Australia Names 'Shirtfront' 2014 Word of the Year

The Australian National Dictionary Centre has declared "shirtfront" as Australia's word of the year. The term rose to popularity after Prime Minister Tony Abbott used it to threaten Russian President Vladimir Putin for the way Russia handled the downing of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in Ukraine.

While Mr Abbott did not elaborate what he meant when he made the threat to "shirtfront" Mr Putin, his aggressive statement made international news and was criticised for his outburst ahead of the G20 summit in Brisbane, according to the Daily Mail. More than 30 Australians have died in the MH17 crash. Mr Abbott said in October that he was going to "shirtfront Mr Putin" and told him that Australians were murdered when MH17 was shot down. The prime minister's statement was described as "unfortunate" by the Kremlin.

Amanda Laugesen, president of the Australian National Dictionary Centre, said the word was chosen after it was made famous by Mr Abbott but mostly because there was confusion about what shirtfront really meant. The word is usually used in sports to describe an aggressive front-on bump to an opponent. In rugby, shirtfront means grabbing the jersey of the opponent.

Laugesen explained that the meaning of the word actually dates back to the 1980s when shirtfront had a figurative meaning which is to confront or challenge another person. She said Mr Abbott did not explain what he meant, but she believes he knew what it meant figuratively.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop previously said the term has entered the diplomatic community's terminology in several countries. Both the British Prime Minister David Cameron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have used the term as a joke when they addressed parliament.

Another notable phrase that became popular in 2014 is "Team Australia" which was also coined by the Australian prime minister. Laugesen said the centre thought it was an interesting use of the phrase since historical usage was mostly restricted in sporting events. Mr Abbott used the phrase in reference to a political issue and made it another "Austrialianism." Laugesen said she found it difficult to give an exact definition of "Team Australia," but as of the moment, she describes it as a person supporting Australia and something with the values that fits Australia.