How ‘fair dinkum’ lost its rizz
Many of the words and phrases we grew up with are meaningless to younger Aussies.
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Several words favoured by Generation Z, including skibidi and delulu, have been added to the Cambridge Dictionary.
Delulu is an abbreviation of delusional, while skibidi is a made-up word that is said to have “different meanings, such as cool or bad, or can be used with no real meaning”. Cambridge notes that delulu has even been used by the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese.
Also new to the dictionary are lewk, meaning a unique, fashionable look; tradwife, a shortened form of “traditional wife”; and the term “mouse jiggler”, which refers to a way of making it look like you are working when you are not.
As an indication of how fast the language is evolving, they are among 6,000 new words that have been added to the Cambridge Dictionary over the past 12 months.
Australian slang has long been one of the most distinctive elements of the national identity, giving voice to a culture shaped by irreverence, humour, and a strong sense of place.
But the language of the past, particularly the slang favoured by Baby Boomers, is increasingly foreign to younger generations.
A recent News.com.au survey showed the term grouse (meaning excellent), once commonplace in conversation and on television, now draws blank looks or misinterpretations from Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012).
One respondent associated the word with “gross” (which has the opposite meaning), while others said they’d never heard it.
What would younger Australians make of such terms as fair dinkum, bonza, ridgy-didge, and drongo, or phrases like “going off like a frog in a sock”, “flat out like a lizard drinking”, “kangaroos loose in the top paddock”, and “mad as a cut snake”?
This isn’t just about vocabulary fading away. It’s about a fundamental shift in how generations understand and use language.
Slang has always been generational, with young people inventing their own words to describe their world and, crucially, to keep older people out of it. It’s a way of drawing boundaries.
If your parents and grandparents don’t understand a word or phrase, then it takes on greater power. It becomes a secret handshake; a tool of solidarity and identity.
Each generation shapes its slang based on technology, pop culture, and shifting social norms. While Boomers used “bonza”, “strewth”, or “you little ripper,” Gen Z says things like “slay”, “no cap”, or “rizz”.
Many of these newer words have crossed borders, influenced by American TikTok creators and global internet culture. Unlike the uniquely Australian phrases of previous decades, today's slang is more universal, more hybrid, and arguably more ephemeral.
Still, not all slang disappears. Some expressions have staying power, crossing generational lines and finding their way into mainstream communication.
Words such as cool or sick (in the positive sense) have been around for decades. Others, like ghosting or cancelled, began in online youth subcultures but are now used by journalists, psychologists, and even politicians.
These words resonate because they fill gaps in expression, describing modern social behaviour that older vocabulary couldn’t fully explain.
This raises an important question: should slang be used in news reporting and official communication? There’s an argument that, when used carefully, informal language can help connect with younger audiences and explain contemporary issues in a voice that feels authentic.
But there’s also a risk of trivialising serious topics, or of appearing out of touch when slang is misused or becomes outdated. Slang usually has a short shelf life, and language that resonates today may sound ridiculous tomorrow. In official settings, such as legal, governmental, or academic contexts, standard English is still essential for clarity, precision, and professionalism.
Spoken language is always evolving. That’s one of its strengths. Meanings shift, phrases fall in and out of favour, and new words constantly emerge to reflect changing realities.
But the pace of change has accelerated dramatically in the digital age. Where once a new slang term might take years to catch on, now it can be born, popularised, and discarded within weeks on TikTok or X. This has left some older speakers feeling left behind, and even younger users struggling to keep up.
Is this speed a problem? Perhaps only if it widens the gap between people. While linguistic evolution is natural and healthy, communication depends on shared understanding. When language changes too quickly, it can lead to confusion, exclusion, or miscommunication, not just between generations, but within them.
Ultimately, slang is a mirror. It reflects our culture, our humour, our frustrations, and our sense of belonging.
And while it’s true that many Boomer-era phrases are fading, that’s not a sign of cultural loss, it’s simply the language doing what it has always done: shifting, adapting, and renewing itself for the world we live in now.
Related reading: ABC, News.com.au
