Thetraveljunkie.org – Last term, we learned Australian slang words and phrases at Tafe Queensland. There are lots of Australian slang words that we should learn when we live in Australia. Whether we’re here for work and holiday, this list of 1001 Australian slang words and phrases will help us understand the Aussies like a local.
A Cold One – Beer
A doovelacki – a thing
Accadacca – How Aussies refer to Australian band ACDC
Ambo – ambulance
Ankle Biter – Child
Arvo – Afternoon (S’Arvo – this afternoon!)
Aussie Salute – Wave to scare the flies
Avo – Avocado
BAE – Acronym for “before anyone else”
Bail – To cancel plans. ‘Bruce bailed’ = Bruce isn’t going to turn up.
Barbie – Barbecue
Bathers – Swimsuit
Beauty! – Great! Most often exclaimed as “You Beauty”
Billabong – A pond in a dry riverbed
Billy – Teapot (In the Outback on the fire)
Bloody – Very. Used to extenuate a point
Bloody oath – yes or its true. “You right mate?”… “Bloody Oath”
Bludger – Someone who’s lazy, generally also who relies on others (when it’s someone who relies on the state they’re often called a ‘dole bludger’)
Bogan – This word is used for people who are, well let’s say, rednecks. Or, if you like, just call your friends a bogan when they are acting weird.
Bonza – fantastic
Booze Bus – Police vehicle used to catch drunk drivers
Boardies – Board shorts
Bottle-O – Bottle Shop, basically a place to buy alcohol
Boujee or bougie – Short for bourgeois
Brekky – Breakfast
Brolly – Umbrella
Bruce – An Aussie Bloke
Buckleys Chance – little chance (Buckley’s Chance Wiktionary)
Budgie Smugglers – Speedos
Buggered – Exhausted
Bush – “Out in the bush” – “he’s gone bush” In the countryside away from civilisation
Cab Sav – Cabernet Sauvignon
Cactus – Dead, Broken
Choc A Bloc – Full
Choccy – Chocolate
Choccy Biccy – Chocolate Biscuit
Chook – Chicken
Chrissie – Christmas
Chuck a u-ey – Do a u-turn
Ciggy – a Cigarette
Clucky – feeling maternal
Cobber – Very good friend. ‘Alright me ‘ol cobber’.
Coldie – Beer. ‘Come over for a few coldie’s mate.’
Coppers – Policemen
Crack the shits – Getting angry at someone or something
Crikey – an expression of surprise
Crook – Being ill or angry; ‘Don’t go crook on me for getting crook’
Cuppa – Cup of tea or coffee
Dag – Someone who’s a bit of a nerd or geek
Daks – Trousers. ‘Tracky daks’ = sweatpants (tracksuit pants)
Dardy – meaning “cool”, is used amongst South West Australian Aboriginal peoples and has also been adopted by non-indigenous teens.
Deadset – True
Defo – Definitely
Dero – Derelict
Devo – Devastated
Din dins – Dinner
Drive fast – Plant the foot
Drongo – a Fool, ‘Don’t be a drongo mate’
Dunny – Toilet
Durry – Cigarette
Esky – An insulated container that keeps things cold (usually beers)
Facey – Facebook
Fair Dinkum – ‘Fair Dinkum?’ … ‘Fair Dinkum!’ = Honestly? … Yeah honestly!
Flannie / Flanno – flannelette shirt
Flat out – Really busy – “Flat out like a lizard drinking” – As busy as a bee
Footy – Football (AFL / Aussie Rules)
FOMO – Acronym for “fear of missing out” Frothy – Beer
F*ck Me Dead – that’s unfortunate, that surprises me
Furphy – rumours or stories that are improbable or absurd
G’day – Hello
Galah – an Australian cockatoo with a reputation for not being bright, hence a galah is also a stupid person.
