Aussie Slang

Australian Slang

Abo or Abbo: An Australian Aborigine. (This word is derogatory or offensive – like the old ‘N’ word in the US.) The Australian native indigenous people call themselves Koori or Koories.

Ambo: An ambulance officer or a paramedic.

A few sandwiches short of a picnic: A bit simple, slow or mentally-retarded.

Amber Fluid: Beer. (This is said very reverently, with relish.)

Arvo: Afternoon… as in “I’ll meet you here tomorrow arvo”.

Aussie: An Australian.

Aussie Salute: Using your hand to brush annoying flies away from your face.

Banana-Bender: An Aussie from Queensland.

Biker: A motorcyclist, (normally used to refer to the law-abiding species of motorbike rider).

Bikie: A member of an Outlaw motorcycle club, (One-Percenters, such as the Hells Angels or Banditos — those who wear colors and gang insignia).

Bloke: A man.

Blue: A shouting match or a fight.

Bluey: Nickname for a Bloke (man) with a red head of hair. (See Curly.)

Bonk: To have a bonk means to have sex with somebody. As in “I bonked her last night”, or “She’d be a nice bonk”.

Boss Cocky: Head farmer, who hires and fires workers.

Brickie: A brick-layer.

Chrissy: Christmas, that time of year when Santa wears short red pants and thongs and gives out Chrissy prezzies. (Remember that December is our summer time, here in Oz.)

Chunder: To vomit or throw up. (See Technicolor Yawn.)

Coathanger: The Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Cocky: Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (a very big white parrot), or a Farmer.

Curly: Nickname for a Bloke (man) who is totally bald. (See Bluey.)

Blotto: Out of his mind on drink. Blind drunk.

Bludger: A lazy good-for-nothing. (See Dole Bludger.)

Bogan: Very derogatory term for a Westie. (Like calling someone trailer trash or a hillbilly in the US.)

Bottle-O: A bottle-shop that sells beer, wines and spirits. (In the US it is called a liquor store, while in the UK it is called an Off-License.) It may be attached to a “hotel” or pub, but these days is often part of a supermarket chain.

Bonzer: Great, superb.

Bulldust: Polite Aussie term, meaning bullsh*t. As in, “That’s complete and utter bulldust, mate.”

Bush: Out in the country.

Bushie: Someone who lives out in the country, especially on a farm or ‘property’. These can be many thousands of acres.

Bushfire: Australian version of a forest fire.

Bush Ranger: Australian outlaw or highwayman, as in the late 1800s. (See Ned Kelly.)

Bush Telegraph: Word gets around by people talking (through the ‘bush telegraph’).

Chew and Spew: A fast food joint. A greasy spoon cafe or restaurant… cheap and nasty. Often a Takeaway or take-out.

Chinwag: To have a talk, a natter, a good gossip.

Chippie: A carpenter.

Chook: A chicken. As in finger-licking good.

Chrissie: Christmas.

Chrissy Prezzie: a Christmas present.

Christmas Grip: Being held by the testicles… As in the other person has a handful of Chistmas nuts – your nuts.

Chuffed: Very pleased… happy… As in “He’s dead chuffed about that”.

Cobber: Friend. Your good mate (like the US term ‘buddy’).

Codger: Feeble old person, as in “Silly old codger”.

Come the raw prawn: To pretend not to understand… as in “Don’t come the raw prawn with me, mate!”

Corker: Stunningly good, as in “She’s a real corker!”

Corroboree: Australian Aborigine word for a tribal get-together. A ceremony, with painted faces, white paint on the body, dancing, clap sticks, digeridoos and all that stuff.

Crook: Sick. Not well, as in “Sorry boss I cant come in today. I’m feeling really crook, mate”.

Dero or Derro: Shortened term for a derelict, a vagrant, a homeless street person, a hobo or a tramp. A bum.

Don’t Come The Raw Prawn: Stop lying your head off to me. Cut the cra*p.

Dickhead: An idiot. (A dick is also slang term for a penis, sometimes referred to as a man’s second brain.)

Didge: A digeridoo. The long tube musical instrument used by some Aborigines. Women are never allowed to use a didgeridoo. It is men’s magic.

Digger: Now an Australian Soldier. Originally used in the Gold Rush days to refer to one’s fellow gold miner buddies (close mates).

Ding: A dent, or damage… Often used for a minor fender-bender automobile accident. “Sorry, Fred. I just dinged your car.”

Dinky-Di: Patriotic. Genuine. ‘True Blue.’

Dinkum: The genuine article. Real. As in “He’s fair dinkum”. (He’s sincere.)

Dob: (verb) To turn someone in to the police or other authority. Like, “Jimmy was bringing drugs to school, so someone dobbed him in”.

Dole Bludger: A lazy, work-shy person who lives on welfare and won’t look for work.

Dunny: A backyard toilet. (These used to have a large bucket that, in the early years, would be collected once a week in the cities by the ‘dunny man’, who would empty the can of poop into his honey cart and eventually empty it all at the local sewage tip. See honey bucket.

Drongo: A stupid person. A fool. (Gets its name from a horse that lost every race it was in.)

Drover: A farm hand or cowboy, who drives cattle or sheep a long distance.

Dunny: Toilet, W.C. (water-closet) or outhouse. (A joking, light-hearted Aussie curse used to be, “May your chooks turn into emus and kick your dunny down!” (An emu is a large flightless Australian bird, the size of an ostrich. And chooks are chickens.)

Ear Basher: Someone who won’t stop talking.

Fair Dinkum: The real thing. Genuine article. Sincere. Can also be a cynical remark, equivanent to “You don’t say?” or “No sh*t?”

Feral: A hippy, or someone living in a commune or in the woods. Usually unemployed. (See Dole Bludger.)

Firey: A firefighter.

Fossick: To hunt for small pickings of opals or gold, usually in places where professional miners gave up on years ago.

Furphy: A false alarm, usually from an anonymous phone call to the police or fire brigades. Furphy was the name of an Irish-Australian water carrier in the early gold rush days.

Footy: Football. The code of football often depends on what state you are from, but could be Rugby Union, Rugby League, NRL, VFL (also called Aussie Rules) or even Soccer.

Franger: A condom. A rubber prophylactic.

Gone ‘Troppo’: Gone crazy because of the tropical heat. Mad.

Grog: Alcoholic beverage. Beer, spirits. (AS in it gets you feeling groggy.)

Greenie: A conservationist… Maybe even a hippy tree hugger or a Feral.

Grouse: Good, great. As she’s real grouse (great looking).

Gum tree: A eucalyptus tree.

Half your luck: Means, you lucky bastard! (Congratulations, I wish it was me.)

Happy as Larry: Extremely happy. Blissful. With not a care in the world. “He’s happy as Larry.”

Happy Birthday: Yup. It’s the same as in England or America. I have no idea why people keep coming to this page to look it up. We’re not that different to the rest of humankind, you know…

Hang a U-ie: To perform a U-turn in your car or vehicle. (Example: “You drove right past the house, Bert. Quick, mate! Hang a U-ie!”)

Hard Yakka: Hard physical work. (This is also an Aussie brand-name for tough-wearing work clothing. Dungarees, overalls, boiler suits etc.)

Hassle: Trouble. Problems. As in “It’s a real hassle getting a ticket.”

Hide the Sausage: having sex, as in “While you were watching the footy game on the telly, she and I were playing ‘Hide the Sausage’ in the next room.”

Honey Bucket: A bucket of poo from old houses that didn’t have modern sewage.

Hooroo: Good bye.

I wouldn’t piss on him if he was on fire: I really do not like this person.

Iffy: Doubtful, as in “That info’s a bit iffy”. Or, “I think his cheque (check) is a bit iffy. I’m gunna phone the bank now.”

Jack Of: Sick of, as in “I’m jack of this job”, or “I’m jack of this.”.

Jumbuck: Old Aussie slang for a sheep. Now only heard in the poem, “Waltzing Matilda” written by Banjo Paterson.

Kangaroos Loose in the Top Paddock: Crazy. Insane. As in “He’s got a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock’. (That’s his brain.)

