Aussie `battler’ as a cultural keyword in Australian English NORIKO SEKIYA

Aussie `battler’ as a cultural keyword in Australian English



NORIKO SEKIYA*



Abstract



The purpose of this research project was to examine the cultural term battler in Australian English. During the development of this paper, it was discovered that the use of this term is reflective of culture. Despite there being many meaning choices for the word, Australians use the term battler with particular meaning related to their cultural attitudes, such as toughness, informality, modesty and egalitarianism. It is vital to understand what people mean by particular words in their culture, and the values behind the word, in order to accurately understand their culture. To expand the analysis, a corpus was made to target the word battler in written texts. The fifty‐four data entries collected through the newspaper article database were analysed according to their usage tendency. The paper also compares the different Australian usages of battler in with those in American English and British English. This paper supports the view that the entrenchment of specific meanings of battler is reflective of the Australian identity manifested through Australians’ use of the word.


1. Introduction



As the English language has become a universal lingua franca an understanding of the connotations of English words in international situations has become essential to avoid cultural misunderstandings. This report analyses the cultural term battler in Australian English. It examines how the term battler is used differently in modern newspaper texts, and how the meanings have shifted in terms of the Australian identity. It also proposes an intercultural English perspective, by making comparisons with the usage of the term in American and British English. This paper firstly explores the definition of battler, and the meaning shift from the eighteenth century to modern times. Secondly, it presents the methodology, the findings of the corpus and interview analyses. Thirdly, the paper compares cultural perspectives between American, British and Australian English speakers, arguing that language use is strongly connected to culture, as seen with the cultural term battler, which typically symbolises the Australian identity.


2. Literature Review



In Australian society, the term battler has been used to describe ‘ordinary’ or working class individuals who persevere through their commitments despite adversity. Typically, this adversity comprises the challenges of low payment, family commitments, environmental hardships and lack of personal recognition. According to the Macquarie Dictionary (2005), a battler is “a conscientious worker, especially one living at subsistence level”, while the Oxford Dictionary of English (2005) suggests “a person who refuses to admit defeat in the face of difficulty.” It is not only used to refer to hard‐workers who have never earned their due, but is also recognised as a term of respect and endearment intended to empower or at least acknowledge those who feel as though they exist at the bottom of society. However, the meaning of the term seems to have changed since the eighteenth century.

Ludowyk (2004) illustrated that for a long time in Australian English the term battler has coexisted with both a pejorative sense of ‘prostitute’, and the well‐known positive sense of a person who works doggedly and with little reward, and who struggles for his or her livelihood. Earlier works further indicate the negative connotations of the term battler. Firstly, a battler is defined as “a bludger [which] is about the lowest form of human thing, and is a brothel bully…A battler is the feminine”, quoted from the Bulletin (December 1898). Secondly, the meaning battler was applied in 1956 as “a battler is Sydneyese for prostitute”, quoted from The Drums Go Bang (Ludowyk 2004). A third definition, “a battler was also the name given a woman who earned a few extra quid for her old man by sleeping around”, was quoted from Green Bans in 1978 (Ludowyk 2004). The completely negative connotations of battler, however, seem to have faded away in modern texts.

The term battler has also been used in a slightly different sense, being used to describe an unemployed person, such as a ‘swagman’ or ‘itinerant worker’ seeking to subsist while looking for employment, or an unemployed person living by ‘opportunism’ and his ‘wit’ (Ludwyk 2004). These battlers imply moral superiority to the morally inferior meaning of ‘prostitute’; however, there is no admiration of the usage in this sense. In contrast, battler can also represent in modern texts, a person who has few natural advantages, but works doggedly and with little reward, struggles hard for livelihood, and displays enormous courage in doing so. In all these usages, the core iconic sense remains that the struggle is for livelihood, showing great courage in doing so. Following this basic overview of the term battler, the next section presents the methodology and results of the corpus.


3. Methodology



A small corpus was made to target the word battler in the written texts. The fifty‐four data entries collected through the newspaper article database Factiva were analysed according to their usage tendency. The analytical material focused on daily Australian newspapers from 2006 until 2007. The language variety was Australian English (see Appendix 1 for sample corpus). Interviews were also carried out with a female American lecturer and a well‐educated male British office worker, both over twenty years of age. The interviews consisted of semi‐scripted questions and were recorded and transcribed (see Appendix 2 for questionnaire and sample answers).


