The Extraordinary Rise Of The Mullet

Pronunciation /ˈboʊ.ɡən/ (ボウガン)
Part of Speech noun
English Definition

An uncultured, unsophisticated, working-class person, often stereotyped by particular fashion (flannel shirts, mullets), speech, and taste in music/cars, roughly equivalent to redneck or British chav.
Japanese Translation

ボーガン（無教養で洗練されていないとされる労働者階級の人を指す蔑称的な言葉）
Japanese Explanation

無教養で洗練されていない、労働者階級の人を指す言葉。特定のファッション（フランネルシャツ、マレットヘアなど）や音楽の好みなどでステレオタイプ化される。

Origin

Origin debated; entered wide use in Australian English by the 1980s and 1990s.

Related Words

bogan band; bogan bangles; bogan dust; bogan jacuzzi; bogan missile; westie; feral

The mullet has undergone something approaching a cultural rehabilitation.

It was once: bogan haircut → embarrassment

then:

retro haircut → ironic joke

then:

hipster/alternative fashion → ironic fashion

and now:

Australian identity marker → mainstream hairstyle

The existence of organised mullet competitions demonstrates that the hairstyle has become something people actively cultivate, judge and celebrate. And there is something wonderfully Australian about judging a person’s mullet competitively.