A-Z Of Australian Slang

Published by djmick on January 26th, 2010

aussie slang

Ace! : Excellent! Very good!
Aerial pingpong : Australian Rules football
Amber fluid : beer
Ambo : ambulance, ambulance driver
Ankle biter : small child
Arvo : afternoon
Aussie salute : brushing away flies with the hand

Back of Bourke : a very long way away
Banana bender : a person from Queensland
Barbie : barbecue (noun)
Beaut, beauty : great, fantastic
Billy : teapot. Container for boiling water
Bingle : motor vehicle accident
Bities : biting insects
Bitzer : mongrel dog (bits of this and bits of that)
Bizzo : business (”mind your own bizzo”)
Bloke : man, guy
Blowie : blow fly
Bludger : lazy person, layabout, somebody who always relies on other people to do things or lend him things
Blue : fight (”he was having a blue with his wife”)
Bodgy : of inferior quality
Bogan : person who takes little pride in his appearance, spends his days slacking and drinking beer
Bonzer : great, ripper
Boogie board : a hybrid, half-sized surf board
Booze bus : police vehicle used for catching drunk drivers
Boozer : a pub
Bottle shop : liquor shop
Brekkie : breakfast
Brick shit house, built like a : big strong bloke
Brisvegas : Brisbane, state capital of Queensland
Brizzie : Brisbane, state capital of Queensland
Brown-eyed mullet : a turd in the sea (where you’re swimming!)
Buck’s night : stag party
Budgie smugglers : men’s bathing costume
Bush oyster : nasal mucus
Bush telly : campfire
Bushman’s hanky : Emitting nasal mucus by placing one index finger on the outside of the nose (thus blocking one nostril) and blowing.
Butcher : small glass of beer in South Australia

Cactus : dead, not functioning (”this bloody washing machine is cactus”)
Cane toad : a person from Queensland
Cark it : to die, cease functioning
Chook : a chicken
Chrissie : Christmas
Chuck a sickie : take the day off sick from work when you’re perfectly healthy
Chunder : vomit
Clacker : anus
Clayton’s : fake, substitute
Clucky : feeling broody or maternal
Coathanger : Sydney Harbour bridge
Cobber : friend
Cockie : farmer
Cockie : cockroach
Cockroach : a person from New South Wales
Coldie : a beer
Come a gutser : make a bad mistake, have an accident
Compo : Workers’ Compensation pay
Cooee, within : nearby
Cook : One’s wife
Corker : something excellent
Cozzie : swimming costume
Crack a fat : get an erection
Crack onto (someone) : to hit on someone, pursue someone romantically
Cranky : in a bad mood, angry
Cream (verb) : defeat by a large margin
Crook : sick, or badly made
Crow eater : a person from South Australia
Cut lunch : sandwiches

Dag : a funny person, nerd, goof
Daks : trousers
Damper : bread made from flour and water
Date : arse[hole] (”get off your fat date”)
Dead horse : Tomato sauce
Deadset : true, the truth
Dero : tramp, hobo, homeless person
Digger : a soldier
Dill : an idiot
Dingo’s breakfast : a yawn, a leak and a good look round (i.e. no breakfast)
Dinkum, fair dinkum : true, real, genuine
Dinky-di : the real thing, genuine
Dipstick : a loser, idiot
Divvy van : Police vehicle used for transporting criminals.
Dog : unattractive woman
Dog’s eye : meat pie
Dole bludger : somebody on social assistance when unjustified
Donger : penis
Doodle : penis
Drink with the flies : to drink alone
Drongo : a dope, stupid person
Drum : information, tip-off
Duffer, cattle : rustler
Dunny : outside lavatory
Durry : tobacco, cigarette

australian slang

Esky : large insulated food/drink container for picnics, barbecues etc.
Exy : expensive

Fair go : a chance
Fairy floss : candy floss, cotton candy
Feral : a hippie
Figjam : Nickname for people who have a high opinion of themselves.
Fisho : fishmonger
Flake : shark’s flesh (sold in fish & chips shops)
Flick : to give something or somebody the flick is to get rid of it or him/her
Flick it on : to sell something, usually for a quick profit, soon after buying it.
Fly wire : gauze flyscreen covering a window or doorway.
Franger : condom
Freckle : anus
Fruit loop : fool
Full : drunk

G’Day : hello!
Give it a burl : try it, have a go
Gobful, give a : to abuse, usually justifiably
Good oil : useful information, a good idea, the truth
Grog : liquor, beer (”bring your own grog, you bludger”)

Handle : beer glass with a handle
Hoon : hooligan
Hooroo : goodbye
Hotel : often just a pub
Hottie : hot water bottle

Icy pole, ice block : popsicle, lollypop

Joey : baby kangaroo
Jug : electric kettle
Jumbuck : sheep

Kelpie : Australian sheepdog originally bred from Scottish collie
Kero : kerosene
Kindie : kindergarten
Knock : to criticise
Knock back : refusal
Knocker : somebody who criticises

