ACT Book of the Year

Shortlisted 2009

SYNOPSIS

The Aussie accent has been praised as "pure", dissed as a "brutal maltreatment", the lingo ranges from crass to confusing, and yet, for better or worse, it is the voice of our national identity. This book tells the scintillating story of Australian English for the first time ever, from when James Cook first spied the kooky "kangaroo" (an Indigenous word) to the "you beaut" Babel of Tongues that is multicultural Australia. Where did our nasal twang come from? What about words like "larrikin" or "humpy"? Touching on the years of colonial conquest, the gold rush years, immigration, the future and more, this is a highly-readable romp through the life-story of our language.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr Bruce Moore is Australia’s foremost lexicographer and Director of the Australian National Dictionary Centre, Canberra

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