"Avo on toast", "parma" and "halal snack pack" have all become part of everyday Australian vernacular and the national dictionary is documenting the country's culinary maturity with a new version.
The Australian National Dictionary Centre (ANDC) based at the Australian National University is looking for new contributions from the public with a focus on food-related words and phrases.
ANDC Director and chief editor of the dictionary Dr Amanda Laugesen said as culinary culture changes in Australia, so too does language.
"There are a much wider range of food choices available now - multicultural dishes, street food, ingredients from native plants and animals. We also like our less formal ways of enjoying food, from sausage sizzles to food festivals," she said.
"All of these changes are reflected in the language we use, and we expect that there are many new Australian food-related terms that we have not recorded."
Dr Laugesen said the crowdfunding exercise of appealing to the public will also unearth older, arcane terms that have fallen out of fashion.
"We also welcome contributions that may not be new but you think should be recorded. We've collected some older words that should have gone into the dictionary before, such as honey joy, tank loaf, bushman brownie and smiley fritz to name a few," she said.
The public can share their food terms via the ANDC's Word Box feature or through the its contact page.
Australian Associated Press