4. Results



The corpus research discovered three regular patterns among the meanings: these were categorised as positive, negative and neutral. In regards its positive connotations, a battler was basically a person who comes up against hard working conditions and a tough environment, who perseveres despite the odds being stacked against him or her especially in regards to finance, health and sport. For instance:



(1) An Aussie battler lost his $23M winning ticket. Who is the mega millionaire? The mystery winner is a young battler, a hard working family man from the north of Brisbane. (21 May 2007, Federal Government Broadcast Alerts)

(2) Working battlers Budget winners: The little Aussie battler is set to be the big winner in tonightʹs Federal Budget as the Government moves to entice more people into the workforce, especially mothers. (8 May 2007, The Courier‐Mail)



These cases indicated that the battlers are hard working men and mothers who are struggling financially. This was extended metaphorically to Australian business and finance as seen in the following examples.



(3) The good old Aussie battler has conquered the US80 level in the past couple of months ‐‐ and now sits at its best level in just over 10 years. (9 June

2007, Herald‐Sun)

(4) It is nice to see Leighton’s banner on a development and see that it is built by a company that is an Aussie battler. (27 May 2007, Australian Associated Press Financial News Wire)



The usage of battler in example (3) to represent the Australian dollar, which had been struggling against the American dollar for a long time, is reflective of the high status associated with a battler. This positive connotation could be seen from the choice of the word ‘conquered’ in this example. Example (4) is similar in it refers to a company that came from the bottom rung of society, but had made it to the top.

Other cases focused on the difficulty of achieving a top position in sport.



(5) Aussie battler Peter Luczak pulled off one of the finest wins of his career, rolling tournament No. 5 seed Dominik Hrbaty in straight sets at the Next Generation Adelaide International at Memorial Drive then looked to bigger things yesterday. (2 January 2007, The Advertiser)

(6) Long way to the top – How an Aussie battler finally kicked a goal. (24

December 2006, Sunday Mail)

(7) Even in defeat, the unheralded Aussie battler drew wide praise in his first grand slam outside Australia. (31 August 2007, Herald‐Sun)



These cases illustrated that battlers are sports players who are praised for their efforts to achieve the top position or to win, even though they were the underdogs. The praise could be seen through the words such as ‘finally kicked a goal’ and ‘even in defeat’.

Other instances relate to the struggle of serious illness, or a hard environment due to their disablement. This connotation includes not only the person suffering, but also the partners and family members who look after those suffering, as battlers. For instance:



(8) Mikayla shows her courage in fight with cancer Aussie battler. (4

December 2006, Townsville Bulletin)

(9) Long cardiac treatment for baby Tiny Aimee has the heart of a battler. (26

September 2006, The Advertiser)

(10) Burns battler back into the swing of life. (29 March 2007, The Newcastle Herald)



In these examples a battler is someone that just keeps trying – no matter how hard things are. ‘They’ are always prepared to have a go or just keep going. As seen from these examples so far, the positive connotations associated with battlers are not restricted to people; they can be attributed to anything, for example, currency status. This positive meaning was reflected in most of the examples collected in this small corpus.

However, some of the instances of battler can be characterised as having more neutral connotations in that there is not necessarily respect or admiration implied. In this more neutral sense it is used as a class term. Battlers are ordinary or lower class individuals who persevere through their commitments despite adversity. For instance:



(11) Kevin Rudd has made his first pitch to win back ‘Howardʹs battlers’, promising free dental care for a potential 1.5 million Australians. (14

December 2006, Daily Telegraph)

(12) Rising food prices are changing attitudes among Howardʹs battlers. (21 December 2006, The Age)



These instances are neutral in terms of admiration. Here, battler is used as a class term to describe them as ordinary middle to lower class workers. In comparison, some instances, although less frequent, could be interpreted negatively. For instance:



(13) Forklift driver Kevin Leishman shed his little Aussie battler tag yesterday to become an instant property millionaire. (7 September 2007, The

Courier‐Mail)

(14) The little Aussie battler, it seems, would be better called the little Aussie whinger. Australian consumers, too busy crying poor, have failed to realise that almost everything – from food and alcohol to cars, and even petrol – is becoming more affordable. ( 7 July 2007, The Age)

(15) The Aussie ‘battler’ mentality is a negative ideal that could hold

Australia back from developing its full potential. (25 October 2006, The Australian)

These instances emphasise obvious negative connotations, through the terminologies ‘tag’, ‘whinger’ and the phrase ‘the Aussie battler mentality is a negative ideal’.