Gnarly – awesome – often used by surfers
GOAT – Acronym for “great of all time”
Going off – busy, lots of people / angry person “he’s going off”
Good On Ya – Good work
Goon – the best invention ever produced by mankind. Goon is a cheap, boxed wine that will inevitably become an integral part of your Australian backpacking experience.
Hard yakka – Hard work
Heaps – loads, lots, many
Hols – holidays
Hoon – Hooligan (normally driving badly!)
Iffy – bit risky or unreasonable
Knickers – female underwear
Lappy – Laptop
Larrikin – Someone who’s always up for a laugh, bit of a harmless prankster
Legless – Someone who is really drunk
Lollies – Sweets
Maccas – McDonalds
Manchester – Sheets / Linen etc. If you’re from England, finding a department within a shop called Manchester could seriously confuse you
Mate – Friend
Mint – Usually means cool or nice. “Man, that car is mint.”
Mongrel – Someone who’s a bit of a dick
Mozzie – Mosquito
No Drama – No problem / it’s ok
No Worries – No problem / it’s ok
No Wucka’s – A truly Aussie way to say ‘no worries’
Nuddy – Naked
Num-nums – Tasty party food
Outback – The interior of Australia, “The Outback” is more remote than those areas named “the bush”
Pash – to kiss
Piece of Piss – easy
Piss Off – go away, get lost
Piss Up – a party, a get together and in Australia – most social occasions
Piss – (To Piss) to urinate
Pissed – Intoxicated, Drunk
Pissed Off – Annoyed
Rack Off – The less offensive way to tell someone to ‘F Off’!
Rapt – Very happy
Reckon – for sure. ‘You Reckon?’… ‘I reckon!’
Rellie / Rello – Relatives
Ripper – ‘You little ripper’ = That’s fantastic mate!
Root Rat – someone who enjoys sex (maybe a little too much)
Rooted – Tired or Broken
Runners – Trainers, Sneakers
Sammy – Samsung
Sangar – Sandwich
See ya! – See you later!
Servo – Service Station / Petrol Station
Shark biscuit – kids at the beach
Sheila – A woman
She’ll be apples – Everything will be alright
Shoot Through – To leave
Sick – awesome; ‘that’s really sick mate’
Sickie – a sick day off work, or ‘to pull a sickie’ would be to take a day off when you aren’t actually sick
Skull – To down a beer
Slab – A carton of beers
Smoko – tea break
Snag – Sausage
Stiffy – Erection
Stoked – Happy, Pleased
Straya – Australia
Strewth – An exclamation of surprise
Stubby – a bottle of beer
Stubby Holder – Used so your hands don’t get cold when holding your beer, or to stop your hands making your beer warm!
Stuffed – Tired
Sunnies – Sunglasses
Swag – Single bed you can roll up, a bit like a sleeping bag.
TBH – Acronym for “to be honest”
Take a load off – Sit down and rest
Tea – Dinner
Tinny – Can of beer or small boat
Thongs – Flip Flops. Do not be alarmed if your new found Australian friend asks you to wear thongs to the beach. They are most likely expressing their concern of the hot sand on your delicate feet.
Trackie Daks – Tracksuit pants
True Blue – Genuinely Australian
Tucker – Food. ‘Bush Tucker’ tends to be food found in the Outback such as witchety grubs.
Two Up – A gambling game played on Anzac day
U-IE – to take a U-Turn when driving
Up Yourself – Stuck up
Ute – Car with carry tray
Woolies – Woolworths
Woke – awakened
Woop Woop – middle of nowhere “he lives out woop woop”
Ya – You
Yap – Talk too much
Yeet – A very strong word for yes
YOLO – An acronym for “you only live once”
Yous – (youse) plural of you!
If we’ve missed any please free to add it below in the comments and we’ll try to include it!
xxx
Happy Sustainable Travels!
For a little more virtual travel inspiration, follow us on Instagram @TravelJunkieAU, Twitter @TravelJunkieID, like us on Facebook, and subcribe us on YouTube.