Every dating reality TV show has its trademark sayings and phrases. Take a look at Love Island, for example, which birthed the likes of 'can I pull you for a chat?', 'my type on paper' and, perhaps the most iconic of them all, 'I've got the ick'. When it comes to dating shows Down Under, however, we're still getting to grips with the lingo being thrown around by contestants.

'Bogan' is one such word we're hearing a lot of on the current season of Married At First Sight Australia, prompting many UK viewers to question what it means.

Bride Lauren Hall (who dated groom Jono McCullough from last season) is the first person to use it this year, describing fellow bride Jamie Marinos as "a bit boganic" while commenting on her fashion sense, eye-catching manicure and loud personality. When asked by producers what "boganic" means, Lauren says: "It should be in the dictionary, but basically it's just a word to describe someone who's a bogan."

Jump to:


So, what actually is a 'bogan' and how does one become 'boganic'? Here's what you need to know...

What does 'bogan' on MAFS Australia mean?

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, 'bogan' is an "insulting word for a person whose way of dressing, speaking and behaving is thought to show their lack of education and low social class."

Historians and etymologists are unsure as to exactly where the term 'bogan' originated, but according to academic Henry Paternoster – who spoke to Channel 9, which airs the show in Australia – it is "one of those words where if you ask someone what they mean by it, you're going to get a lot of different answers."

Regardless, historian Henry says all indicators point to it being a word associated with the working class. "It almost always has something to do with class, either in terms of poverty but more often in terms of taste – someone that doesn't have middle-class aesthetic taste," he said, adding that it's an interesting term as it can be used to simultaneously "celebrate" or "denigrate" Australian culture.

What is the public's reaction to the word 'bogan' on MAFS Australia?

On social media, not everyone is in agreement about the word 'bogan' being thrown about. While some take the phrase in jest, others point out how derogatory it can come across as.

"Bogan is an informal Australian and New Zealand term for someone who is considered unrefined or unsophisticated. It can be used as a derogatory term, or as a self-deprecating term," one person on X explains, as another makes a comparison to similar phrases in the UK: "Calling someone a bogan is the Aussie version of trailer trash/chav."

"Since when is bogan an insult? It's about as awful as calling someone a nerd. Some people like being bogans," one X user said, while another disagreed with: "I would genuinely lose it if someone called me or my mates bogan."

Here's a few more reactions to bogan-gate...

To bogan or not to bogan, that is the question.

Watch MAFS Australia on E4, Monday to Thursday at 9pm.