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AustraliaIBAC report on COVID grants lands amid abortion clash AustraliaSenate blocks inquiry into Hanson's staffing bill AmplifiedAnberlin — Never Take Friendship Personal Borderline DeskOpinion: Explain our slang to newcomers, don't sand it away Borderline DeskA dictionary of Australian slang, from arvo to yakka AmplifiedEmery — The Question Borderline DeskHow war gave Australia digger, furphy and Aussie Borderline DeskOxford's idiom advice echoed by Australian universities AmplifiedDemon Hunter — Summer of Darkness Coming SoonArizona Sunshine leaves VR on 21 January 2027 Tech DeskApple TV 4K (4th generation) brings Siri AI for A$449 AmplifiedNorma Jean — Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child United StatesJudge blocks Trump press ban on CNN, MS NOW, Politico AustraliaAlice Springs storms: 96 km/h gust cuts power to thousands Space DeskChandra ties the Treble Clef to a galaxy cluster collision Christian DeskPope Leo homily: no future without strong families AustraliaMcPhillamys goldmine: court voids Plibersek heritage order AI DeskGrok Voice 3.0 tops speech-to-speech index at $0.08 a minute Borderline DeskUS border encounters fall as ICE removals pass 356,000 SpaceX DeskStarlink Starshield speed limit disrupts Ukraine's drones

Thursday 15 October 2026

How war gave Australia digger, furphy and Aussie

Digger, furphy and Aussie came out of the First World War. Here's what the records say about soldiers' slang, and a claim they don't support.

Bel McRae Thursday 15 October 2026, open calendar5 min read

A Furphy water cart made by J. Furphy & Sons, on display at Beaconsfield Museum. Photo: Peripitus / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), resized.

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Some of the most Australian words we've got were made in war. Aussie, digger, furphy and the Anzac legend itself all came into wide use among the men of the First Australian Imperial Force, according to the Australian National Dictionary Centre and the Australian War Memorial.

A restored cast-iron Furphy water cart on display in a museum — A Furphy water cart made by J. Furphy & Sons, on display at Beaconsfield Museum. Photo: Peripitus / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), resized.

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Bel McRae Thursday 15 October 2026 at 8:34 pm Adelaide, open calendar5 min read

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