into the earth.
Bloody = backs up other expressions with more emphasis ie " Bloody feral, what a sod! "

Any other suggestion with which to advance the Pax Australis empire?

Kinoath = a testament to veracity

In 'Eat the Rich', PJ O'Rourke writes about the 1997 British handover of Hong Kong to China - and calls the British 'the Poms'! If only he and other US journos would use it more, 'pom' could have a real future in America.

Jabba - 'barbie' is a real Australianism. It's Steve Irwin ('The Crocodile Hunter') that no-one in Australia had ever heard of.

Eh. "Jacko" "chunder" and "shiela" never caught on after their respective two weeks' of fame.

Oh, and "yahoo serious" never panned out, either.

ccw