Even "Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi" is starting to get on people's nerves, according to a survey of 2500 Australians by McCrindle Research. It found almost one in three feel "negative" or "very negative" connotations towards the catchcry.

Social researcher and futurist Mark McCrindle said many phrases were losing popularity because they were being said out of context and not genuinely felt or were overused.

"There is a self-consciousness and even a cringe factor which sets in with phrases like 'dinky di', 'crikey' and to some extent 'Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi'… Crocodile Dundee or Steve Irwin might pull it off but when your average person in the workplace is talking about 'crikey this' and 'strewth that', 'you little ripper' and 'good on ya cobber' — that's when it's a bit of a stretch too far."

Other expressions just don't relate to the current generation, including Mr Rudd's own "colourful and metaphoric" language, which wasn't mentioned by any of the survey participants.

However, phrases that still resonate include "true blue", "Down Under", "fair go" and "anything ending in mate ".

Mr McCrindle said the nation was evolving, with the "language of yesterday" being reinterpreted by a more multicultural, urban society.