Where “Strine” Comes From
“Strine” is a respelling of how many Australians say the word “Australian”, run together as “Stra-yan”. It came to mean the Australian accent and the broad, relaxed way of speaking.
The Oxford Companion to the English Language dates the term to 1964. It became popular after “Let Stalk Strine”, a comic 1965 book by Afferbeck Lauder, the pen name of Alastair Morrison, which rendered Australian speech phonetically. The pen name is itself a joke: “Afferbeck Lauder” sounds like “alphabetical order”.
“He speaks broad Strine.”
How Aussies Actually Use It
You’ll hear it in language talk, comedy and discussions about the Aussie accent.
In Real Life
Strine is a playful label for the broad Australian accent, with its dropped letters and run-together phrases, such as “gidday” and “owyergoin”. People use it affectionately, though some speakers don’t love it, and linguists prefer the term “broad Australian English”. Comedians and writers have used Strine spellings for decades, and it still turns up in books, jokes and merchandise.
Quick Questions
Who wrote Let Stalk Strine?
Afferbeck Lauder, a pen name of Alastair Morrison, in 1965.
Is Strine a different language?
No. It’s a humorous name for the Australian accent and way of speaking, which is still English.
Say It Like an Aussie
Say it: STRINE, rhymes with “shine”.
In conversation:
- Listen to him, that’s proper Strine.
- Let Stalk Strine is a funny old book.
- She turned on the Strine for the tourists.
Good to know: Some people use “Strine” as a light-hearted name for a broad Aussie accent. It’s sometimes used jokingly, and some people find it dated.
See also: Aussie, Fair dinkum, Bonza
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