Crews, wusses, and whoppas: core and fringe vocabularies of Australian meal-break conversations in the workplace

Conversational samples were collected from 34 nondisabled subjects across four worksites. The total sample was analyzed for core vocabulary, and the five most frequently referenced topics were analyzed for core and fringe vocabularies and the commonality of fringe vocabulary across topics. The results indicated that there was a small stable core vocabulary of 347 words containing words unique to this study, which accounted for 78% of the conversational sample. A total of 21 words in the fringe vocabulary was common to all topics. Implications of this study for vocabulary selection for augmented communicators in employment are discussed.