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.

1. A few roos loose in the top paddock or a few sandwiches short of a picnic – a bit daft or strange
2. AFL/Aussie Rules – Australia Football League
3. Amber Nectar – beer
4. Ambo – an ambulance or ambulance driver
5. Arie/Rissole – RSL
6. Arvo – afternoon
7. Aussie salute – action of brushing flies away from your face
8. Ava captains/have a Captiain Cook – have a look
9. Avo – avocado
10. Back of Bourke – back of beyond, remote place
11. Banana Benders – Queenslanders
12. Barbie – barbeque
13. Barry Crocker – shocker
14. Billabong – a lake or pond
15. Billy lids – kids
16. BIR – built-in wardrobe
17. Blow-in – unexpected guest
18. Bludger – lazy
19. Bogan – a redneck or rude/socially unacceptable person (a chav in the UK)
20. Bon bons – Christmas crackers
21. Bond – deposit
22. Bonzer – excellent, first rate
23. Bottle-O/Bottle Shop – shop that sells alcohol (off licence or offie in the UK)
24. Budgie Smugglers – Speedos
25. Busier than a blue-arsed fly – extremely busy
26. BYO – bring your own alcohol to a restaurant or cafe
27. Cactus – broken
28. 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
29. Capsicums – Peppers
30. Cashed up bogan – someone who is rich, but a rude or socially unacceptable person
31. Chardy – chardonnay
32. Chippie – carpenter
33. Chips – crisps
34. Chook – chicken
35. Cobber – a companion or friend
36. Cool bananas – amazing
37. Corkage -the small fee you may have to pay to take your own alcohol (see BYO)
38. Cossie – swimming costume
39. Crikey – Christ!
40. Crook – sick
41. Dag – uncool or unsophisticated
42. Damper – an unleavened loaf of flour and water baked in wood ashes
43. Don’t come the raw prawn with me – don’t lie to me
44. Donkey’s ears – years
45. Doona – duvet/quilt cover
46. Double Bay Tractor – 4WD driving around the suburbs and probably never used for 4-wheel driving
47. Down Under – Australia
48. Drongo – idiot
49. Dunny – toilet
50. EFTPOS – electronic funds transfer at point of sale, using a debit or credit card to pay at points of sale
51. Eggplant – aubergine
52. Esky – portable coolers or ice boxes, known as a cool box in the UK
53. Fair dinkum – honest, honestly
54. Fair suck of the sav – fair go
55. Flamin galah – idiot, fool
56. Flamin’ mongrel – a bad person
57. Flat out like a lizard drinking – very busy
58. Flat white – coffee beverage with hot milk (or microfoam) but no froth
59. Football/Footy – depends on the state. In NSW, it usually refers to NRL, but could also refer to AFL, soccer and rugby union