However, the completely negative meaning of ‘prostitute’ found in the literature review, did not appear in these research results.

From these findings, it can be concluded that battler is more commonly used with positive connotations of respect, friendliness and solidarity, or as a class term to describe ordinary people, rather than having negative connotations which refer to those who immorally go through the hardships with complaints and negative attitudes such as whinging. With regard to the meaning of the Australian battler, there is an argument that the use of some terms closely reflects culture (Wierzbicka 1986). The next section will reflect on the influence of culture upon language usage.


5. Discussion



Wierzbicka (1986) argues that “language as a guide to social reality” helps us to understand intercultural linguistic differences (p.349). In other words, lexical choices and meanings can be linked with particular cultural values in a particular variety of English. According to Goddard (2006) and Wierzbicka (1986), Australia is a ‘toughness’ culture and Australians also have a strong preference for ‘informality’. It seems that this is sometimes able to be taken as rudeness due to the lack of social knowledge; however, it also displays respect (p.69, p.355). Wierzbicka (1991) emphasised that informality as an Australian social attitude, namely, “the purposeful rejection of any overt show of respect, with implications of familiarity, friendliness and equality: (p.150). Hence, battler could be an Australian indirect way of displaying familiarity, friendliness and equality for people who are battling. From the ‘toughness’ cultural perspective, Australians admire battlers because Australians encourage people not to be overwhelmed by the harsh life which may face them but rather to ‘bear up’ and try to do something for themselves. Therefore, the ‘fighting spirit’ is highly respected in Australian culture. In its essence; the term battler expresses the value system of the Australian identity.

Another Australian cultural attitude combination, modesty and

‘egalitarianism’, could also support the idea of admiration for battlers (Goddard 2004: 66). As a desirable attitude, Australians have to actively play down and hide their success and intelligence. There is a characteristic cultural expression – ‘tall poppy syndrome’. Australians seem most proud of an achievement when a tall poppy has been lopped or an underdog has won. As a popular instance, an cricket player, Donald Bradman, was able to defeat the English team even though he was an underdog. Another instance is Phar Lap, a horse that had previously lost and then became a champion. A final instance is the infamous Ned Kelly, an underdog who saved people and became a hero. All of these characters are admired as heroes who used to be underdogs then defeated the ‘tall poppies’. From the viewpoint of egalitarianism, battlers are thus ordinary and fellows of everybody. The term battler draws upon the inherent ordinariness of groups of people who struggle for their livelihoods. It can thus be argued that the respectful and affectionate expression battler might be rooted in the emphasis placed on ‘toughness’ and ‘egalitarianism’ by Australian English speakers.

However, the cultural meaning of battler does not seem to exist in other English varieties, as battler has only a literal meaning in other varieties of English such as American English and British English. From the interviews, it can be seen that American and British English speakers also admire the underdog, and value the process and effort to fight in the same way Australian culture does. However, in these varieties of English, this admiration is not lexicalised in the same way as battler with its particularly Australian connotations. It is used only literally, to mean when someone is battling against or for something, and is to a large extent interchangeable with the term worker. Thus, battler has not been lexicalised in this way in other varieties of English even though these cultures have similar values for a group of people who never give up.


6. Conclusion



Based on this initial research it can be concluded that battler is used in Australian

English with the following underlying cultural presuppositions:

ƒ I say someone is an underdog

ƒ I feel empathy towards them

ƒ I want them to win

ƒ I think they are heroes

ƒ I think they are just ordinary

In conclusion, battler is a culturally symbolic term describing the Australian identity, even though the definition of battler can be interpreted in different ways depending on the context. It has a negative connotation of someone who is poor and struggling to survive; it also has a positive connotation of being a hero, someone who is overcoming adversity through hard work and perseverance. In addition, battler is also commonly used as a class term to describe ordinary people in contemporary newspaper and media texts. However, even though the word battler has different interpretations, it is worth noting that word choices are always open to speakers and these preferences help point to their underlying cultural values. It is vital to understand what people mean by certain words in their culture, and the values behind the word, in order to accurately understand their culture. Despite American and British cultures having similar values in terms of admiring showing effort and meeting challenges, only Australian English has lexicalised the term to describe this praise for the fighting spirit. The entrenchment of this sense of battler clearly shows the Australian cultural identity through Australians’ use of the word.. Therefore, it is worthwhile to undertake further research about specific cultural terms in particular varieties of English in order to enhance intercultural understanding.


