Rooted: An Australian history of bad language
NewSouth, 2026
Bugger, rooted, strewth...What is it about Australians and swearing? We’ve got an international reputation for using a bloody good swear word or two. From the defiant curses of the convicts to the humour of Kath & Kim, Amanda Laugesen, Chief Editor of the Australian National Dictionary, takes us on an engrossing journey through the tumultuous history of Australia’s bad language.
Bad language has been used in all sorts of ways in our history: to defy authority, as a form of liberation and subversion, and as a source of humour and creativity. It has also been used to oppress and punish. The story of bad language gives us a unique insight into Australia’s past and present – from the insolent to the offensive, with plenty of f-bombs along the way.
“In Rooted, her appositely titled, exhaustive history of the national use of the obscene, the offensive and the ever-creative slangy, Amanda Laugesen proves that so-called “bad language” makes for some of the most inventive, descriptive and even character-defining in the world.”
About the Author
Amanda Laugesen is a historian, lexicographer, and author. She is director of the Australian National Dictionary Centre at ANU and chief editor of the Australian National Dictionary: Australian words and their origins. She has published extensively on US and Australian history. Her most recent book is Rooted: An Australian history of bad language (2020).
