Australian lingo skin#
Why do Australians say “snapping handbag”?Ĭalling a crocodile a “snapping handbag” is a reference to the fact that crocodiles were once so commonly hunted for their skin to make handbags. This one is used in other parts of the world where crocodiles live, such as Rhodesia. It is a joke slang term which means exactly what it sounds like: crocodiles simply look like “flat dogs”. “Flat dog” is an expression that has gained popularity, as I said, in more recent years. So, this one isn’t that common, since it’s reserved to people who can tell by looking at it whether a croc is salt or freshwater. Of course, if a saltwater crocodile is living in a freshwater river, most will not realize it is a saltwater crocodile. Saltwater crocs, as the name implies, tend to live in saltwater habitats, but they can also be found in wetlands and freshwater rivers.Ī “saltie” is just one of these crocodiles. Naturally, then, if a “freshie” is a fresh water crocodile, a “saltie” is a saltwater crocodile. Naturalism in the 18 th and 19 th Centuries was a burgeoning science, so the term probably dates back to a time when it first became necessary to distinguish the two kinds of crocodiles. Crocodiles can be both fresh and saltwater animals, depending on the specific species.įreshwater crocodiles, naturally, tend to live in rivers and lakes.Īs I said, this is more likely to be a term used by naturalists or wildlife enthusiasts, but again most Australians will still understand what you mean by this.Īgain, it’s very hard to say when it first came into use. “Freshie” is a specific slang term for a freshwater crocodile. It dates back to at least the 19 th Century. It was probably in use by the earliest Australians, since they would all have been aware of the crocodile danger. Tracing the origin of such a term, then, becomes incredibly difficult. “Croc” is simply a shortening of the word crocodile, and such abbreviations are extremely common in any form of slang. That said, it’s somewhat intuitive so many will understand the meaning anyway.įinally, one other way you may hear crocodiles referred to by Australians is “snapping handbag”.ĭespite the fact, crocodiles are mostly protected animals now, depending on where you are, and you can’t hunt them without a permit, they are still known in relation to how they used to be used. That said, it’s still nowhere near as universal or common as “croc,” and generally just something used as a joke rather than a habitual slang term for the animal. “Flat dog” is a common expression that is gaining popularity and has been in recent years.
In any case, you will probably be understood if you use these ones, but as you’ll see, both can’t be applied to any crocodile-they are more specific than that.
Australian lingo professional#
The two paired terms “freshie” and “saltie” are perhaps the next most common, though you’re probably a bit more likely to hear this one used by amateur or professional naturalists and wildlife enthusiasts.
There are some other terms for crocodiles that are commonly used in Australia, though. “Croc,” then, suffices just fine for most people. Thus, they are, for most people in Australia, a distant thought and not a part of their everyday lives. So, for that reason, most people are aware of them on some level, though they aren’t generally seen in cities or populated areas. This is by far the most common slang name for crocodiles that just about everyone in Australia either uses themselves or at least knows and understands.Ĭrocodiles are indeed very common in Australia-there are no alligators!
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