*Author notes

Noriko Sekiya is an international student from Japan, currently in her third year studying for a Bachelor of Arts in Languages and Applied Linguistics at Griffith University. Noriko is interested in learning and teaching languages, and is planning to complete a

Graduate Diploma of Education after her Bachelor degree, and become a teacher. Contact email: Sekiya_noriko@hotmail.com


References

Goddard, C. 2006. ‘Lift your Martina!’: deadpan jocular irony and the ethnopragmatics of Australian English. In Ethnopragmatics: Understanding Discourse in Cultural Context, ed. C. Goddard, 65‐97. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

Ludowyk, F. 2004. Aussie words: The Hyperprotean Battler. Ozwords. Viewed October 30,

2007 at http://www.anu.edu.au/andc/pubs/ozwords/May_2004/battler.html. Macquarie Dictionary 4th edn. 2005. North Ryde, Sydney: Macquarie Library.

Oxford Dictionary of English 2nd edn. 2005. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Wierzbicka, A. 1991. Cross‐cultural Pragmatics: The Semantics of Human Interaction. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

Wierzbicka, A. 1986. Does English reflect culture? Evidence from Australian English.

Language and Society, 15, 349–374.
Appendix 1: Examples of battler from corpus



1. SURGERY Long cardiac treatment for baby Tiny Aimee has the heart of a battler (26 September 2006 The Advertiser)

2. Battlerʹs dream may die Battlerʹs dream in danger of dying A TRUE blue Aussie battlerʹs dream may be about to die. ( 26 September 2006 Canterbury Bankstown Express)

3. Burns battler back into the swing of life (29 March 2007 The Newcastle Herald)

4. The Manhattan may have an American‐sounding name, but itʹs very much a Down Under design geared for the Aussie battler. (31 March 2007 Sunday Times (Perth))

5. Battler Jill loses fight against rare disease (29 March 2007 Derby Evening Telegraph)

6. Battler boer will be hard act to follow (29 March 2007 Gloucestershire Echo)

7. While Wayne Arthurs has impressed with his ability to will a body on the wrong side of 30 through qualifying and the early rounds at Wimbledon, another Aussie battler is plotting her path to next yearʹs Beijing Olympics. (30 June 2007 Australian Associated Press ‐ Sports News)

8. RESILIENT battler Souths Logan yesterday snapped a six‐game losing streak in grand style to maintain its two‐point advantage over fellow cellar dwellers Central. (2 July 2007 The Courier‐Mail)

9. Barrister Jonathon Davies has taken on some good causes in his lifetime, including voluntarily helping secure the acquittal of Morley battler John Button 39 years after he was convicted over a killing to which serial killer Eric Edgar Cooke had confessed. (4 July 2007 The West Australian)

10. Six‐year‐old battler Kirsty‐Lee fighting rare genetic disorder (7 July 2007 The West Australian)

11. Little Aussie battler once again relishes an enormous challenge 23 September 2007Canberra Times

12. US currency plunge allows Aussie battler a strong run (22 September 2007 The Sydney Morning Herald)

13. Comedian Anh Do has won $200,000 as a celebrity guest on the Seven Network game show, Deal or No Deal, for a Melbourne battler who cares full time for his ill wife. (19 September 2007 Australian Associated Press General News)

14. FORKLIFT driver Kevin Leishman shed his little Aussie battler tag yesterday to become an instant property millionaire.( 7 September 2007 The Courier‐Mail)

15. IT wasnʹt the historic fourth world title she coveted but after being left dizzy and ‘seeing stars’ from a violent punch to the head, Aussie battler Emma Snows ill has rated her silver medal at the BG world triathlon championships yesterday as one of her greatest achievements.( 3 September 2007 Daily Telegraph)

16. Aussie battler walks proud (2 September 2007 Sunday Telegraph)

17. Big banks hound Aussie battle (31 August 2007 The Sydney Morning Herald)

18. Chaney argued that the Australian mindset is shifting from battler to aspirant. If confirmed over time, this would represent a profound change in Australian political and economic culture/ From Aussie battler to aspirant LETTER FROM . . . SYDNEY

(6 November 2006 New Zealand Herald)

