Australian slang

    This article is a travel topic

Australian slang is informal language used in Australia.

This guide should be viewed as an informal and fun introduction to some Australian idiosyncrasies, rather than a guide on how to communicate.

Increasing globalisation and a move away from rural living has seen Australian English adopt a lot of American terms while at the same time romanticising words commonly associated with the bush. Many Australians view their slang as being uniquely Australian and an integral part of their culture. Judging by the amount of Australian slang books available on the shelves, it remains of interest to travellers too.

Many parts of Australian slang have their origins outside Australia, particularly in England and Ireland. Don't be surprised if many terms seem familiar. However, don't assume that similar slang expressions have the same meaning to Australians as they might in other countries. An attempt to use some Australian slang will likely be viewed as an attempt to mock, rather than as a genuine attempt to speak the local dialect. It's better to use the guide to interpret Steve Irwin's TV shows.

Attempts by foreigners to replicate the Australian accent nearly always fail (witness Meryl Streep in A Cry in the Dark). Doing so to an Australian's face will be seen as taking the piss (see below) and may have unexpected repercussions.

English speaking travellers are best advised just to speak clearly, as most Australians are used to a variety of accents. However, it can never hurt to say "G'day, How ya goin'" to an Aussie. You can also ask for your chips to take-away, rather than fries to go.

Greetings

Hey / G'day. 

Hello. Often combined with How ya doin' / goin'

How ya goin'/ How's it going? 

How are you?

How ya doin' 

How are you?

How's it hangin'? 

(Direct translation: How comfortable are your testicles) How are you feeling?

Not bad mate 

Not bad mate (friend)

Good 

Good

Cheers mate 

Thanks

No worries / No drama / No Problem

That's okay

No wuckers 

No problem (Play on words, No Wucking Furries, from No F...ing Worries)

Oi!/ Hey!

(Rude way to get attention)

You're right 

Don't worry, all good

She'll be right 

That will be good (enough)

She'll be apples / It'll be right 

Everything will be ok / go to plan

See ya later 

See you later

Hoo roo/Oooroo 

Goodbye

Take it easy 

Goodbye & be careful

Have a good one 

Have a good day / night / weekend / etc

Root 

sexual intercourse

Could I have some more please 

Can I have some more of that Item?

Yep

Yes

Nup

No

Ta

Thanks

We'll see

maybe

Sweet/Beautiful

Great

Yeah nah

No

Nah yeah

Yes

bloudy hell mate ur a cracker

a great job

Time

Arvo

afternoon, eg "Let's meet for a schooner this arvo".

Yonks

Years, commonly used to convey an exaggerated view of time, eg "I haven't seen you in yonks".

Ron

Shorter for later on, eg "I'll save it for ron".

Tick

Short amount of time, 5 minutes up to an hour.

Smoko

Any short break from work

Flat chat

(of a person) Very busy, no free time

Colours

Bluey 

A name often given to blue heeler cattle dogs or a person with red hair.

Ranga

Red-haired person.

Cursing

(Note that seemingly uniquely, Australians use insults affectionately as well. It is commonplace to greet one's closest friends with the foulest combination expletives and slurs as possible, preferably creatively arranged.)

Streuth!

Wow!, Damn! (from "God's truth")

Bugger

Damn - a common expression of disappointment, not offensive to most.

Drongo

an idiot or a fool (a type of bird)

Bloody bastard

someone you can't stand

Wanker

Someone who is full of themselves, a dislikeable person, a dickhead

Knob

A cocky fool

Fuck me dead

Oh dear

Eating and Drinking

Grab a feed 

Get something to eat

Middy, Pot, Schooner, Handle

Various sizes of glass (usually used for beer). Definitions vary by state: refer to the table at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_in_Australia#Sizes

Stubby

Small beer bottle (~300ml)

Longneck

Medium beer bottle

Take-away

Fast food also used instead of "to go" when ordering food.

Doggy bag

Takeaway from a restaurant

Pissed 

drunk (as opposed to pissed off, which means to be annoyed); take the piss: make fun of

Scab 

To scrounge off a friend, as in scab a feed.

 

To scrounge through the local rubbish tip / local council clean up piles

Bludge 

To be lazy, especially when there is specific work to be done.

Grog 

alcoholic drink, likely beer.

Plonk 

Cheap low-quality wine.

Goon 

Plonk in a cask.

Goonbag 

Wine box.

Tucker 

Food.

Snag 

Sausage.

Sanga 

Sandwich.

Barbie 

Barbeque

Maccas 

McDonalds

Brekkie 

Breakfast

Esky 

water cooler

Durries 

cigarettes

Flat white 

Latte

Long black 

Americano

Short black 

Espresso

Hot chips 

french fries, usually thick cut

People

Mate

Anybody at all, typically used only to refer to men, used as an informal address for strangers ("G'day, mate"), as a name placeholder for friends, and as a term for friends in general ("Invite your mates around").

