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ockerism

Ockerism refers to the behaviour, attitudes, speech patterns, and cultural mannerisms associated with the 'ocker' — the archetypal rough-and-ready, unsophisticated Australian male.

ˈɑkɚˌɪzəmDocumented since 1970s1970sBoomerhistorical197 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🇦🇺 Australian & NZ slang
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Born ~1970 · no dated citations yet
1970BornToday, 2026
Boomer / counterculture eraSee decade cohort →

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Australia
#1·Apr 28, 2026AUS

Ockerism refers to the behaviour, attitudes, speech patterns, and cultural mannerisms associated with the 'ocker' — the archetypal rough-and-ready, unsophisticated Australian male. It encompasses things like blunt speech, larrikin humour, a suspicion of pretension, and a certain performative ordinariness. Ockerism can be celebrated as authentic working-class Australian identity or critiqued as a kind of anti-intellectual machismo, depending on the speaker. The concept gained cultural prominence in the 1970s alongside characters like Barry McKenzie and Paul Hogan's Crocodile Dundee persona.

The politician's ockerism played well in the regions but made him a target for mockery in the Sydney broadsheets.
Origin: From 'ocker', an Australian slang term for a rough, uncultured Australian man — possibly derived from the name 'Oscar' or from a character called Ocker who appeared on an Australian TV show in the early 1970s. Editorial expansion authored on Slangora.
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Australia
#2·Apr 27, 2026AUS

(AU) The manners or habits of ockers.

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🇦🇺About Australian & NZ slang slang

Aussie and Kiwi vocabulary — bogan, daggy, brekkie, sheila, bach, jandals — the whole Antipodean lexicon, including outback dialect, surf and beach culture, and Sydney/Melbourne street slang.

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