Back in 2017 I rejoiced that “The Australian National Dictionary has been made available online, free.” Now I learn from the great Jonathon Green that it is no longer being supported:
I approached the story of Australian slang lexicography in my history of the craft, Language! in 2014. Now, with the flimsy but ever-advocated justification of economic tightening, it seems that the Australian National Dictionary, home to all forms of Antipodean coinage and certainly not merely slang, and acknowledged as the jewel in Godzone’s lexical crown, is facing the chop. The literate end of bogan-world is no longer cashed up, the mazuma is no longer on offer for running the lexicon, now working on a third edition, and all the pleas (mine included) in favour of continuing with so vital a resource, are getting the arse.
I don’t imagine that what follows will help mitigate this undeniable tragedy, but for what it may be worth I offer Language’s take on Australia’s first dictionary-maker and the nation-building dictionary he made more than two centuries past.
Go, feast your eyes on the image of the gorgeous Second Edition, read the rest of his account, and if you happen to be Australian you might want to pester the appropriate bastards.
Though government support of the Dictionary may currently have Buckley’s chance, Oz will probably eventually again appreciate its legacy.
Dictionaries differ over whether “Godzone” is NZEng or AusEng. Only Green’s says both.
Others on Wikipedia’s list of God’s Own Countrys might join in any day now
Here’s a news article about it: https://www.smh.com.au/national/from-bluey-to-bogans-researchers-who-help-define-how-the-nation-speaks-to-lose-their-jobs-20250709-p5mdqj.html.
Go, feast your eyes on the image of the gorgeous Second Edition, read the rest of his account, and if you happen to be Australian you might want to pester the appropriate bastards.
Gorgeous it may be, but how do you buy the bugger? I’d consider upgrading my treasured earlier edition, but so far I find no way to do so. Anywhere!
I happen to be Australian, but it happens that the relevant ratbags are immune to pestering; and they seem generally averse to acquiring or maintaining competence, let alone dictionaries. Typical. The Australian National Dictionary Centre offers this “link” (it’s graphical where I see it, not clickable), which leads to a prohibited location: https://www.oup.com.au/AND2e . Shades of “Beware of the leopard”; and the “link” to their relevant OUP blog yields only “Sorry, we’re doing some work on the site.” Why do I not believe them, you ask?
So online it will remain: provided that sufficient competence and will can be mustered.
Australians are welcome to use “Godzone” when referring to New Zealand. To refer to their own country: “the West Island”[**] is unambiguous.
@Hat, BTW the link from your 2017 piece gives me ‘403 forbidden’. But the dictionary is still there ok so far at australianwords.au
I love that there’s a ‘Show/Hide sensitive content’ control. The Aus Parliament is about to bring in legislation to limit online content for the yoof. I believe the same has just happened in UK. The only impact I foresee for said yoof is having to help their grandparents evade the age controls.
[**] curiously absent from the dictionary. If NZers throw their weight behind the campaign to restore support, we might just get the bastards to … wet their kecks laughing.
@AntC: What about Tasmania?
@Brett West Rakiura
Tasmania, in the Australian image of the world, is New Zealand for beginners.