Favorite Australian Slang: You Might Be a Bogan If…

This is part of an ongoing series on my favorite Australian slang. Be sure to check back for more, or subscribe to my RSS feed to receive automatic updates to your reader.

Flannel shirts, mullets and a cold beer in hand. This would be the stereotypical definition of the redneck in America, the chav in the UK(correct me if I’m wrong) and, yes, the bogan in Australia. Once down under, you will certainly hear the term quite often and everywhere from in the news to on the train.

If you want a full description of what would constitute as a bogan, have a look at this video:

Bogan Resources

After some further research into the topic, there are actually quite a few websites out there that are dedicated to the Aussie bogan. If you’re feeling intrigued and have time to spare, take a look at these. You just might discover that someone in your life is actually a bit bogan… or perhaps even you.

• Bogan.com.au – Where the flanno rules supreme.
• Things Bogans Like – A tribute to the modern bogan.
• The Uncyclopedia: Bogan – A funny and thorough overview of the disease.

Bogans in Popular Culture

Julia Gillard, the current Prime Minister of Australia, is considered to be a bit bogan. This falls on the way she talks, which could be a combination of growing up in a small country town with Welsh parents.

Popular television shows have done wonders in portraying the bogan lifestyle from Australia’s Kath & Kim and New Zealand’s Outrageous Fortune.

There was a famous incident maybe a year ago involving a rather bogan girl taking advantage of the media. She told a story that didn’t actually happen and became an Internet sensation thanks to a little thing known as social media. Meet the chk-chk-boom girl: