If you thought Australians and British people spoke the same language, you might change your mind once you have read this blog post. I have lived in Australia for 11 years now and am still learning new phrases all the time. The below alphabetical list includes abbreviations (which Australians are particularly fond of), rhyming slang (similar to Cockney rhyming slang) and other local lingo. I am sure you will learn a few new words and phrases, even if you were born in Australia, but if we have missed any, please do let us know in the comments below.
- A few roos loose in the top paddock or a few sandwiches short of a picnic – a bit daft or strange
- AFL/Aussie Rules – Australia Football League
- Amber Nectar – beer
- Ambo – an ambulance or ambulance driver
- Arie/Rissole – RSL
- Arvo – afternoon
- Aussie salute – action of brushing flies away from your face
- Ava captains/have a Captiain Cook – have a look
- Avo – avocado
- Back of Bourke – back of beyond, remote place
- Banana Benders – Queenslanders
- Barbie – barbeque
- Barry Crocker – shocker
- Billabong – a lake or pond
- Billy lids – kids
- BIR – built-in wardrobe
- Blow-in – unexpected guest
- Bludger – lazy
- Bogan – a redneck or rude/socially unacceptable person (a chav in the UK)
- Bon bons – Christmas crackers
- Bond – deposit
- Bonzer – excellent, first rate
- Bottle-O/Bottle Shop – shop that sells alcohol (off licence or offie in the UK)
- Budgie Smugglers – Speedos
- Busier than a blue-arsed fly – extremely busy
- BYO – bring your own alcohol to a restaurant or cafe
- Cactus – broken
- Cakeage – some restaurants/cafes allow you to bring your own cake (especially for a special occasion, such as a birthday) if you pay a small fee
- Capsicums – Peppers
- Cashed up bogan – someone who is rich, but a rude or socially unacceptable person
- Chardy – chardonnay
- Chippie – carpenter
- Chips – crisps
- Chook – chicken
- Cobber – a companion or friend
- Cool bananas – amazing
- Corkage -the small fee you may have to pay to take your own alcohol (see BYO)
- Cossie – swimming costume
- Crikey – Christ!
- Crook – sick
- Dag – uncool or unsophisticated
- Damper – an unleavened loaf of flour and water baked in wood ashes
- Don’t come the raw prawn with me – don’t lie to me
- Donkey’s ears – years
- Doona – duvet/quilt cover
- Double Bay Tractor – 4WD driving around the suburbs and probably never used for 4-wheel driving
- Down Under – Australia
- Drongo – idiot
- Dunny – toilet
- EFTPOS – electronic funds transfer at point of sale, using a debit or credit card to pay at points of sale
- Eggplant – aubergine
- Esky – portable coolers or ice boxes, known as a cool box in the UK
- Fair dinkum – honest, honestly
- Fair suck of the sav – fair go
- Flamin galah – idiot, fool
- Flamin’ mongrel – a bad person
- Flat out like a lizard drinking – very busy
- Flat white – coffee beverage with hot milk (or microfoam) but no froth
- Football/Footy – depends on the state. In NSW, it usually refers to NRL, but could also refer to AFL, soccer and rugby union
- Footy – football
- Fresh off the boat – new immigrant to Australia who probably didn’t come by boat
- G’day – hello
- Gladwrap – clingfilm
- Gone Walkabout – it’s lost, gone for a long walk
- Goon – cheap wine
- Grog – alcohol
- Gumboots – wellies/wellington boots
- Gutless wonder – coward
- Hard yakka – hard work
- Heaps – lots
- Hills hoist – rotary clothes line
- Hot chips – chips
- Hotel – often just a pub, don’t always have accommodation
- HSC – the Higher School Certificate is the highest award in secondary education in NSW.
- Icy block/pole – ice confectionery on a stick (frozen popsicle in the UK)
- Jackeroo – a male novice working on a sheep or cattle station or large farm
- Jillaroo – a female novice working on a sheep or cattle station or large farm
- Joey – baby kangaroo
- Journo – Journalist
- Kindie – kindergarten
- Layby – an agreement which lets you buy a product and pay for it in two or more instalments before taking it home
- Long neck – 750ml bottle of beer
- Lollies – confectionery (sweeties or sweets in the UK and candy in America)
- Looks like a dog’s breakfast – a dreadful mess
- Lotto – lottery
- Maccas – MacDonalds
- Mall – shopping centre
- Manchester – bed linen and towels
- Mate – not necessarily a friend
- Meat raffle – a tradition of raffling off meat, often in pubs and bars
- Mexicans – Victorians, ie – south of the NSW border
- Middie – 285ml measure, usually refers or beer or cider
- Milk Bar – convenience or general store (corner shop in the UK)
- Mobile (phone) – cellphone, smartphone
- Mozzies – mosquitos
- Never never – the outback
- Nippers – young Surf Lifesavers aged between 5 and 14 years old.