King-Hit. The term ‘king hit’ describes a punch that knocks the other guy down and out for the count. It is used most often to describe a bar-room brawl or a street fight where somebody gets seriously injured, perhaps cracking his head open on the kerb as he falls.

Kiwi: A person from New Zealand. (The real Kiwi is actually a flightless bird from NZ. It is also New Zealand’s own national bird, which is pictured on NZ coins.)

Knackered: Exhausted, as in “I’m really feeling knackered”. (Old horses used to be sent to the Knackers Yard to be slaughtered once they could no longer work. That was the glue factory.)

Knickers in a Knot: As in “Don’t get yer knickers in a knot”. (Don’t get flustered or worked up over nothing.)

Larrikin: Mischievous young trouble maker.

Leg-Over: A root, a screw, a shag, a bonk, sexual intercourse. As in “Did yer get a leg-over with that sheila last night?”

Lezzo: A lesbian or female homosexual. (Slightly derogatory.)

Loo: Toilet, from the French word l’eau meaning water.

Maccas: A MacDonalds fast-food outlet.

Mad as a cut snake: Hurt, extremely angry and liable to lash out at anybody who comes near.

Mate: ”He’s my best mate” means he’s your good friend or buddy. It has nothing to do with a (sexual/breeding) partner, okay? (Also Matey, which is from the old English.)

Middy: A small glass of beer (10 oz or 285 ml). In Melbourne, Victoria, the same glass is called a Pot. A large glass of beer (15 oz or 425 ml) is usually known as a Schooner, but this can vary from state to state in Australia.

Melbournite: A resident of Melbourne, Victoria.

Motza: A gambling win or a large amount of money.

Mozzie: A mosquito. As in the damn mozzies kept me awake al night.”

Mug: One who is easily duped or cheated, as in a mug punter. He’s a real mug. Mug also means a person’s face, so you can say ‘He’s got an ugly mug’.

Natter: Having a Chinwag or a chat.

Naughty: Having sex with someone. ‘Having a naughty’. Sexual intercourse, possibly hurried and illicit. A quickie.

Ned Kelly: A famous Irish-Australian Outlaw gang leader who was caught and hanged. A bush ranger.

Never-never: Buying something through hire-purchase or credit. ‘Cos you never seem to finish paying it off.

Nick Orf: Get lost. Scram! B*gger off!

Nong: An idiot. A fool.

Ocker: Uncouth Australian, like the Paul Hogan character, Crocodile Dundee, but not as nice.

One-Eyed Trouser Snake: a penis.

Open Slather: Anything goes, such as “The looting began and it was open slather”.

Oz: ’Aus’-tralia… possibly because we’re a bit unreal like the Wizard of Oz.

Pork Sword: a penis.

Percy: A man’s penis. Used as in “Pointing Percy at the porcelain”, which means going for a piss. To take a pee. See also, Trouser Snake or One-Eyed Trouser Snake.

Punter: A gambler, especially horse racing.

Pash: Passionate, or like … “Me and my girlfriend were having a pash in the back seat”. Usually it just means a hungry kiss.

Piss: Urine or to urinate. But also beer, as in “On the piss” or “He’s gone to a piss-up” (a party).

Pissed: Drunk. (Full of piss. Logical, eh?)

Pissed Off: Angry or disgruntled.

Plonk: Any alcoholic beverage, especially cheap wine.

Pollie: A politician (derogatory).

Poof or Poofter: A homosexual male. (Somewhat derogatory.)

Pom or Pommy: An Englishman or a Briton, (from their red cheeks, like a pomegranite fruit. Some have claimed it’s really P.O.H.M. as in Prisoner Of His Majesty.)

Pull Yer Finger Out! Means stop being silly or wasting time and do what needs to be done.”

Preggers: Pregnant. As in “She’s preggers, She’s Up The Duff or She’s in the pudding club”. (From the English steamed plum duff pudding, which was round like a pregnant woman’s belly. )

Prezzies: Presents, like for a Birthday or for Christmas. (See Chrissy.)

Pub: Public House or drinking area of a public hotel.

Queenslander: An Aussie from Queensland.

