- See Digger (disambiguation) for other possible meanings.
Digger was a popular term used to describe Australian and New Zealand soldiers during World War I. There are numerous theories about the origin of the term but it was not in wide use amongst soldiers until 1917. It was first applied to New Zealand troops before being adopted by the Australians as well. The term had been in wide use prior to the war on the Australian gold fields and New Zealand Kauri gum fields.
Digger Dialects, a glossary of words and phrases used by Australian personnel during WWI (W.H. Downing, 1919, ISBN 0195532333), says that "digger" was first used in 1916.
Diggers were seen to possess the characteristics of hardiness, democratic spirit, mateship and resourcefulness. The term is still used today as slang for an Australian soldier.
The equivalent slang for a British soldier was "Tommy" from Tommy Atkins. However, while the Anzacs would happily refer to themselves as "Diggers", the British soldier generally resented being called "Tommies".
In 2001 Athletics Australia proposed to use Diggers as the nickname for the Australian athletics team but after a public outcry and protest from the RSL the proposal was withdrawn.
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