Every year, the Australian National Dictionary Centre (ANDC) asks Australians for their input. This year, they’re asking Australians to help them out with food terms and food-related phrases. However, the appeal to all Australians first began with “nicknames for Australian placenames” in 2019. And some of the results are absolute beauties.
We’ve taken a look through the long, long list and selected some of our favourites. Bear in mind that some towns and places have more than one nickname and we’ve just selected the ones we think are the funniest, strangest, most ironic, or flat-out, say what? Or, some that just made us laugh.
- Aberglasslyn is Ruddo Heights and Stabberglasslyn
- Ashmont is Trashmont
- Balldale is Testicle Valley
- Ballina is Borina
- Barellan is Naked Nelly
- Barham is Bazdog
- Bateau Bay is Bogan Bay
- Bateman’s Bay is East Canberra and Charnwood by the Sea
- Bega is Bega Las Vegas, Begay, Bogay, Vegas and Cheesetown
- Berrima historical area is Hysterical Berrima
- Berrima tourist area is Historical Berrima
- Berrima where people live is New Berrima
- Bombala is the Bomb
- Bowral is Double Bay of the Bush
- Braidwood is Deadwood
- Broken Hill is Broke and Ill and Broken Hole
- Burradoo is Burradoo Actually, Burrodon’t, North Moss Vale and South Bowral
- Cardiff is Catarrh and God’s Country
- Cessnock is the Badlands, Cesspool, Cesspit, Necknock, Nenock, Netnock, and Niknok
- Chatswood is Chatswoo
- Cobargo is Chicago
- Coffs Harbour is Coughing Harder and Mount Druitt by the Sea
- Collarenebri and Walgett is Colgate
- Cronulla is Cronut Nutella and insular peninsula
- Dalgety is Dallas
- Darlinghurst is Darling It Hurts
- Dundas is Paris of the Carlingford Line
- Dungog is Dead Dog
- Eastwood is Ewoo
- Eden is Everyone Drunk Every Night
- Epping is Effing
- Erina Fair is Urinal Fair
- Ettalong is Getabong
- Fairy Meadow is Pixie Paddock
- Glengarry is Gazza
- Gorokan is Go Rockin’
- Greta is Greta Gronks
- Holmesville is Hooterville
- Kirribilli is Silly Billy
- Lambton is Snob Hill
- Lavington is Stabington
- Lithgo is Shitgo
- Long Jetty is Bong Jetty
- Marrickville is Matressville
- Maryland is Scaryland
- Maryville is Scaryville
- Mingara is Mingas
- Mittagong is Shittagong
- Moree is Shithole
- Mortdale is Death Valley
- Moss Vale is Most Vile
- Newcastle is Drugcastle, Spewcastle and Spewy Newy
- Newtown is Spewtown
- Ocean Shores is Open Sores
- Orange is Cobar’s summer suburb and Colour City
- Queanbeyan is Canberra’s Brooklyn
- Raymond Terrace is Raymondo del Tarrazzo
- Rooty Hill is Shaggers Ridge
- Rutherford is Druggerford and Lorna Mangnall
- Stockton is The Land That Time Forgot
- Sussex Inlet is Sausage Singlet
- Toukey is Toukley Ookaley
- University of New South Wales is Kensington High School
- Wooloomooloo is Sheep Dunny Cow Dunny
- Woy Woy is 2 Woy, Why Why, Wow Wow,Yow Yow and Above Ground Cemetery
And what about Sydney?
Big Smoke, Dubbo by the Sea, Emerald City, Harbour City, Shithole, Shitney, Sidneyland, Sin City, Steak and Kidney, Sydders, Sydeney, Sydnalidadingdong, Syds and World’s Biggest Theme Park.
If you’re interested, you can check out the entire, Australia-wide list here.
According to the ANDC, “the informal names we use for our regions, cities, towns, and suburbs” (along with all subsequent appeals) go towards supplementing the database and would help identify possible new entries for the Australian National Dictionary (AND). It would also enrich Australian English and reveal “similarities between the patterns of nicknaming and other forms of word generation in Australian English.” You can check out their initial observations here.
And, you can contribute to the food terms and food-related phrases appeal here.