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Understanding the Idiom: "down under" - Meaning, Origins, and Usage

When someone uses the expression “down under” , they are typically referring to a location south of their current position. This could mean traveling from Europe or North America to Australia or New Zealand, for example. However, it can also be used more broadly to describe any country located below the equator.

The origins of this phrase are unclear, but it is believed to have originated in England during the 19th century when ships would travel from Europe to Australia by sailing around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. Sailors on these voyages would refer to Australia as being “down under” due to its location south of their starting point.

Today, “down under” has become a common way for people all over the world to refer to countries located in the southern hemisphere. It is often used colloquially and can have different connotations depending on context.

• “Down under” refers generally refers to locations south of one’s current position
• The term likely originated from sailors traveling between England and Australia during the 19th century
• Today, it is commonly used as an informal way of referring to countries located in the southern hemisphere

Origins and Historical Context of the Idiom “down under”

The phrase “down under” is a popular idiom that refers to Australia and New Zealand. It has become synonymous with these countries, but where did this expression come from? Understanding the origins and historical context of this idiom can provide insight into its meaning and cultural significance.

The term “down under” was first used in the late 19th century to describe Australia’s location on the globe. Due to its position in the southern hemisphere, it is located below many other countries, hence the term “down.” The phrase was later adopted by New Zealand as well.

Over time, “down under” became more than just a geographical descriptor. It came to represent a unique culture and way of life that is distinct from other parts of the world. This includes everything from Australian slang to their love for outdoor activities like surfing and barbecuing.

In addition, the history of colonization in Australia and New Zealand plays a significant role in shaping their identity as nations “down under.” The indigenous populations were largely displaced by European settlers, leading to complex social issues that continue to be addressed today.

Usage and Variations of the Idiom “down under”

The idiom “down under” is widely used in English-speaking countries to refer to Australia and New Zealand. However, this phrase has evolved over time and has taken on various meanings beyond its original geographic reference.

Variations of the Idiom

While “down under” is commonly associated with Australia and New Zealand, it can also be used to refer to other southern hemisphere countries such as South Africa or Argentina. In some cases, it may even be used more broadly to describe any location that is far away or difficult to reach.

Usage in Popular Culture

The idiom “down under” has been popularized through various forms of media including music, film, and literature. For example, the song “Down Under” by Men at Work became an international hit in the 1980s and helped solidify the association between the phrase and Australia.

In addition, many films set in Australia or featuring Australian characters have incorporated the idiom into their titles such as “Crocodile Dundee: The Son of a Legend Returns Home Down Under” . This usage reinforces the idea that “down under” refers specifically to Australia.

Synonyms, Antonyms, and Cultural Insights for the Idiom “down under”

When referring to Australia or New Zealand, the phrase “the Antipodes” can be used as an alternative to “down under”. This term originates from Greek mythology where it referred to the opposite side of the world. Another synonym is “Oceania”, which encompasses all countries in the Pacific region including Australia and New Zealand.

On the other hand, antonyms of “down under” include phrases such as “up north” or simply stating a specific country name such as Canada or Russia. These terms are often used when contrasting with Australia or New Zealand’s southern location.

Culturally, using “down under” can also imply a sense of informality and friendliness towards Australians and New Zealanders. It is often used by foreigners who have visited these countries or have friends from there. However, it is important to note that some locals may find it cliché or overused.

Practical Exercises for the Idiom “down under”

Exercise 1: Write a short paragraph using the idiom “down under” to describe a place or situation. Be creative and try to use the idiom in a unique way.

Example: The sun was beating down on us as we walked through the dusty streets of Alice Springs, deep in Australia’s outback. It was like being transported to another world, down under where everything felt unfamiliar yet strangely alluring.

Exercise 2: Watch an Australian movie or TV show and identify how many times the characters use the phrase “down under” . Take note of how it is used and what context it is used in.

Example: In Crocodile Dundee, Mick Dundee uses the phrase “down under” several times throughout the movie when referring to his home country of Australia. He often uses it as a way to emphasize his pride in his country’s unique culture and landscape.

Exercise 3: Create a dialogue between two people using the idiom “down under” . Try to make it sound natural by incorporating other colloquial expressions commonly used in Australia.

Person A: G’day mate! How ya going?

Person B: Not too bad, thanks for asking. Just got back from a trip down under.

Person A: Oh yeah? Whereabouts did you go?

Person B: I spent some time exploring Sydney and Melbourne. It was unreal!

Person A: Sounds like a ripper of a trip. I’ve always wanted to visit down under myself.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using the Idiom “down under”

When using idioms, it is important to understand their meaning and usage in context. The idiom “down under” is commonly used to refer to Australia or New Zealand, but there are some common mistakes that people make when using this phrase.

