Death of 'drongo': Are Aussie insults and swearwords dying out?
Linguists have observed that younger Australians are using insults and swearwords differently than older generations. This shift is influenced by changing societal taboos and the impact of music and social media. As language evolves, certain terms fall out of favor while others, including some older expressions, may resurface in new contexts.
- ▪Younger generations tend to find different words offensive compared to older individuals.
- ▪Changing societal norms significantly influence which swearwords and insults are considered acceptable.
- ▪Music, particularly rap and hip-hop, plays a crucial role in shaping contemporary youth slang.
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Death of 'drongo': Are Aussie insults and swearwords dying out?By Shalailah Medhoratriple j HackTopic:LanguageMon 25 May 2026 at 11:09amMon 25 May 2026 at 11:09amMon 25 May 2026 at 11:09amLinguists have found that younger people use swearwords and insults in different ways than older people. (Getty Images: Sergio Mendoza Hochmann)abc.net.au/news/swearing-insults-offensive-words-change-over-time/106711220Link copiedShareShare articleAustralians love a good insult: from Australiana-inspired quips like 'galah', to four-letter favourites that have stood the test of time and phrases too colourful to publish.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ABC News (Australia).