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Babblers, cops and quacks: the sometimes dark – but often amusing – origins of nicknames for jobs

By Kate Burridge, Professor of Linguistics, Monash University
Howard Manns, Senior Lecturer in Linguistics, Monash University

Australians love a nickname, and certain jobs are no exceptions. So whether you’re a journo, brickie, shrink or cop, there’s a rich history behind the slang.

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