To avoid these common mistakes, take the time to learn about the origins and proper usage of idioms before incorporating them into your language. This will help you communicate more effectively and avoid any confusion or misunderstandings.

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down under adverb , noun , & adjective

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What does the word down under mean?

There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the word down under . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

How common is the word down under ?

How is the word down under pronounced, british english, u.s. english, where does the word down under come from.

Earliest known use

The earliest known use of the word down under is in the 1880s.

OED's earliest evidence for down under is from 1886, in the writing of James A. Froude, historian and man of letters.

down under is formed within English, by compounding.

Etymons: down adv. , under adv.

Nearby entries

• downtowner, n. 1830–
• downtread, v. 1536–
• down tree, n. ?1740–
• downtrend, n. 1890–
• downtrod, adj. 1598–
• downtrodden, adj. & n. 1597–
• down trou, n. 1973–
• downturn, n. 1658–
• downturn, v. 1909–
• downturned, adj. 1826–
• down under, adv., n., & adj. 1886–
• downvote, n. 2000–
• downvote, v. 1876–
• downward, adv., adj., & prep. c1175–
• downward dog, n. 1977–
• downward-forward, adj. 1855–
• downwardly, adv. 1662–
• downwardly mobile, adj. 1946–
• downward-mobile, adj. 1943–
• downward mobility, n. 1929–
• downwardness, n. 1650–

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, entry history for down under, adv., n., & adj..

down under, adv., n., & adj. was revised in December 2018.

down under, adv., n., & adj. was last modified in July 2023.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

• further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into down under, adv., n., & adj. in July 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

A Supplement to the New English Dictionary (1933)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

• View down under, adv. in OED Second Edition

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Citation details

Factsheet for down under, adv., n., & adj., browse entry.

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adverb or adjective

Definition of down under, word history.

1886, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near down under

down-twister

Cite this Entry

“Down under.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/down%20under. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.

Geographical Definition

Geographical name, definition of down under.

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Song Meanings and Facts

Men at Work

Men at work’s “down under” lyrics meaning.

by SMF · Published September 20, 2017 · Updated March 18, 2022

Down Under is a song performed by the noted Australian rock band Men at Work . The song, which was a major hit in several countries across the globe, has lyrics that follow the international travels of an Australian man who is so full of pride for his country.

His travels throughout the world see him go to places such as Brussels in Belgium and Bombay (now called Mumbai) in India. In these places, he meets with nice people who show some level of interest in his cherished home country of Australia.

In an interview with Songfacts.com , the lead vocalist of Men at Work, Colin Hay shed some light on the song’s meaning. He described the chorus of the song as one that is about celebrating Australia in a way that isn’t nationalistic.

According to Colin, the lyrics were inspired by the famous Australian fictional character Barry McKenzie who travels to England. The character McKenzie was created by the Australian comedian, satirist, and author Barry Humphries in 1964.

Top Slang Terms in the lyrics of “Down Under”

The lyrics of the song contain a lot of interesting and pretty popular Australian slang terms.

For example, the phrase “ fried out ” is slang term in Australia which means overheated.

The word “ Kombi ” from the famous line “ traveling in a fried-out kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie ” refers to the Volkswagen Type 2 car. This is a car that was widely used by hippies during the 1960s and 1970s. Therefore that famous line simply means traveling in an overheated car (Volkswagen Type 2).

Then we have the phrase “ head full of zombie “. This is a slang term used to refer to the usage of a kind of “weed” which was once very popular in Australia.

The word “ chunder ‘ in the line, in which the singer sings about the place where beer flows and “ men chunder “, is a slang word for “vomit”.

The “ Vegemite sandwich ” that the narrator receives in Brussels is a very popular delicacy in Australia. It is made of vegetables, spice additives and leftover brewers’ yeast extract.

Facts about “Down Under”

This song also goes by the title Land Down Under . It was written by Men at Work members lead singer Colin Hay and lead guitarist Ron Strykert.

Down Under is the most famous song ever released by Men at Work. In addition to peaking at number 1 in the band’s home country of Australia, the song also reached the number one spot in several other countries. These countries include the United Kingdom and the United States. Other places where this was a number 1 hit are:

• Switzerland

In June 2009, the writers of the song Ron and Colin were sued for copyright infringement. This was after it was discovered that the flute riff of Down Under was plagiarized from the popular Australian nursery rhyme “Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree” which was written by songwriter Marion Sinclair. In February 2010, both songwriters Strykert and Hay were found guilty of copyright infringement.

