Australia is well-known for its interesting and unusual slang. Even native English-speakers visiting Australia can have trouble understanding the locals because of their accents and the expressions they use. But some Australian slang expressions are used all over the world.
The popularity of social media and smartphones has made selfie a very common English word. In 2013, Oxford Dictionaries made it the "Word of the Year," and the US even has a National Selfie Day!
But selfie was a part of Australian English long before it became popular in other countries. The earliest known use was in 2002 when an Australian college student posted a photo that he had taken of himself online, calling it a selfie.
The student, Nathan Hope, told ABC News that he didn't invent the word, but rather "it was just common slang [in Australia] at the time."
To be stoked is to be really happy or pleased. For example, you might say "I'm stoked!" if you're excited about your holiday plans.
Along with other expressions, such as ripper, which means "very good" or "great," stoked was first used by Australian surfers in the 1960s and 1970s.
The phrase no worries is used by English speakers around the world to tell someone that everything is fine.
No worries is also a common response to "thank you." For example:
- James: "Thanks for helping me."
- Jessica: "No worries."
So the next time someone thanks you, instead of "you're welcome," you can say no worries and know that you're speaking Australian English.
