124
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
this post was submitted on 29 Apr 2026
124 points (93.7% liked)
Overseas News
719 readers
23 users here now
A place for Australians and friends to share news from the other countries. Like all communities here, we discuss topics from the Australian perspective.
If you're looking for a global /c/worldnews instead, search for the many options on federated instances.
Rules
- Follow the aussie.zone rules
- We are not a generic World News clone. News must be relevant to Australians and our region. Obvious disregard will earn an warning and then a ban if continued. (If an article isn't from an Oceanian news outlet, and it doesn’t mention Australia, then it’s probably off-topic)
- Leave seppocentrism at the door. If you don't know what that means, you're not ready to post here yet.
- Avoid editorialising headlines. Opinions go in the comments, not the post.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
Don't be. The etymology of the word is simply that it rhymes with 'tank', and not specifically the word it rhymes with.
It's the same as 'pom' for English people. And used in similar context. Yes, it's a little derogatory - but more in a teasing way rather than a nasty way.
People who eat pork pies are not thought of as habitual liars, but it's where 'porkies' comes from. Actually, that may not be a thing for you guys, huh? Porkies a chain there, right?
Not just 'tank', septic tank, therefore seppo. Not just tank and yank.
well thats how rhyming slang tends to work, e.g. you would hear someone say "there was a barney" meaning there was a fight (that's Barney Rubble = trouble); or to "have a butcher's" meaning to have a look at something (Butcher's hook = look). Using the first part of the word or phrase is part of what makes it an in-group marker; those who know will understand, hence calling someone a seppo is just combining the cockney rhyming slang the ANZACs came across during the war with an Australian stylism. i would normally take that as friendly banter rather than derogatory.
Ned, I know about rhyming slang in general (I've been on this earth long enough :D) but the use of seppo IS derogatory and unfair. If (god forbid) ON won our next election and the Americans called Australians 'losers' for it would that be justified? I don't think so. Right-wing narrative control in the US is very heavy and we are going in the same direction but the rest of our political landscape is not as lightweight as theirs is. Their voting system is different as you know and the economic situation a lot worse than here.
You'll just have to take our word for it that it's not a nasty term. Nobody who wants to insult you is going to use the word 'seppo'. We have far more colourful words for that.
Nath, I know. I've been in Australia for over 6 decades but not everyone understands our larrikin humour or has seen the word 'seppo' before.
You've been here six decades and never heard the term 'seppo'?
That's ... astonishing.
Astonishing it may be but it's true. I well and truly know now what seppo means 😆