Rack Off: P*ss off. Go away. Get lost!

Ratbag: A person of scurrulous behaviour. A scoundrel or a crook.

Rat Shit: Completely destroyed, trashed, messed up, unspeakably disgusting, unusable.

Reckon: As in “(I) reckon (so)”. I agree wholeheartedly with you.

Rafferty’s Rules: No rules at all. Anything goes. (Like the traffic in some countries.)

Ripper: Wonderful, terrific! As in “You little ripper!” (Great stuff!)

Rock Up: Walk up, as in “We rocked up to Dave’s place”.

‘Roo: Kangaroo… As in “We went Roo shooting in the ute”.

Root: To have sexual intercourse. As in “I had a great root last night”. See Naughty or Bonk.

Rooted: Exhausted. Dead tired. “I’m just rooted.” Can alo be used as, “I rooted that girl last night.”

Rubber-Neckers: Onlookers at an emergency situation. This term is often used by police, fire, ambulance officers to describe people who want to watch and get in the way.

Sad as a bastard on Fathers’ Day – not happy.

Sanger: A sandwich, as in “I had a sausage sanger and a cold beer”. (Aussies always expect their beer to be icy cold and cannot understand why the Poms drink beer at room temperature. Then again, the climate in England is much colder than it is here in Oz.)

Schooner: A large (15 oz or 425 ml) glass of beer.

Shag: A root, a bonk, a screw, a f**k or just sexual intercourse.

Sh*t For Brains: Very stupid. As in “He’s a total sh*t-for-brains!”

Sheila: A girl or woman. Slightly derogatory. It could imply that she is a slut.

She’ll be right, mate: I am confident that everything will be fine. Don’t you worry about that.

She’s Apples: Everything’s great, mate. (Also ‘she’ll be apples’.)

Shout: To buy a round of drinks, as in “It’s your shout, mate!” … meaning it’s your turn to pay for this round of drinks.

Slab: A slab of beer is a box or carton of 24 cans.

Smoko or Smoke-Oh: A work break… A chance for a quick cuppa and a Ciggy.

Snag: A meat sausage. As in “Chuck a couple of snags on the barbie for me, Fred.” The sausage usually contains minced pork or mince beef. Especially popular on a barbecue, where they are often sliced lengthways into two pieces when cooked, and served on bread as a sausage sandwich or a Sausage Sanger. Cooked, chopped onion will usually be offered as well, and then you take your choice of tomato sauce (ketchup to you Yanks), BBQ sauce, mustard sauce or sweet chilli sauce. But see also, SNAG below…

SNAG: A Sensitive New-Age Guy.

Sook: A wimp or a cry-baby. As in “Don’t be a sook”, or “He’s really sooky”.

Souvenir: (verb/noun) To Steal or Stolen. An Aussie tradition, as in stealing some trophy as a keepsake. As in “Geoffo went over to the other club and souveneered their flag.” Or the true story of Dawn Fraser, an Aussie swimming champion who was sent home from the Olympics for souveniring a flag.

Sparky: An electrician. Also used to refer to a ship’s or military radio operator.

Spit the Dummy: To throw a tantrum. “He really spat the dummy that time!

Squiz: To take a quick look. “Go and have a squiz round the corner”.

Station: An outback farm or ranch, as in a Sheep Station or a Cattle Station.

Sticky Beak: A nosey-parker. Can also be “I’ll go and take a sticky-beak round the corner”.

Stoked: Absolutely delighted. Very happy. Can also mean drunk.

Swag: A canvas bed roll, usually with a blanket or a sleeping bag inside.

Swagman or Swaggie: A man walking with a swag. (The term comes from the 1930s Great Depression, when desperate unemployed men trekked from farm to farm, offering to do a day’s work for a meal and a place to sleep for the night.)

Taswegian: An Aussie from Tasmania, the Apple Isle, south of the state of Victoria, and a ferry-ride across the Tasman Sea.

Thong: One of a pair of rubber flip-flop sandals. We call ‘em thongs here in Aussie-land. Not to be confused with a female sexy undergarment!

