‘Democracy sausage’ has snagged the crown of Australia’s 2016 word of the year.

Census fail, smashed avo, shoey, deplorables and Ausexit received honourable mentions, but it seems our love affair with a good old sausage sizzle has come up trumps.

Dr Amanda Laugesen, Director of the Australian National Dictionary Centre at the Australian National University, said it was uniquely Australian.

‘It’s basically the sausage you buy at a polling booth on election day,’ she said.

‘We monitor the media and we look at new words that come out throughout the year.’

Click PLAY to hear more: