Blogs
Australian Word Puzzles: More than 600 puzzles!
Online word games have taken the world by storm. You can now hone your skills with these five-letter word puzzles at any time, at any place, and more than once a day! All spellings are from Australian English.
Dunny diver
This week’s word of the week will cost you around $150 an hour. A dunny diver is a plumber, those stalwart tradies who install and repair piping, fixtures,
Avoid the snapping handbag
If you’re travelling in the waters of Northern Australia make sure you avoid the snapping handbags, that is, the crocodiles. Crocodiles come in many shapes and sizes
Some new words for September
We’re back with a fresh helping of new words for the start of spring! First up is a word you might have seen making the
A few more beautiful words
We’ve put together a list of six beautiful words for you to enjoy. Understand their meanings and let them roll off your tongue and help
Horse’s doover
This week we are enjoying some horse’s doover. Say what? Horse’s doover is a jocular mispronunciation of hors d’oeuvre that has been part of Aussie slang since the
We’ve gone troppo
It’s official, the Macquarie Dictionary staff have gone troppo, as in we’ve gone mental or are mentally disturbed. The most notable usage of troppo was as
Swooping season
Here at Macquarie Dictionary, especially during this windy and rainy week, we are missing the warmer weather. However, we also know what awaits us at
Spit the dummy
This week’s blog is dedicated to toddlers because they are the most likely to spit the dummy. A relative recent phrase, having joined the Aussie lexicon
You’re lower than a snake’s belly!
You’re lower than a snake’s belly! If someone tosses this insult your way, they are calling you mean, despicable and contemptible. Gee, thanks. At the Macquarie Dictionary we
The cellar dwellers
It’s deep into the football season. With the finals approaching, it’s time to analyse your team’s chances of making it to the last eight. Are
#NAME?
Australians love brevity. We are fond of shortening words. Perhaps the most famous example is the shortening of the Melbourne Cricket Ground to the MCG.
Five possible new words for July
We may be in the depths of winter, but the new words are still running hot! In fact, our first new contender is for a
LGBTIQ+ Slang for Pride Month
In recognition of Pride Month, a month of celebration that recognises LGBTIQ+ people, Macquarie Dictionary has gathered a few slang terms commonly used in queer
Arcing up
Sit back and watch the sparks fly. This week’s word of the week is arc up. To arc up means to become upset or livid with anger, to
Dry as a blacksmith’s apron
Researching words and definitions is hard work. Punching them into the Dictionary makes me as dry as a blacksmiths apron, in other words, thirsty. The
Heard it on the bush telegraph
‘Ooo I heard it through the … bush telegraph?’ Ok, so it might not fit into your beautiful karaoke rendition of Marvin Gaye but the