Where “Sandgroper” Comes From
“Sandgroper” is the nickname for a person from Western Australia. Green’s Dictionary of Slang traces it to the verb “sand-grope”, meaning to walk through soft sand, alluding to Western Australia’s sandy country. The same name is also used for a small burrowing insect.
The Western Australian sense is first recorded in Green’s in 1872. West Australians use it about themselves, usually with pride.
Source:
“He’s a proper sandgroper, born and bred in Perth.”
How Aussies Actually Use It
Aussies use it for friendly state rivalry, as with other state nicknames.
In Real Life
Western Australians call themselves sandgropers with pride, and the word is part of the friendly rivalry between the states, along with “Tassie”, “Mexican” for a Victorian or a “cockroach” for a Queenslander. The state is the largest in the country and far from the eastern cities, and that distance helps give “sandgroper” a strong identity. The word is used in sport, in the news and on football jerseys.
Quick Questions
Is sandgroper offensive?
No. It’s a friendly nickname, and most Western Australians use it about themselves.
Is a sandgroper an insect?
The name is also used for a small burrowing insect, but in Australian talk it usually means a person from Western Australia.
Say It Like an Aussie
Say it: SAND-groh-per.
In conversation:
- She’s a sandgroper from Perth.
- Us sandgropers love the beach.
- He moved east, but he’s still a sandgroper.
Good to know: It’s a friendly nickname for people from WA. It also names a small burrowing insect, which is where the word comes from.
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