A, a eɪ vowel and word
The first letter of the modern English alphabet and of the ancient Roman one, corresponding to Greek alpha or Hebrew aleph.
It is the second most frequently occurring letter in English vocabulary.
Lexinote: The letter's most common singular use is as a verbal response to anything that exceeds comprehension. For example, in response to "Did you know its function in grammar is a as determiner and indefinite article?" you would likely answer... ay?
A Dictionary of Average Australian Thought notes that, statistically, the most popular word in Australian speech, "arsehole," unsurprisingly begins with the letter 'a.'
Analysis finds that 'a' grows increasingly rare in social media (SM) interactions, being supplanted by @. There is also a growing assumption that all sentences should begin with @, as with email and SM handles.
Aasvogel ˈɑ:sfəʊg(ə)l (archaic) noun
A carrion-eating bird. A vulture. Spelt thus offers an irresistibly colourful alternative to the modern Afrikaans word aasvoël.
Lexinote: A yet more colourful, if misemployed, variation is "assvogel," as defined by the His Majesty's Urban Dictionary: "Used when you want to say ass without actually saying ass. Under normal circumstances, an utterance of ass will potentially attract a spanking from one's maternal figure. The use of assvogel aims to avert this act of child abuse."
In Australia that would be "arsevogel" which, almost miraculously, pronounces identically and could lead to insult confusion - but we digress a tad.
Abacus ˈabəkəs noun. Plural -ci
The abacus is a historic counting device comprising columns of beads. It uses a bi-quinary coded decimal representation and imaginary decimalisation.
Lexinote: Abaci were a fast-growing alternative to electronic calculators when unfounded rumours claimed that central processing units in Chinese-manufactured calculators skim from corporate accounts.
Abaci labelled "Made in Australia" are, in fact, assembled in Australia from imported beads.
Abaddon əˈbad(ə)n noun
Hebrew term meaning destruction or doom. Hell. The bottomless pit.
Lexinote: Similar conditions arise in small defenceless countries, wherein global military powers trial and refine new weaponry in the guise of peace-making and "fostering democracy."
Australian Football League or AFL
See Australian Rules Football further below.
Aussie ˈɒzi: colloquial noun, adjective Rare: Ozzie
An abbreviation for and Australian person (noun) or for the quality of being Australian (adjective).
Lexinote: "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, oi, oi!" is a chant used by Australians to support their international sportspeople. Also a leading indicator for non-Australians nearby to move quietly and quickly as possible away from chanters.
Aussie battler - a typical Australian (lower class) who survives against any odds that middle and upper-classes manage to place in their path to survival.
Aussie rules - See Australian Rules Football
Ozzie Ostrich - beloved sock puppet that co-hosted the television show Hey Hey It's Saturday
Australia ó'strey-lee-u noun Coll: 'Straya
A flat dry island continent hosting a nation sharing borders with no other (which should tell you something).
Home to one of the oldest continuous indigenous civilisations, of over 65,000 years.
Lexinote: Colonised in 1788 by the Australian Agricultural Company with a workforce of slave labour, a process unchanged today, other than corporate rebranding.
Immigration has long been a controversial matter, with recent arrivals labelled "illegal" and housed in offshore gulags to discourage others. The aboriginal peoples (aka 'First Nations') reckon that, of the country's 27 million inhabitants, about 26 million are illegal immigrants.
Australians are a plucky lot, readily distinguished by their quirky humour, casual clothing, and bizarre accent. Foreign visitors are often unnerved by the traditional local greeting: "Gidday, 'ow are yer goin' to die?"
Lacking borders, and therefore disputes, Australia's military is forced to go offshore to practise warfare, fighting as a mercenary force for other nations in return for favours - typically in hot Arab lands. The second decade of the 21st century saw a counter-intuitive attempt to enrage China, the country's largest trading partner. Geostrategists believe that was merely a negotiating tactic over the price of coal.
In 1965 journalist and social critic Donald Horne famously said "Australia is a lucky country, run by second-rate people who share its luck."
Nothing has changed.
Australian Rules Football
Australian Rules football (Aussie Rules or AFL) is a form of football played on an oval pitch with a modified rugby ball by two teams of 18 players each.
The most significant rules in AFL are: catching the ball in the air from a team member's kick; kicking the ball between posts; bouncing the ball regularly if running with it. The initial thoughts of an outsider is the irony that there seems to be no rules in Australian rules.
Lexinote: Despite the undying enthusiasm of fans, AFL is derided by those for whom it carries no interest. Detractors describe AFL as "a brawl with a bunch of sweaty blokes in tiny shorts who lack the skills and footwork for football (soccer) or the fast hands needed for rugby."
In response, AFL cultists describe rugby skill sets thusly" Run five yards, fall down, make a pile."
In the interest of not being assaulted by proponents of opposing notions, Yr Lexi accedes to both sides of any argument about the merits of these football codes.