Why do Australians say 'ducky' instead of 'duck'?
Arguing About The Ducky Spoon Family Heirloom
A2 English listening practice · Australian English · Picked for people who know a little
Australians love to add -y or -ie to the end of a word. Brekkie means breakfast, arvo means afternoon, sunnies means sunglasses, barbie means BBQ, bickie means biscuit. Add -y to duck and you get ducky, a soft, friendly word. Little ducky can be a pet’s name, a child’s toy, or, in this clip, a spoon someone has loved since they were a baby.
The fun here is the fight. She calls it her ducky spoon, but her friends keep saying “I think that’s a rabbit.” She searches online, and it really is Peter Rabbit. “This might be the worst day of my life,” she jokes. The spoon is still hers — it just has a new name.
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How common in written English
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Harder words in this video
These words are harder than A2. Here is what they mean.
Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-US 2012 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.
- ▸In Australian sitcoms and kids' TV like Kath & Kim and Bluey on ABC where characters use -y nicknames every other line
- ▸On Australian morning radio on Triple M and KIIS 1065 when hosts call each other darl, love, or ducky
- ▸In British and Australian children’s books, from Beatrix Potter tales to The Wiggles picture books, where animal pet names lean cute
- ▸In Australian family chat at brekkie, smoko (tea break), or arvo tea when grandparents call kids little ducky or little possum