Tree Hugger: A conservationist. Foe example, someone who lies down in front of a bulldozer to try and save the forest from being cut down. See ‘Greenie’.

Truckie: A truck-driver.

Queer Street: Stoney broke. No money.

Strine: Aussie slang, like on this page…

S’truth or Strewth: An exclamation meaning, “It’s the truth”.

Stubby: A short-necked bottle, usually of beer.

Sundowner: A swagman (hobo) who arrives at the farm at nightfall, when it’s too late to any real work but just in time for a feed and a night’s rest.

Sunnies: Sun glasses. Shades.

Suss: Suspicious.

Swag: A sleeping bedroll as carried by hobos or itinerant workers, especially during the Great Depression of the 1920s and 1930s. See Swagman, hobo or tramp.

Sydneysider: A resident of Sydney, New South Wales.

Take-Away: A take-out restaurant.

Technicolor Yawn: To make a colorful display of vomit. To upchuck. Usually from too much grog.

Thunder Box: A toilet. See also Dunny.

Tinnie: A can of ice-cold beer.

Tinny: A small tin or aluminum boat used for fishing.

Tradie: A tradesman – who usually drives a ute or a van.

True-Blue: A proud Australian. Also means something is the real-deal true-blue article.

Ute: A small utility truck. An Aussie pickup truck, usually a one-ton vehicle.

Ta: British slang ‘Thank You’. As in Ta Muchly, or Ta very much.

Takeaway: Takeout food.

Tart: A Shiela of poor repute. (Decidedly derogatory.) A prostitute, or a female who isn’t selective about her men.

Thongs: Open rubber sandals held by a V strap from between the 1st and 2nd toes to the sides of the open heel. Called flip flops elsewhere.

Tinny: A tin (can) of ice-cold beer.

Town Bike: A girl who’s had sex with every male in town… They’ve all had a ride.  (See Slut and Tart.)

True Blue: Genuine. The real deal.

Trouser Snake: Penis. i.e. “My one-eyed trouser snake”.

Tucker: Food, like from the English ‘tuck box’, or ‘tuck in’.

Slut: A female who has sex with just about anybody. See Tart.

U-ie or Yoo-ee: To do a U-turn in the car, as in “Hang a U-ie here”.

Underdaks: Underpants.

Up the Duff: Pregnant. (From English ‘plum duff pudding’ as in “She’s in the pudding club.”)

Ute: Small Australian utility truck.

VB: An Australian beer… (Victoria Bitter).

Veggies: Vegetables.

Walkabout: A period where Australian Aborigines just drop everything and go off wandering through the outback on a spiritual journey to clear their heads.

Walloper: A policeman, as in someone who wallops you (hits real hard).

Waltzing Matilda: Tramping the countryside with a bedroll/swag. (She’s yourMatilda, because, just like a wife, she keeps you warm at night…) The song, ‘Waltzing Matilda’ – is from a poem by Banjo Paterson – was once Australia’s unofficial national anthem, and everyone knew the tune and every Australian knew the words. Then the politicians went and changed it to Advance Australia Fair and a lot of Aussies still don’t know the words, or care to…

Wanker: Someone who is immature, i.e. who masturbates unstead of doing the real thing. (Like the British term, a Tosser.)

Westie: A Sydneysiders’ derogatory term for someone from Sydney’s western suburbs. A little bit derogatory. (See Bogan.)

Willi-Willi: Aboriginal term for a small whirlwind, funneling up dust and leaves.

Wog: Derogatory term for a foreigner. Originally post World War II for anyone from the Mediterranean… Greeks, Italians, Spaniards. It can also mean sick or an illness, as I’ve gone to bed with a wog.

XXXX: This is Queensland’s XXXX beer, (pronounced ‘Fourex’ by Aussies).

Yabbie: A small Australian fresh-water crayfish. Good eating.

Yak: Having a chat, a chinwag, a natter, talk, conversation or a yarn.

Yob or Yobbo: A lout. A surly teenager or young man.

Yonks: Ages, or a long time, as in “I’ve known him for yonks”.

Zonked: Totally exhausted. Knackered.

 

Picture Credit: wikipedia.org.

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