Why is Australia called Oz?

[adamm]

The word Australia when referred to informally with its first three letters becomes Aus. When Aus or Aussie, the short form for an Australian, is pronounced for fun with a hissing sound at the end, it sounds as though the word being pronounced has the spelling Oz.

[Buzz_Bumble]

It's really pronounced "Ost-ray-lee-a" (like "Ost-ree-a" for Austria), but it's the awful Australian and New Zeland accent that turns it into "Oz-tray-lee-a".

Of course, with the "friendly rivary" between Australia and New Zealand, many New Zealanders would probably say it's "Oz" because the country is full of brainless scarecrows, cowardly lions, and heartless tinmen. 

[HeadInAnotherGalaxy]

Becauze Hollivood iz runnin' oot o' ideaz.

[Buzz_Bumble]

Hollyweird ran out of ideas long ago thanks to being taken over by a greedy talentless generation. That's why we get so many silly reboots (and reboots of reboots) where all they can do is butcher someone else's hard work. 

[Lily]

Of course, with the "friendly rivary" between Australia and New Zealand, many New Zealanders would probably say it's "Oz" because the country is full of brainless scarecrows, cowardly lions, and heartless tinmen. 

Nah, that's just Parliament House. The rest of us are OK.

[DanielofRedwall]

Of course, with the "friendly rivary" between Australia and New Zealand, many New Zealanders would probably say it's "Oz" because the country is full of brainless scarecrows, cowardly lions, and heartless tinmen. 

Nah, that's just Parliament House. The rest of us are OK.

XD

[Buzz_Bumble]

Nah, that's just Parliament House. The rest of us are OK.

By that definition pretty much every country on the planet would be called "Oz".