The court subsequently ordered Men at Work to give 5% of the royalties (revenue) from “Down Under” to the copyright holder of “Kookaburra”.

The Luude Version of “Down Under”

In late 2021, Down Under shot to prominence all over the world again. This was after Australian EDM producer Luude collaborated with Colin Hay to record a new version of the song . Colin re-record fresh vocals for this new version. Shortly after it was released, it topped the charts in New Zealand.

Related posts:

• “Down Under” by Luude (ft. Colin Hay)

“Who Can It Be Now?” by Men at Work

• “At The Roadhouse” by The Paper Kites
• Meaning of “Green Valley” by The Paper Kites

7 Responses

• Pingbacks 1

This is a true classic from Australia.

Thanks for clarifying.

I don’t hear the kookaburra rift in this song at all. With?

it’s at the start of the song

What nonsense! Cant believe the judge did that. What was the judges name?

The sad fact is even if there is a similarity to the Kookaburra song it will have got in their heads as kids and likely wasn’t a deliberate break of copyright as it came out of their subconsciouses after laying dormant for decades with the origin forgotten. And a lot of old kiddie songs are public domain anyway. Lawsuit is quite a dirty word when copyright muddies the line between inspiration and imitation, because most copyright infringements are neither deliberate or malicious.

[…] keyboardist Greg Ham, and bassist John Rees. The band is best known for their 1981 smash hit song Down Under (also referred to as Land Down Under) from their debut album titled Business as Usual. Other […]

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Tags: Australia Barry McKenzie Colin Hay Down Under Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree Marion Sinclair Men at Work Ron Strykert

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"down under" Meaning

"down under" example sentences, "down under" related lesson material, browse words, related words.

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Word history and origins.

Origin of down under 1

Example Sentences

The company commander had also been badly wounded, they said, as they hunkered down under a highway overpass.

This is the photograph that Kate has apparently said is her favorite of the royal trip down under.

Down under, people endearingly call boxes of wine “goons,” and they drink them with alacrity.

My Down Under over-the-top lifestyle compensated for my “real” life asceticism in the United States.

But, as Star thoughtfully worries, “IS THERE A DARK SIDE TO HER THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER?”

They walked together to a recess in the garden, where they sat down under the full radiance of the unclouded moon.

Quick as a flash he jumped in and dived down, down under where the fish were darting.

He sat down under a tree, and began talking very quietly and unconcernedly with the neighbours, as if nothing had happened.

When a man was tired, and the sun was hot, he sat down under a tree for shelter and rest.

Just before he reached the car one of the thermos bottles started to slide down under his elbow.

The Essentials of Aussie Slang For The Next Trip Down Under

English is a little different down under and this guide will help people get used to the unique slang of Australia (and New Zealand).

Thinking of going down under for a holiday? Well, English is spoken a little differently down there. It may take a number of people back who are not accustomed to it (and yes it is true that Aussies say "mate" a lot - a lot, and they greet with "G'ay mate!").

While the Australians certainly have their accents, the pirates didn't. The "pirate accent" is based on the English accents in Cornwall and was popularized by the early movies " Treasure Island " and " Black Beard The Pirate ".

Things To Know Of The Aussie Accent

The Australian accent was created by the intermingling of the early settlers from various regions of Great Britain and Ireland - with the English dialects of Southeast England being the most influential.

One of the main differences in the board Australia accents is the vowels. These can shift long "a's" (as in "today") to sounding like "i's" (as in "Die"). Thus "Would you like it today?" may sound like "Would like it to die?"

Vowels: Like Most English Language Accents, the Aussie Accent Is Distinguished By its Vowels

The Aussies also have a broad repertoire of their own vocabulary (although more often than not, it's just other British vocabularies).

It should be kept in mind that swear words - even the worst of them like the "F" word and the "C" word are generally not thought of as all that offensive in general conversation. They are frequently used as terms of endearment (also in New Zealand). It is more important to note how and in what context these words are used and not that they are used.

Swearing: Generally Not Considered As Offensive As In The United States

In Australia (and New Zealand) most things are personified and have a gender (mostly feminine). Regarding the weather - "She'll be a hot one today!" or with a new car "ain't she a beaut?!" This is just with everything - "the engine won't start" = "she won't start."

"She": Many "its" Become "Shes" in Australia

Related:  Language Guide: Can You Travel Abroad Knowing Only English?

Everything Must Be Shortened And Made Informal

Aussies (like their New Zealand neighbors but even more extreme) like to shorten everything as much as possible. Do not be offended if one tells an Australian "My name is Michael" and he replies "So Mike..." - names are generally habitually shortened straight off the bat.

