Where "Aussie" Comes From
"Aussie" is a textbook example of Australia's love of clipping a word and adding a cheerful "-ie" ending, here shortening "Australian" itself.
It has been in use since at least the early 20th century and works as both a noun for a person from Australia and an adjective for anything distinctly Australian, from "Aussie rules" to "Aussie slang."
"She's a proud Aussie, born and bred in Perth."
How Aussies Actually Use It
"Aussie" is used constantly and warmly, whether describing a person, a product, a style of humour, or just about anything with a distinctly local flavour.
It's also folded into countless compound phrases — "true blue Aussie," "Aussie battler," "Aussie icon" — each adding a note of national pride.
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