‘BACHELOR’S HANDBAG’ VOTED AUSTRALIAN WORD OF THE YEAR

The people of Australia have spoken, and their chosen word of the year is ‘bachelor’s handbag’ known to the rest of the world as a roast chicken takeaway in a plastic bag.

According to the Australian English dictionary, the term is defined as a “noun Colloquial (humourous) a takeaway roast chicken.”

Its origin has been explained as: From the fact that such a chicken requires no further preparation before consumption, so is seen as an easy meal favoured by a single person, and is often packaged in a small plastic bag with a handle, resembling a handbag.”

The word of the year was decided in an online vote where people from all over the country could nominate and vote for their favourite word of the year.

Other submissions included ‘spicy cough’ for a Covid infection and ‘gigafire’ for a bushfire that scorches more than 100,000 hectares.

In South Africa, ‘loadshedding’ was chosen as the 2023 word of the year.

Image credit: Perth Now