Professions typically get their names shortened - like "Truck Driver" is "Truckie", "Bricklayer" is "Brickie", "Electrician" is "Sparky", and "Mechanic" is "Greasy Monkey". The shortening of names includes Australian place names, Brisbane becomes "Brissie" and Tasmania becomes "Tassie".

When it comes to nationalities, the New Zealander's are "kiwis" (something Kiwis call themselves too), the English are "poms", and the Americans are "Yankees" - regardless if one is from New England or not.

Yankee: If One Is An American, Expect To Be Called A Yankee In Australia

Some Aussie Vocabulary

Some Words and Phrases To Know:

"Arvo": Shortened "Afternoon"

"Esky": A Cooler/Cool Box (In New Zealand Called a "Chilly Bin")

"Thongs": Flip Flops (In  New Zealand Called "Jandals")

"Fair Dinkum": Honest, Genuine - "He's Fair Dinkum about the Price"

Crook: Can Be A Dishonest Person or being Sick. "Sorry I Can't Come Into Work Today, I'm Crook"

Strewth: An Exclamation, "Strewth it's Hot!"

Mate: Like In Parts of Britain, Means a Friend or Aquaince - "I've got a Mate in The US"

Barbie: BBQ

Prawn: Aussies say "Prawn" NOT "Shrimp" and No Australians Put Prawns on the Barbie - Nor Will They Ever Ask If one Wants Another Shrimp on the Barbie

Tucker: Food

Swag: A Popular Sleeping Bag-Like Tent In Australia

Boomer: Male Kangaroo

Maccas: MacDonald's

Sheila: A Woman

For more words and phrases, there is an Aussie Slang Dictionary.

Related:  10 Biggest Differences Between England’s North & South (That Most Americans Don’t Know About)

The New Zealand Accent

While the New Zealand accent may sound similar to Australian accents to many people who are not used to the two neighbor's accents, they are quite different. In New Zealand, the short vowels like in the words "pig" and "peg" can be in kinda swallowed and sound something like "pug" and "pig" respectively. A common assertion is that "fish 'n chips" in New Zealand sounds rather like "fush 'n chups" while in Australia it can sound like "feesh 'n cheeps".

The vocabulary in New Zealand is very similar to Australia, but not identical. New Zealand and Australia are very different countries .

Rhetorical Questions: New Zealand, Queensland in Australia, and Canada use Rhetorical Questions "ah", "ay," or "ae" - "That's pretty Good ae?"

New Zealanders will also often add "as" at the end of a sentence to add emphasis. "That's sweet as!" or "I'm hungry as!" or "That's big as!"

New Zealand's accent is often described as less broad and less brash than the Aussie counterpart. They also have a number of attributes in common with South African accents over the Australian accents.

Next:  Language Guide: Reckon You Know These Southern Phrases?

Definition of 'down under'

Down under in american english, down under in british english, examples of 'down under' in a sentence down under, trends of down under.

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What does trip down under mean? See a translation

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Show answer from the AI monga 「trip down under」という英語のフレーズは、オーストラリアへの旅行を指す表現です。このフレーズは、オーストラリアが地球の南半球に位置していることから、南下することを意味しています。具体的には、アメリカや他の北半球の国からオーストラリアへ旅行することを指します。 このフレーズは、以下のような文脈で使われることがあります。 1. "I'm planning a trip down under next summer."（来夏にオーストラリアへの旅行を計画しています。） この例では、話し手が来夏にオーストラリアへの旅行を計画していることを伝えています。 2. "Have you ever taken a trip down under?"（オーストラリアへの旅行はしたことありますか？） この例では、話し手が相手にオーストラリアへの旅行経験を尋ねています。 3. "She's been dreaming of a trip down under for years."（彼女は何年もオーストラリアへの旅行を夢見ています。） この例では、話し手が彼女が長年オーストラリアへの旅行を夢見ていることを述べています。 「trip down under」は、オーストラリアへの旅行を指す際に使われる表現であり、北半球から南半球への移動を意味します。

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文脈は分かりませんが、”down under”とはオスとラリアを指します。 “trip” は旅行。

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Meaning of take a stroll/trip/walk down memory lane in English

Take a stroll/trip/walk down memory lane.

• aide-mémoire
• awaken someone to something
• be engraved on someone's memory/mind idiom
• be etched on/in someone's memory idiom
• if my memory serves me right idiom
• in commemoration of someone/something
• jog someone's memory idiom
• remind someone of something/someone
• reminiscence

Translations of take a stroll/trip/walk down memory lane

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