Lair it up : to behave in a brash and vulgar manner
Larrikin : a bloke who is always enjoying himself, harmless prankster
Liquid laugh : vomit
Longneck : 750ml bottle of beer in South Australia
Lunch, who opened their? : OK, who farted?
Lurk : illegal or underhanded racket

Mackers : McDonald’s
Manchester : Household linen, eg sheets etc.
Mappa Tassie : map of Tasmania – a woman’s pubic area
Mate : buddy, friend
Matilda : swagman’s bedding, sleeping roll
Metho : methylated spirits
Mexican : a person from south of the Queensland or New South Wales border
Milk bar : corner shop that sells takeaway food
Mongrel : despicable person
Moolah : money
Mozzie : mosquito
Mull : grass (the kind you smoke)
Muster : round up sheep or cattle
Mystery bag : a sausage

Nasho : National Service (compulsory military service)
Never Never : the Outback, centre of Australia
Nipper : young surf lifesaver
No worries! : Expression of forgiveness or reassurance
Not the full quid : not bright intellectually
Nuddy, in the : naked
Nut out : hammer out or work out (an agreement)

onya mate

Ocker : an unsophisticated person
Offsider : an assistant, helper
Oldies : parents
Op shop : opportunity shop, thrift store, place where second hand goods are sold.

Pash : a long passionate kiss; hence “pashing on”
Pig’s arse! : I don’t agree with you
Piker : Someone who doesn’t want to fit in with others socially, leaves parties early
Pink slip, get the : get fired (from the colour of the termination form)
Plate, bring a : Instruction on party or BBQ invitation to bring your own food. It doesn’t mean they’re short of crockery!
Pokies : poker machines, fruit machines, gambling slot machines
Pommy bastard : an Englishman
Pommy shower : using deodorant instead of taking a shower
Pot : 285 ml beer glass in Queensland and Victoria
Prezzy : present, gift

Quid, make a : earn a living

Rack off : push off! get lost! get out of here!
Rage : party
Rapt : pleased, delighted
Rellie or relo : family relative
Ridgy-didge : original, genuine
Roadie : a beer you buy to take away with you
Root : synonym for f*ck in nearly all its senses: “I feel rooted”; “this washing machine is rooted”; “(s)he’s a good root”. A very useful word in fairly polite company.
Root rat : somebody who is constantly looking for sex.
Rort : Cheating, fiddling, defrauding (expenses, the system etc.).

Salute, Aussie : brushing flies away
Sandgroper : a person from Western Australia
Sanger : a sandwich
Schooner : large beer glass in Queensland; medium beer glass in South Australia
Scratchy : instant lottery ticket
Screamer : party lover; “two pot screamer” – somebody who gets drunk on very little alcohol
Seppo : an American
Servo : petrol station
Shark biscuit : somebody new to surfing
Sheepshagger : A New Zealander
Sheila : a woman
Skite : boast, brag
Slab : a carton of 24 bottles or cans of beer
Smoko : smoke or coffee break
Sook : person or animal who is soft, tame, inoffensive.
Spewin’ : very angry
Spiffy, pretty spiffy : great, excellent
Spit the dummy : get very upset at something
Spruiker : man who stands outside a nightclub or restaurant trying to persuade people to enter
Spunk : a good looking person
Stickybeak : nosy person
Stoked : very pleased
Strewth : exclamation, mild oath
Strides : trousers
Stubby : a 375ml. beer bottle
Sunnies : sunglasses
Swag : rolled up bedding etc. carried by a swagman
Swagman : tramp, hobo

Tall poppies : successful people
Taswegian : derogatory term for a person from Tasmania
Tee-up : to set up
Thongs : cheap rubber backless sandals
Throw-down : small bottle of beer which you can throw down quickly.
Tinny : can of beer
Togs : swim suit
Tucker : food
Turps, hit the : go on a drinking binge
Two up : gambling game played by spinning two coins simultaneously

Unit : flat, apartment
Ute : utility vehicle, pickup truck

Vedgies : vegetables
Vee dub : Volkswagen
Veg out : relax in front of the TV
Vejjo : vegetarian
Waggin’ school : playing truant
Walkabout, it’s gone : it’s lost, can’t be found
Whacker, whacka : Idiot; somebody who talks drivel; somebody with whom you have little patience; a dickhead
Whinge : complain
White pointers : topless (female) sunbathers
Wog : flu or trivial illness
Wog : person of Mediterranean origin. A milder insult than the same word in the UK and perhaps elsewhere.
Wowser : straight-laced person, prude, puritan, spoilsport

Yabber : talk (a lot)
Yakka : work

Zack : sixpence (5 cents)

Got some more to add to the list? Share them in the comments below.

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