Why is the country of Australia sometimes called Oz, and the people who live there Ozzies?
So far as I know, “Oz” came about as a nickname for Australia because, in an Australian accent, it sounds sort of like the first syllable of the country’s name, or is one way to pronounce the abbreviation “Aus.” (The connotation of a wonderful, far away place isn’t bad, either.) And “Ozzies” is used as a nickname for the people who live there because it sounds a bit like “Aussies.” I don’t think there’s a direct relationship between the nickname for Australia and the land of Oz, although I have heard stories of Australian soldiers singing “We’re Off to See the Wizard” on their way to fight in World War II.
