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An American expat has shared the one word that “offends all Australians”.
Emily Tollefson is originally from Minnesota but has lived in Sydney for almost two years.
She was shocked when an Australian friend revealed Emily made the latest faux pas by referring to the man she saw as a “champion”.
“Australians, I need you to tell me the truth right now,” he said. ‘Last night my Australian best friend and I were talking about words that are offensive in Australia but might not be offensive in the United States and vice versa.
“She told me that the word ‘champion’ is hugely offensive in Australia, and I thought she was kidding me.”
Emily explained that to her, “champion” was like “dude,” “buddy,” or “buddy”—it’s very informal.
“I’ve been dating this guy for a while and I sent him a text that might have offended him,” she shared.
“I was out drinking the night before, so I texted him in the morning saying, ‘How are you feeling, champ?'”
But all the Australian man responded was: “Please don’t call me that.”
Emily continued: ‘In my American brain, I thought that was fine. Some guys don’t like it when the girls they date call them “champion,” “buddy,” or “buddy.”
“I told this story to my best friend and she told me that ‘champion’ was very offensive in Australia, but it wasn’t.”
Emily Tollefson has lived in Sydney for almost two years.
Several Australians shed light on the matter.
‘Try being a guy who calls another guy “champion” in a pub. It is a term that is used with children and when you use it with another adult you are undermining them,” explained one man.
‘If you call a little boy “champion,” that’s fine. If you call an adult a ‘champion’ you are being very condescending and looking for a fight,’ said another.
“The champion, the boss, the captain, the friend, the sport and the tiger are all seen as derogatory,” one wrote.
But not everyone agreed.
‘It’s not offensive. Some people are just offended by everything. Toughen up, little cake,’ wrote one man.
‘I’m Australian and I’m one year old today when I find out that champion is an offensive word!! It seems like I’ve been living under a rock.