Article on Aussie slang

Posted by ESC on August 06, 2005

Fri Aug 5,12:19 AM ET
Language of Oz fights the furphy

SYDNEY, (AFP) - If a larrikin bashed a tall poppy from the big end of town and his mate dobbed him in, he might tell the police the identity was a shonky operator. The identity, no doubt, would try to hose it down as a furphy.

A historian recently lamented the fading of Australia's unique slang, but a newcomer to the land of Oz might find the language used in the country's newspapers as startling as some of its bizarre fauna.

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