Mark Gwynn
Australian National Dictionary Centre
ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
Mark Gwynn is a senior researcher at the Australian National Dictionary Centre.
Mark has written about various aspects of lexicography and Australian English.
He is the editor of more than 30 dictionaries published by Oxford University Press. Mark was a co-editor of the second edition of the Australian National Dictionary (2016), which defines and traces the history of some 16,000 Australian words and phrases. He is currently working on the third edition of this dictionary and also researching the history and vocabulary of Australian rhyming slang.
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Articles
Word-playing the field
A couple of years ago, a peculiar expression was submitted to the Word Box on the Australian National…
‘It’s really hard to switch off’: the quest to find Australia’s Word of the Year
Have you ever wondered what dictionaries think of each other’s ‘Word of the Year’ picks, or are you…
Dictionary calls on sporting tragics to step up to the plate in new appeal
Whether you barrack for the Tillies or Kookaburras, prefer aerial ping pong to mobile wrestling, or have been…
Where did the term eshay come from?
The 2022 Netflix television series Heartbreak High introduced many people to the Australian word eshay. The word puzzled…
The Matildas waltz in as Australia’s Word of the Year
The soaring popularity of the Australian women’s soccer team after their semi-final run at this year’s FIFA Women’s…
Bin chickens and maggies step into the spotlight with new word appeal
Australia’s nicknames for its weird and wonderful animals have become almost as iconic as the creatures themselves. Some…
‘Shoeys’ have been around for years, but where did the word come from?
Singer, actor and 2023 Grammy Award winner Harry Styles recently made headlines around the world for doing a…
Australia’s 2022 Word of the Year revealed
teal: adjective: of or relating to an independent political candidate or politician who advocates for greater integrity in parliament…
Why language could be crucial in the lead up to election day
From “Manchurian candidate” accusations to talk of “wedge politics”, Australians are already being served up a taste of…
Iso picked as ‘typically Aussie’ Word of the Year
Iso: self-isolation; the act of remaining apart from others as a way to limit the spread of an infectious disease,…