Old mate

Third person masculine pronoun (substitute for "he"), used specifically as a dismissive reference to a man over a certain age who the speaker sees as useless or foolish. e.g. "Old mate shat his daks in Engadine Maccas".

Love

Similar to 'mate' but used for women. Or from a woman to male. Depending on context can ether be + or - eg, "Now listen here love" "what shall it be love" "want a drink love"

Drongo

Light-hearted insult, silly or dim-witted.

Silly duffer

Similar to Drongo but gentler / more affectionate.

Aussie 

Australian - pronounced Ozzy.

Relo/Rellies

Relative, as in member of the family.

Bogan

(Slightly) less offensive Australian equivalent of English "chav" or American "white trash".

Cub

Cashed-up bogan. Nouveau riche.

Brickie

Bricklayer.

Sparkie

Electrician.

Chippie

Carpenter.

Bikie

Member of a motorbike gang; biker for motorcyclists in general

Cockie

Farmer. Generally who has a large land hold.

Dag

Nerd, unfashionable person, goof; light-hearted friendly insult.

Daggy

Scruffy.

Figjam

Proud and boastful person, abbreviated form of 'fuck I'm good, just ask me'.

Flog

A heavily disliked person.

Battler

Working family member. Someone who never seems to catch a break but always tries that little harder than most every step forwards sees them two steps back.

Smackie

Smackhead, as in, a heroin addict.

Ocker

A crude, uncultured Aussie.

Banana Benders

Queenslanders

Sheep Shagger

A New Zealander

Sandgropers

Western Australians

Mexicans

Anyone from the next state south (not often used) Is used by people that live in New South Wales/Queensland when referring to someone that lives in Victoria/New South Wales.

Yank

An American

Seppo

An American (pejorative). Abbreviated form of rhyming slang 'septic tank'.

Kiwi

A New Zealander

Pom/Pommy

An Englishman (Is an insult if used by anyone but an Aussie). Prisoner Of Mother England.

Scabber

Someone who scabs

Bluey, Ranga(derived from Orangutan)

Person with red hair.

Bushie

Someone from a rural area, whom generally lives off/with the land eating what they catch, raise, grow gather & utilise all around them in a innovative manor like hanging the exhaust up with a coat hanger or posting a shed or shack with trees.

Digger

Soldier.

Clown

A fool.

Peanut

A fool.

Cobber

friend, mate.

Chat

person who is unclean

Geography

The bush

areas outside of major cities and towns.

The outback

the deserts of inland Australia

Bushfire

wildfire

Whoop-Whoop

The middle of nowhere (eg: So I was stuck out whoop whoop...) It is a short 'oo' sound, like in 'pull', not long like in 'choose'. Also an actual town in the middle of the Australian bush.

Beyond the black stump

An imaginary point beyond which the country is considered remote or uncivilised

Back of Beyond/Back of Bourke

Even further than beyond the black stump. Really far.

Scrub

Thick, snotty bush

Places and things

Straya

Australia

The G

Melbourne Cricket Ground

Servo

Service Station (Petrol Station)

Bottle-O

Bottle Shop (Liquor Store)

Chemist

Pharmacy (also used), Drug Store

Newsagent's

Seller of newspapers, magazines, and candy

Milk bar

Small shop selling drinks, sandwiches, candy, hot chips, and so on

Maccas

McDonalds restaurant

Back-of-Bourke

Very distant location

Big smoke/city

A non country area(includes associated suburbs)

The sticks

In the bush, referring to a lot of trees (far from a town or city)

Ute

Flatbed pick-up. Utility vehicle.

Politics

Rort

Corrupt practice or scam. Often a synonym for '-gate' when naming political scandals.

Stoush

Controversy. Pronounced like 'ouch' not like 'douche'.

Canberra

1. City of 400,000 people which hosts the Federal Parliament. 2. Shorthand for the apparatus of Federal Government, similar to Washington or Whitehall.

Pollie

Politician

The Reps

House of Representatives, the lower house of the legislature (analogous to the UK House of Commons).

Sausage sizzle

Barbecue cooking hotdogs, customarily outside polling stations on election day and outside hardware stores.

Democracy sausage

See above.

Vote 1 [candidate name]

Common electioneering slogan. Due to Australia's use of the AV voting system, voters rank all candidates by preference rather than denoting a single choice with an 'X'

On first preferences

The initial count of only the '1' rank votes, before lower preferences on votes cast for eliminated candidates are re-counted.

Two-party preferred

The final result of the election after all votes for eliminated candidate have been reallocated.