Australia Slang

According to Collins Cobuild  Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary, Slank means;  consists of words, expressions, and meanings that are informal and are used by people who know each other very well or who have the same interests. If you want to find information about specific words. This site provides some Australian Slang that might be useful for you.

 

Australian Slang

 

 

A

Aggro  -  abbreviation for aggravated, aggressive, aggression.

Ankle biter  -  a small or young child

Arvo  -  afternoon.

Av-a-go-yer-mug – a phrase used to encourage someone to put more effort into something.

Aussie -  an Australian.

 

 

 

B

Bangers  -  sausages.

Barney  -  an argument, fight.

Beano / Beanfeast  - festivity, celebration

Beanie  -  a small close fitting knitted cap often with a pom pom on top.

Big smoke  -  the city.

Billabong  -  a waterhole

Billy  -  a container, usually makeshift, for boiling water or tea; a receptacle used for smoking marijuana

Bloke  -  a man

Bludger  -  a lazy person who evades responsibilities, often applied to one who collects the dole and doesn’t try to find work.

Blue  -  to fight, a dispute; depressed in spirits; a mistake;

Bluey  -  a nickname for a red-headed person; a breed of Australian work dog

Bonza  -  excellent, attractive, pleasing

Bottlo  -  a bottle shop or Liquor store.

Bush telegraph  /  Bush wire  - unofficial communication network by which rumours are spread

Bushwhacker  -  one who lives in the bush.

Bushwacked  - extremely fatigued or exhausted.

Bush week  -  a fictitious week when country people come to town; a time of year when stupid things happen.

Bushytailed – full of health and good spirits.

Bust  - to apprehend for an illegal activity; to go bankrupt; a police raid.

Butt  -  the buttocks, bottom.

 

 

 

C

Cakehole  -  mouth.

Can-do  - capable and obliging.

Centralia  -  the inland region of Australia

Champers – champagne.

Chinwag  -  a chat, conversation.

Chook  -  a chicken

Cobber  - a mate, friend

Cockeyed  - twisted or slanted to one side; foolish, absurd

Codger  -  a bloke, fellow, especially elderly and a little odd.

Compo  -  compensation for injury; workers compensation.

Corker  -  something striking or astonishing; something very good of its kind.

Crapper  -  toilet.

Creepy  -  crawly  -  an insect.

Crook  -  sick, disabled, bad inferior; a thief; to get angry

Crown Jewels  - the testicles

Cut up  - to cause distress to; to criticise severely.

 

 

 

D

Dag  -  a person with little or no dress sense, uncouth

Date  -  buttocks; a date roll is a roll of toilet paper.

Dick stickers  -  men’s brief style bathers.

Digger  -  an Australian soldier, especially one who served in World War I

Ding  - a dent or damaged section of a car, bike, surfboard, etc.

Dinkum / dinki-di  - true, honest, genuine

Down the road  -  term indicating distance but no particular distance, it could be a few hundred metres but may be a few hundred miles.

Drongo – slow-witted or stupid person.

Dunny  -  an outside toilet, lavatory.

 

 

 

E

Earbash  -  to talk incessantly, someone who talks too much.

 

 

 

F

Fair dinkum  -  real, genuine, true.

Few sandwiches short of a picnic  -  slow witted, not all together.

Footy  -  rugby league.

Fridge  -  refrigerator

Full as a boot – intoxicated.

Full of it – someone is full of it if they are a liar.

 

 

 

G

G’day, gidday  -  a greeting meaning good day.

Gee-whiz – an expression indicating astonishment.

Get stuffed  -  go away.

Get the shits  -  to become angry, upset or short tempered.

Gnarly  -  difficult, awkward; terrific, excellent.

Go a meal or drink  -  could eat a meal or have a drink

Go for broke – to risk all ones capital.

Greenie  -  deprecatory term for an environmentalist.

Grog  /  booze  - alcohol, beer, spirits.

Grommet  -  an idiot; a young surfer

Grouse  -  very good.

Grub  -  food.

 

 

 

H

Hack it  -  to tolerate something or to keep up

Hair of the dog  - an alcoholic drink taken to relieve a hangover.

Half your luck -  an expression often indicating envy of one’s goodwill can also be a congratulatory remark or best wishes blessing.

Hard yacka  -  hard work

Hassle –  to give problems, complications or aggravations.

Homestead  -  main residence on a sheep or cattle station (ranch or farm).

Hooroo  -  goodbye.

 

 

 

I

In the shit  -  serious trouble.

 

 

J

Jingoes  -  exclamation of surprise

Joe Blake  -  snake (rhyming slang).

John  -  toilet.

Jumbuck  -  a sheep.

