Australian Slang

"Ozlish as she are spoke".

Abo or Abbo An Australian Aborigine. (This word is derogatory or offensive - like the old 'N' word in the US.) The Australian native indiginous people call themselves Koori or Koories.

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

Arvo Afternoon... as in "I'll meet you tomorrow arvo".

Aussie An Australian.

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

Bloke A man.

Blue A shouting match or a fight.

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

Boss Cocky Head farmer, who hires and fires workers.

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

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

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

Bonzer Great, superb.

Bush Out in the country.

Bushfire Australian version of a forest fire.

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

Bush Telegraph Word gets around by people talking (through the 'bush telegraph').

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

Chook A chicken. As in finger licking good.

Chuffed Very pleased... happy... As in "He's dead chuffed about that".

Cobber Friend. Your good mate (like the US term 'buddy').

Corker Stunningly good, as in "She's a real corker!"

Codger Feeble old person, as in "Silly old codger".

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

Didge A digeridoo. The long tube musical instrument used by some Aborigines.

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

Crook Sick. Not well, as in "Sorry boss I cant come in today. I'm real crook".

Digger Now an Australian Soldier. Originally used for your fellow gold miner buddies.

Ding A dent, or damage... Often used for a minor fender-bender automobile accident.

Dinky-di Patriotic. Genuine. 'True Blue.'

Dinkum The genuine article. Real. As in "He's fair dinkum". (He's sincere.)

Drongo A stupid person. A fool.

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

Dunny Toilet, W.C. or out-house.

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?"

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 to the police or fire brigades. Comes from an Irish-Australian water carrier.

Footy Football. The code of football often depends on what state you are from, but could be Rugby Union, Rugby League, 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.

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."

Hooroo Good bye.

Iffy Doubtful, as in "That info's a bit iffy".

Jack of Sick of, as in "I'm jack of this job".

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

Kiwi A person from New Zealand. (The real Kiwi is actually a flightless bird from NZ.)

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.

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

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.

Mug One who is easily duped or cheated, as in a mug punter.

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

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

Never-never Buying something through hire-purchase or credit.

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.

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.

Percy A man's penis. Used as in "Pointing Percy at the porcelain", which means going for a piss. To take a pee.

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.

Pissed Off Angry or disgruntled.

Plonk Any alcoholic beverage, especially cheap wine.

Pollie A politician (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.)

Preggers Pregnant. As in "She's preggers". (Up the duff. In the pudding club.)

Prezzies Presents, like for a Birthday or for Christmas.

Pub Public House or drinking area of a public hotel.

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

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

Reckon As in "(I) reckon (so)". I agree wholeheartedly with you.

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".

Queer Street Stoney broke. No money.

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 in Oz.)

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

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

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 cigarette.

Sook A wimp of a cry-baby. He's a sook, or He's really sooky.

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.

Strine Aussie slang, like on this page...

Struth An explaimation meaning, "It's the God's 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 work but just in time for 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.

Technicolor Yawn To vomit. To upchuck. Usually from too much grog.

Ute A Utility. 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.

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.

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'.

U-ie 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 A beer... (Victoria Bitter).

Veggies Vegetables.

Walkabout A period where Aborigines drop everything and go off wandering through the outback.

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

Waltzing Matilda Tramping the countryside with a bedroll/swag. (She's your Matilda.) The song, 'Waltzing Matilda' - from a poem by Banjo Paterson - was once Australia's national anthem, and everyone knew the tune and the words. 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 bit derogatory.

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 Queensland's XXXX beer, pronounced 'Fourex' by Aussies.

Yak Having a chat, a talk, a yarn.

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

Yonks Ages, as in "I've known him for yonks".

Zonked Totally exhausted. Knackered.

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