60. Footy – football
61. Fresh off the boat – new immigrant to Australia who probably didn’t come by boat
62. G’day – hello
63. Gladwrap – clingfilm
64. Gone Walkabout – it’s lost, gone for a long walk
65. Goon – cheap wine
66. Grog – alcohol
67. Gumboots – wellies/wellington boots
68. Gutless wonder – coward
69. Hard yakka – hard work
70. Heaps – lots
71. Hills hoist – rotary clothes line
72. Hot chips – chips
73. Hotel – often just a pub, don’t always have accommodation
74. HSC – the Higher School Certificate is the highest award in secondary education in NSW.
75. Icy block/pole – ice confectionery on a stick (frozen popsicle in the UK)
76. Jackeroo – a male novice working on a sheep or cattle station or large farm
77. Jillaroo – a female novice working on a sheep or cattle station or large farm
78. Joey – baby kangaroo
79. Journo – Journalist
80. Kindie – kindergarten
81. Layby – an agreement which lets you buy a product and pay for it in two or more instalments before taking it home
82. Long neck – 750ml bottle of beer
83. Lollies – confectionery (sweeties or sweets in the UK and candy in America)
84. Looks like a dog’s breakfast – a dreadful mess
85. Lotto – lottery
86. Maccas – MacDonalds
87. Mall – shopping centre
88. Manchester – bed linen and towels
89. Mate – not necessarily a friend
90. Meat raffle – a tradition of raffling off meat, often in pubs and bars
91. Mexicans – Victorians, ie – south of the NSW border
92. Middie – 285ml measure, usually refers or beer or cider
93. Milk Bar – convenience or general store (corner shop in the UK)
94. Mobile (phone) – cellphone, smartphone
95. Mozzies – mosquitos
96. Never never – the outback
97. Nippers – young Surf Lifesavers aged between 5 and 14 years old.
98. No worries – no problems
99. No wucking furries – no problems at all
100. Ocker – unsophisticated
101. Oldies – parents
102. Op shop – charity shop
103. Oxford Scholars – dollars
104. Oz – Australia
105. Parmie – chicken parmigiana
106. 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)
107. Pissed as a newt – very drunk
108. Plonk – wine
109. Pokies – fruit machines
110. Pom/pommie – someone from England, not always derogatory (depends on the context)
111. Popper – juice carton
112. Postie – postman/woman
113. Putt putt – mini golf
114. Rack off – go away
115. Rapt or stoked – delighted
116. Rego – vehicle registration
117. Rellie/relo – relative
118. Ridgy didge/Dinky di – genuine
119. Riding shotgun – sitting in the passenger seat
120. Roadie – a beer you buy to take away with you
121. Rough as guts – very rough, uncivilised
122. Rubbety dub – pub
123. Running around like a headless chook
124. Sav – Sauvingnon, as in Sav Blanc or Cab (Cabernet) Sav
125. Sanga/sambo – sandwich
126. Schnitty – schnitzel
127. Schooner – 425ml measure, usually refers to beer or cider
128. Scratchie – instant lottery scratch card ticket
129. 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.
130. Seppo – American (septic tank, yank)
131. Servo – petrol/service station
132. Sheila – woman
133. She’ll be apples – it will be okay
134. Sickie – take a day off work when you’re not really ill
135. Slab – a carton of 24 bottles or cans of beer
136. Slip Slop Slap – Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat
137. Smoko – smoke or coffee break, not used as much anymore, with all the anti-smoking laws
138. Snags – sausages
139. Snow cones – ice shavings that are topped with flavoured sugar syrup
140. Soccer – football
141. Sparky – electrician
142. Sparrow’s Fart – very early in the morning
143. Spewin’ – annoyed
144. Squiz – a look
145. Steak ‘n’ Kidney – Sydney
146. Stoked – extremely happy, over the moon
147. Stone the crows – an exclamation of incredulity or annoyance
148. Strewth – used to express surprise or dismay
149. Stubby – a short beer bottle/can with a capacity of 375 ml
150. Stubby holder – an insulated holder to keep cans or beer/cider cans cold
151. Stunned mullet – shocked
152. Sunnies – sunglasses
153. Super – superannuation (pension in the UK)
154. Tall poppies – successful people and celebrities
155. Tall poppy syndrome – putting down successful people and celebrities
156. The Toaster – apartment and hotel building next to Sydney Opera House
157. Thongs – cheap rubber backless sandals, flip flops (if you’re from the UK) or jandals (if you’re from NZ)
158. 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.
159. Tinnie – small boat or beer
160. Togs – swimming costume
161. Trackie daks/dacks – tracksuit pants
162. Tradie – tradesperson
163. Troppo – to go crazy or to act strangely, due to the tropical heat
164. True blue – patriotic Australian
165. Tucker – food
166. Two up – game played on Anzac Day by throwing two coins in the air and betting if they will land on heads or tails
167. Unit – flat, apartment
168. Ute – utility truck
169. Vinnie’s/Salvos – St. Vincent De Paul’s/Salvation Army (charity thrift stores and hostels)
170. Westie – someone from Western Sydney
171. Whinge – complain
172. White Out – Tippex
173. Woop Woop – a small, unimportant town (can be suburban or more remote)
174. Yakka – work
175. Yapping/verbal diarrhoea – incessant talk
176. Yewy – u-turn in traffic
177. You little beauty – excited approval, something has gone really well
178. Zucchini – courgette