- No worries – no problems
- No wucking furries – no problems at all
- Ocker – unsophisticated
- Oldies – parents
- Op shop – charity shop
- Oxford Scholars – dollars
- Oz – Australia
- Parmie – chicken parmigiana
- Pav – pavlova (delicious dessert made with meringue, cream and fruit; debatable if it originated in Australia or New Zealand, but is now very much ensconced in Australian culture)
- Pissed as a newt – very drunk
- Plonk – wine
- Pokies – fruit machines
- Pom/pommie – someone from England, not always derogatory (depends on the context)
- Popper – juice carton
- Postie – postman/woman
- Putt putt – mini golf
- Rack off – go away
- Rapt or stoked – delighted
- Rego – vehicle registration
- Rellie/relo – relative
- Ridgy didge/Dinky di – genuine
- Riding shotgun – sitting in the passenger seat
- Roadie – a beer you buy to take away with you
- Rough as guts – very rough, uncivilised
- Rubbety dub – pub
- Running around like a headless chook
- Sav – Sauvingnon, as in Sav Blanc or Cab (Cabernet) Sav
- Sanga/sambo – sandwich
- Schnitty – schnitzel
- Schooner – 425ml measure, usually refers to beer or cider
- Scratchie – instant lottery scratch card ticket
- Schoolies Week – the tradition of high school graduates going on holiday following their final exams, especially in Surfer’s Paradise and Byron. It’s best to avoid these areas at the end of November/start of December if you can.
- Seppo – American (septic tank, yank)
- Servo – petrol/service station
- Sheila – woman
- She’ll be apples – it will be okay
- Sickie – take a day off work when you’re not really ill
- Slab – a carton of 24 bottles or cans of beer
- Slip Slop Slap – Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat
- Smoko – smoke or coffee break, not used as much anymore, with all the anti-smoking laws
- Snags – sausages
- Snow cones – ice shavings that are topped with flavoured sugar syrup
- Soccer – football
- Sparky – electrician
- Sparrow’s Fart – very early in the morning
- Spewin’ – annoyed
- Squiz – a look
- Steak ‘n’ Kidney – Sydney
- Stoked – extremely happy, over the moon
- Stone the crows – an exclamation of incredulity or annoyance
- Strewth – used to express surprise or dismay
- Stubby – a short beer bottle/can with a capacity of 375 ml
- Stubby holder – an insulated holder to keep cans or beer/cider cans cold
- Stunned mullet – shocked
- Sunnies – sunglasses
- Super – superannuation (pension in the UK)
- Tall poppies – successful people and celebrities
- Tall poppy syndrome – putting down successful people and celebrities
- The Toaster – apartment and hotel building next to Sydney Opera House
- Thongs – cheap rubber backless sandals, flip flops (if you’re from the UK) or jandals (if you’re from NZ)
- Tim Tam Slam – bite off 2 diagonal corners from a Tim Tam, then dunk it in a hot beverage for about 10 seconds (until just before it falls apart) and then eat it. You will need to eat in one go, otherwise it gets quite messy. Trust me, it’s delicious.
- Tinnie – small boat or beer
- Togs – swimming costume
- Trackie daks/dacks – tracksuit pants
- Tradie – tradesperson
- Troppo – to go crazy or to act strangely, due to the tropical heat
- True blue – patriotic Australian
- Tucker – food
- Two up – game played on Anzac Day by throwing two coins in the air and betting if they will land on heads or tails
- Unit – flat, apartment
- Ute – utility truck
- Vinnie’s/Salvos – St. Vincent De Paul’s/Salvation Army (charity thrift stores and hostels)
- Westie – someone from Western Sydney
- Whinge – complain
- White Out – Tippex
- Woop Woop – a small, unimportant town (can be suburban or more remote)
- Yakka – work
- Yapping/verbal diarrhoea – incessant talk
- Yewy – u-turn in traffic
- You little beauty – excited approval, something has gone really well
- Zucchini – courgette
Great article!! As an Aussie that has lived in and travelled to many countries and continents it’s great to see from the outside. Need a few corrections and additions (like stubbies are also short shorts for men) – but a great baseline fit people coming to Oz which will be allowed sometime!
Thanks Dan. And let’s hope they are allowed here soon, especially familes of Australian citizens such as my parents in the UK.