19. Nadal pushed to four sets by Aussie battler Jones digs deep (31 August 2007 Herald‐Sun)

20. Even in defeat, the unheralded Aussie battler drew wide praise in his first grand slam outside Australia. (31 August 2007 Herald‐Sun)

21. Free TV, representing the free‐to‐air channels, is also working on an EPG system ‐ but one that tries to prevent uploads of recorded digital programs. Kossatz says itʹs now ‘all systems go’ for his little Aussie battler.( 13 August 2007 The Sydney Morning Herald)

22. It is cheering to see the gigantic Aussie battler achieve another ambition.( 3 August 2007 The Australian)

23. I used the word ʹʹdreamingʹʹ because it comes from the film The Castle in which the Aussie battler Darryl Kerrigan takes on the Australian Government which wants to take his property. (28 July 2007 Canberra Times)

24. IN all the jabbing and weaving now taking place between the Federal Government and the Opposition over fears of rates rises and climate change, the little Aussie battler doesnʹt seem to rate much of a mention.( 27 July 2007 Geelong Advertiser)

25. THE little Aussie battler, it seems, would be better called the little Aussie whinger. Australian consumers, too busy crying poor, have failed to realise that almost everything ‐ from food and alcohol to cars, and even petrol ‐ is becoming more affordable.( 7 July 2007 The Age)

26. THE good old Aussie battler has conquered the US80 level in the past couple of months ‐‐ and now sits at its best level in just over 10 years.( 9 June 2007 Herald‐Sun)

27. It is nice to see Leightonʹs banner on a development and see that it is built by a company that is an Aussie battler ( 27 May 2007 Australian Associated Press Financial News Wire)

28. Leighton is an ‘Aussie Battler ‘ says out‐going dep CEO and CFO(27 May 2007 Australian Associated Press Financial News Wire)

29. An Aussie battler lost his $23M winning ticket. Who is the mega millionaire? The mystery winner is a young battler, a hard working family man from the north of Brisbane.( 21 May 2007 Federal Government Broadcast Alerts)

30. Working battlers Budget winners: THE little Aussie battler is set to be the big winner in tonightʹs Federal Budget as the Government moves to entice more people into the workforce, especially mothers (8 May 2007 The Courier‐Mail)

31. Aussie battler Takes Down Cunning Kiwi: In a tournament that went well into the early hours of Sunday morning, one man stood above the rest to take out the New Zealand Poker Championships at Christchurch Casino. (22 April 2007 12:51 Scoop.co.nz)

32. LIZ Carroll is the epitome of the Aussie battler: Her battles, though, are greater and more regular than most of ours. Not only does she have to engage them from the confines of a wheelchair, but her opponents come in many guises. (6 April 2007 Geelong Advertiser)

33. The Manhattan may have an American‐sounding name, but itʹs very much a Down Under design geared for the Aussie battler. Ideally, this budget‐priced home is best suited to a corner block or acreage. (31 March 2007 Sunday Times (Perth))

34. A group of ‘Aussie battler’ victims of Christmas Day 2001 bushfires is suing the NSW government, claiming not enough was done to warn them before the blazes swept through the township of Warragamba,( 14 March 2007 Australian Associated Press General News)

35. OK, so the ‘Aussie battler makes good overseas’ success story is a bit of a cliche. But the three former bicycle couriers behind Crumpler bags arenʹt your average entrepreneurs. Itʹs hard to believe these laid‐back larrikins run a multimillion dollar company that spans the globe. But donʹt let aesthetics fool you.( 25 February 2007 Sunday Herald Sun)

36. His face was a handsome, coffee‐coloured mix of Aussie battler and mail‐order Filipino bride,( 10 February 2007 The Gold Coast Bulletin)

37. A remarkable life Chan Earʹs escape from the killing fields;CHAN Ear is the archetypal Aussie battler who most people would be proud to call a fellow citizen.( 31 January 2007 Moorabbin Glen Eira/Kingston Leader)

38. HOW appropriate on our national day that there is still a place for a little Aussie battler to face up to the impossible.( 25 January 2007 Sportsman)

39. Although it might now be known as the little Aussie battler considering the competition from other varieties such as the ever‐popular sauvignon blanc, even pinot gris.( 20 January 2007 The Age)

40. Mistletoe bird a little Aussie battler (16 January 2007 Geelong Advertiser)

41. a little Aussie battler with a scarf. We see her at home with her ocker husband Albert laughing together as they prepare the evening meal that will break their daily

Ramadan fast.( 3 January 2007 The Courier‐Mail)

42. AUSSIE battler Peter Luczak pulled off one of the finest wins of his career, rolling tournament No. 5 seed Dominik Hrbaty in straight sets at the Next Generation

Adelaide International at Memorial Drive then looked to bigger things yesterday.( 2 January 2007 The Advertiser)

43. Long way to the top ‐ How an Aussie battler finally kicked a goal(24 December 2006 Sunday Mail,)

44. TAKEOVER TARGETED Stewards pull rug on Aussie battler’s tilt at Sprint glory(11 December 2006 Townsville Bulletin)

45. Mikayla shows her courage in fight with cancer Aussie battler (4 December 2006 Townsville Bulletin)

46. I believe Australians have proved time and again they will vote for boring, hard‐working men with glasses, who look like a safe pair of hands and can talk with knowledge and authority about every topic of government. Cʹmon Labor, give the little Aussie battler from Queensland a go.( 4 December 2006 The Newcastle Herald) 47. accountants Ron Ford and Stephen Bright were given the job of selling the Madura Tea Company. But the more they looked into the little Aussie battler company at Clothiers Creek, the more they realised it was just their cup of tea. Doug Parrington investigates(2 December 2006 The Gold Coast Bulletin)

48. he should as Butt and Anderson have helped transform him from a slightly one‐paced Aussie battler into a sharper, more complete open‐class force.( 15 November 2006 New Zealand Herald)

49. THE Aussie ‘battler’ mentality is a negative ideal that could hold Australia back from developing its full potential.( 25 October 2006 The Australian)

50. The veteran MP, known to many as the little Aussie battler, reckons people would come out in huge numbers if there was a proposal to replace the flag. (12 October 2006 Hobart Mercury)

51. KEVIN Rudd has made his first pitch to win back ‘Howardʹs battlers’, promising free dental care for a potential 1.5 million Australians. (14 December 2006 Daily Telegraph)

52. Rising food prices are changing attitudes among Howardʹs battlers. (21 December 2006 The Age)

53. John Howardʹs battlers are wavering and next weekʹs Budget will start the Federal Governmentʹs fight to lure them back, reports John McCarthy (5 May 2007 The Courier‐Mail)

54. Labor research leaked to News Ltdʹs The Daily Telegraph shows swings of between eight and 12 per cent in up to 10 seats in the first sign of a shift in the Howard battler seats since 1998. (14 September 2007 Australian Associated Press Financial News Wire)

Appendix 2: Sample answers from interviews



Respondent 1: British male, 36 years old (Business man, British English speaker)

Q1. When you hear the term ‘battler’ who do you think of?

A: FOOTBALLERS or Steve Waugh (cricketer)! It is a term you often hear in sport.



Q2. Is it negative or positive?

A: It can be both. It can mean that when someone is a battler they are not gifted or talented. It can be positive because the term means they are mentally tough.



Q3. Do you admire the ‘battlers’ =underdogs, even if they do not win?

A: Yes. They try to win.



Q4. In Australian English, ‘Battler’ is an Australian worker, who comes up against hard working conditions and a tough environment, who perseveres despite the odds being stacked against them. They just keep trying no matter how hard things are. It has a very positive connotation in Australian English.



Do you have a term to describe that group of people in your English?

A: We normally call them ‘a worker’



Q5. Have you ever heard/used the word with this connotation?

A: Yes.



Respondent 2: American Female, 28 year old (University Lecturer, American English speaker)

Q1. When you hear the term ‘battler’ who do you think of?

A: I would say a fighter, a person who doesn’t give up – a survivor.



Q2. Is it negative or positive?

A: It would be positive.



Q3. Do you admire the ‘battlers’ =underdogs, even if they do not win? A: Yes, we do encourage trying. When I was a child, I was taught and I was often

encouraged in my efforts and trying was the most important thing. Generally speaking, it doesn’t matter if you win or lose.



Q4. In Australian English, ‘Battler’ is an Australian worker, who comes up against hard working conditions and a tough environment, who perseveres despite the odds being stacked against them. They just keep trying no matter how hard things are. It has a very positive connotation in Australian English.

Do you have a term to describe that group of people in your English?

A: We don’t have such a word. We probably just call them ‘a worker’.



Q5. Have you ever heard/used the word with this connotation?

A: No, never ever heard that.