Australia has made many notable contributions to democracy: secret ballots, compulsory voting, suffrage for women ... and the humble snag.
"Democracy sausage" - a barbecued sausage bought at a polling booth sausage sizzle on election day - is the word of the year for the Australian National Dictionary Centre.
The term for an election-day sausage sizzle was first used in 2012 but its popularity increased significantly during this year's mammoth federal election campaign, with several websites set up to map where voters could find the best place to cast their ballot and eat a snag.
The hashtag #democracysausage trended strongly on social media on the July 2 election day.
Labor leader Bill Shorten ate one in front of cameras - "Tastes like democracy," he said - and courted controversy for his bite-from-the-middle technique.
The democracy sausage was even introduced to Americans, with the Australian embassy hosting a barbecue on the US presidential election day.
"Arguably, the democracy sausage has been one of the best things to come out of a tumultuous year in politics and political campaigning," dictionary centre director Amanda Laugesen said.
The word of the year is selected by the centre's editorial staff based on extensive research and public suggestions.
2016 WORD OF THE YEAR SHORTLIST
Democracy sausage: A barbecued sausage served on a slice of bread, bought at a polling booth sausage sizzle on election day.
Census fail: The failure of the Australian Bureau of Statistics website on Census night.
Smashed avo: Avocado on toast, a popular cafe breakfast that demographer Bernard Salt said young people were spending money on rather than saving to buy a house.
Shoey: The act of drinking an alcoholic beverage out of a shoe, especially to celebrate a sporting victory.
Deplorables: A term used to refer to people considered to be extremely conservative or reactionary, especially those who reject mainstream politics. Used by US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Ausexit: The potential cutting of ties with the British monarchy, or the departure of Australia from the United Nations.
