When everyday expletives aren't good enough

News Type: Opinion — Seeded on Sat Nov 14, 2009 9:52 PM EST

Article Source: The Boston Globe

health, culture, language, f-word, obsenities

Seeded by Chello

A few alternatives to our most popular obscenity

Published to:

Chello's Column, All of Newsvine
Groups: Cultural Understanding, Open Mic,
Regions: Boston

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4.0

{"commentId":10684092,"authorDomain":"kimmy123"}

kiml

My favourite without saying the word.

Next opportunity you have, take it.

{"commentId":10684092,"threadId":"724695","contentId":"3502992","authorDomain":"kimmy123"}

2 votes

#1 - Sat Nov 14, 2009 10:53 PM EST

{"commentId":10684290,"authorDomain":"PeterMerel"}

Peter Merel

Dicken is used in Australia and New Zealand to express disbelief or disgust;

That's the first I've heard of it. I looked it up in the Macquarie Australian Slang Dictionary (complete and unabridged) which says it's used only around Broken Hill and that it means either (assertively) "yes, honestly" or (interrogatively) "is that true?".

The expression the author was probably trying to reach for was the quintessentially Australian "Strewth!" which expresses contagious exasperation of the kind usually reserved for abandoning games of cricket with Englishmen and calling for a national strike. "Crikey", "Bloody hell!" and "Strike a light!" are similar but milder and rarer. A proper ocker can carry off the iconic "don't come the raw prawn with me, sunshine" or even, "stone the bleeding crows!"

Australians also use non-American variations on the traditional four letter words for everyday needs. "Get @!$%#ed" is a general way of upbraiding an unwelcome suggestion. "Piss off" means please leave. "Bugger" is different to what it means to the British - more like "Oops" and with no anal sex connotation. "Dickhead" generally means someone who is selfish.

And so on. There are books about how Australians swear. It's not that Australian are particularly focused on swearing - just not shy when we do.

{"commentId":10684290,"threadId":"724695","contentId":"3502992","authorDomain":"PeterMerel"}

4 votes

#2 - Sat Nov 14, 2009 11:16 PM EST

{"commentId":10684498,"authorDomain":"kshark"}

Kshark

Peter Merel--

I've not ever heard Dicken as any sort of word in Australia. Weird.

But hehehe they have some colorful and fun lingo down here that is for sure.

{"commentId":10684498,"threadId":"724695","contentId":"3502992","authorDomain":"kshark"}

1 vote

#2.1 - Sat Nov 14, 2009 11:36 PM EST

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"724695","isPrivate":false}

CHELLO

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When everyday expletives aren't good enough

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