
About this episode
Drongo, galah, wombat: they're some of Australia's favourite insults, but their use in everyday language has changed throughout the decades.
While everyone has their preferred flavour of insult, there is one thing that linguists agree on: younger generations swear in a different way to those who came before them.
So what's behind that change? And are we losing parts of our national identity?
In today's deep dive we speak to young people right across Australia about their go-to swear words and insults, and how the internet is changing the way we use and create slang.
Guests:
- Dylan Hughes, Monash University School of Languages PhD student
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