 

 

 

K

Kick in  -  contribute money to something.

Knowck off  -  to steal something; a counterfeit product.

 

 

 

L

Lang  -  to inform on someone.

Lair  -  flashily dressed young man or brash or vulgar behaviour.

Larrikin  -  lout, a mischievous young chap.

Laughing gear  -  mouth.

Loo  -  toilet.

 

 

 

M

 Mad as a cut snake  - crasy.

Mate  -  usually a friend  or acquaintance but anyone can be a mate.

Middy  - middle-sized(285ml) glass of beer.

Mug  -  a fool, one easily duped.

 

 

 

N

Nong  -  a fool, idiot.

Noah  /  Noah’s ark  - a shark(rhyming slang).

 

 

 

O

Ocker  -  the uncultivated Australian workingma; boorish, uncouth.

Ol’ cheese  -  mother.

Ol’ man  - father.

Oldies  -  parents.

On a good lurk  -  on to a good thing.

On ya mate  - usually means well done but often used sarcastically.

Open slather  -  free-for-all, anything goes.

Oz  -  Australia.

 

 

 

P

Picker  -  someone who doesn’t want to do something especially within a group.

Pissed  -  drunk.

Pissed off  -  disgruntled, fed up.

Plonk  -  alcoholic liquor, especially cheap wine.

Poddy-dodger -  cattle rustler, one who steals unbranded calves.

Pollie  / polly  - a politician.

Pommy  /  Pom  - English person(usually whinging pom).

Prawn  -  a shrimp.

Pub  -  a hotel, short for public house. Usually taken to mean the bar or drinking area in a hotel.

 

 

 

R

Rack off  -  go away, get lost.

Rag   - a newspaper or a woman who sleeps around.

Ratbag  - rascal, rogue.

Ripper  /  rip snorter -  great, terrific.

Roo -  short for kangaroo.

 

 

 

S

Sandshoes  -  casual footwear, joggers.

Sanga  -  a sandwich or sausage.

Schooner  -  a large-sized (425ml) glass of beer.

Scrub up  -  dress up.

Seppo  /  Septic tank  -  an American (rhyming slang for yark)

Servo  -  a petrol /ervice / gas station.

Sheila  -  girl, woman.

She’ll be apples  -  all is well(rhyming slang).

Shout  -  buy or pay for; a round of drinks in the pub.

Skite  -  boast, brag.

Slab  - carton of 24 beer cans.

Slugo’s  - mens brief style bathers.

Smoko  -  break from work to indulge in chit-chat and a cigarette.

Spine bashing -  restling, loafing.

Spit the dummy  -  get very upset about something.

Sport  -  used as a term of address usually between males like mate.

Squib  - to pry or meddle; one who pries or meddles.

Sticky beak -  to pry or meddle; one who pries or meddles.

Strine  -  Australian English.

Struth  -  an exclamation expressing surprise or verification.

Stubby  -  a small bottle of beer.

Sunnies  -  a pair of sunglasses.

Swag  - a large number or unspecified number.

 

 

 

T

Ta / tar  - thanks.

Tart  -  once meaning ‘sweet heart’ but now a derogatory word for a woman.

Tee up – to organise something.

Thingy / thingo / thingummyjig  - any thing that doesn’t have a precise name.

Tightarse – someone who won’t buy a drink or won’t part with money.

Tinnie  -  a can of beer.

True  blue  - genuine.

Tucker  -  food.

 

 

 

U

Uee  - a U turn.

Up a gum tree  -  in difficulties, stranded.

Up shit creek  -  in trouble (often without a paddle indicating serious trouble)

Ute  -  small truck, short for utility truck.

 

 

 

V

VB  -  Victoia Bitter, a beer.

 

 

 

W

Walkabout  -  a period of wandering, usually in reference to Aborigines.

Walloper  -  one who thrashes someone.

Wally  -  someone who keeps making mistakes.

Wanker  -  one who masturbates; a person who is full of themselves, egotistical.

Waxxy  / wax head  -  a surfer.

Wedding tacle  -  a penis.

Westie  - someone from Sydney’s western suburbs, often used derogatorily to mean uneducated and or uncultured. Also someone who acts like a westie.

What-da-ya-know – an expression of surprise; a friendly phrase used to open a conversation.

Wombat  -  a simple minded person.

Wog  - derogatory term for a foreigner, especially one of Mediterranean or Middle Eastern extraction.

 

 

 

X

XXXX  -  a Queensland beer brand (pronounced four ex).

 

 

 

Y

Yarn  -  a story

Yobbo  -  loutish, surly youth.

Yonks  -  a long period of time.

 

(Source: Ditc, training course, ausfamil 2008)

 

 

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