What nickname is AC/DC colloquially known by in Australia?

In Australia, AC/DC is colloquially known as “Acca Dacca.” The nickname turns the band’s initials into a playful Australian-style pronunciation, while the group’s official name is still pronounced by saying each letter: “A-C-D-C.”

AC/DC was formed in Sydney in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. The name came from the electrical abbreviation for alternating current and direct current, which their sister Margaret noticed on a sewing machine. The Young brothers felt the term captured the band’s energetic, power-driven music.

The nickname is especially associated with Australian usage and is not the band’s formal name. International listeners generally say “A-C-D-C,” so “Acca Dacca” can sound unfamiliar outside Australia. Another common misunderstanding is to treat the lightning bolt as part of the nickname; it is instead the visual separator used in the band’s stylized logo. The group’s music is usually described as rock or hard rock, despite the electrical imagery in its name.