http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/aus ... 6bae5b83ae

Scientists have long known that the modern Australian accent developed from a combination of European settlers' and Aborigines' pronunciations -- but a provocative new theory claims the accent may also have boozy origins.

Dean Frenkel, a lecturer at Victoria University, wrote an opinion piece this week in Melbourne daily newspaper The Age arguing that the Australian accent was heavily influenced by the drunken slurs of the country's original settlers.

"Our forefathers regularly got drunk together and through their frequent interactions unknowingly added an alcoholic slur to our national speech patterns," he wrote.

Bollocks - every dinky-di Aussie knows it came about as a combination of not opening your mouth much to a) keep the flies to a minimum, and b) reduce dehydration.