Seppo

Seppo is a mildly derogatory Australian slang term for an American, shortened from septic tank.

How is seppo pronounced?

The term seppo is Australian slang used to make fun of Americans. It’s said to come from rhyming slang, with Yank rhyming with septic tank. Septic tank was ultimately shortened to seppo, with the O-ending common in Australian slang (cf. avo for avocado). Seppo is seen by at least 1967.

And what do Americans have to do with septic tanks? Well, as mentioned above, Yank rhymes with septic tank, so there’s that. But also, this slang term implies some Australians’ view of Americans: that, like septic tanks, they’re full of sh**. The United States was dubbed Seppo-land as early as 1996.

Seppo is the name of a Zen Buddhist Master mentioned in several koans. Another famous Seppo is the nickname for the character Ilmarinen in the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic. This Seppo means “smith” and is often used as a name in Finnish and other Scandinavian languages.

Seppo is most often used by Australians and New Zealanders. It’s mostly used to contemptuously refer to Americans, those bloody seppos.

It can be a serious or humorous insult. It’s often a little bit of both.

So not once in my entire thesis so far have I used the word "American" as synonymous with "person from the United States of America" and I've got to tell you it's been a struggle.

Tempted to use "seppo" as a substitute.

— hipstorian 🖋️ (@hpstorian) January 2, 2018

Like the Japanese baka gaijin, seppo is sometimes adopted by Americans living Down Under in humorous self-deprecation.

G'Day Oz!

Hate to be a dag, but I'm dinky-di when I say my sheila and I gave a burl of a Roo snag and it was a rip snorter!

Love,
A Seppo

— Jackson Rathbone (@JacksonRathbone) July 29, 2012

As noted, Seppo is also a male given name in Finland and the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. Apparently, it was most popular in the 1940–50s, but it is still somewhat used today, including by a popular Finnish dog.

”Seppo, koiraheimoneuvosto on jälleen haukkunut ja näin ollen sinulle on myönnetty nukkumiskoskemattomuus sekä ikuinen juustoamuletti.”

– Selviytyjäkoirat Suomi #selviytyjätsuomi #selviytyjäseppo pic.twitter.com/Z1dfMTnNZ2

— Seppo (@seppokoira) February 10, 2019

More examples of seppo:

“We commonly pin the blame for the death of Aussie slang on our anklebiters-cum-adolescents and their love of seppo (short for “septic tank”, rhyming slang for Yank) slang…But it’s worth noting seppo influence has been a lexical and moral concern at least since the introduction of American “talkies” in the 1920s…”
—Kate Burridge & Howard Manns, ABC (Australia), January 2018

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.