Where "Hip Pocket Nerve" Comes From
The phrase was coined by Prime Minister Ben Chifley, first recorded in The Sunday Sun on 2 June 1946, when he said: "The hip-pocket nerve is a very sensitive nerve in the human frame."
Politicians have talked about "touching the hip pocket nerve" ever since, whenever a policy affects people's cost of living, from petrol prices to interest rates.
“Every time the grocery bill goes up, it hits the hip pocket nerve.”
“Politicians know that higher rent is a hip pocket nerve issue for young voters.”
Petrol price rises always touch the hip pocket nerve at election time.
How Aussies Actually Use It
Used almost exclusively in political and economic commentary, to describe policies that affect household finances.
In ordinary conversation the phrase is usually a wry comment about money rather than a technical political term. Someone might say 'that's hitting the hip pocket nerve' about a jump in electricity bills or grocery prices, meaning it is the sort of thing people notice straight away. It suggests a reaction: people don't just feel poorer, they get annoyed.
Because of its political flavour, you'll hear it on the news and in talkback radio more than in casual chat, and it often arrives in the phrases 'touch the hip pocket nerve', 'hit the hip pocket nerve' or 'feel it in the hip pocket'. It's a bit formal-humorous, so it suits commentary and dinner-table complaining alike. A learner tip: the nerve is imaginary, so it's a figure of speech about spending, not health. It's similar to saying something 'hurts the wallet' but more Australian.
See also: Struggle Street (living with tight finances), Shrapnel (coins and small change), Moolah (money in general).
A vivid, uniquely Australian way of talking about cost-of-living pressure.
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