Aussie Slang Dictionary
A foreword:
You’ll find many of these slang terms are shared with other countries (namely New Zealand and the United Kingdom.), some are state/territory specific, city specific, even specific to a group of people, and many are also outdated. This is intended as a list of stuff I’ve heard throught my life going all over the country and what slang I was told by fellow Aussies.
If you’re an Aussie and know a slang term that isn’t on this list, you can get in contact.
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Idioms
0
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| *zza *zzo *zzie *kkie *kka *kko *nno *rra *o etc. | Ways names of people and things can be abbreviated in Australia. e.g.: Barry into Bazza, Maurice into Mozza, Byron in Bozza, John into Jonno, Biscuits into Bikkies, etc. Anecdotally: I’ve heard people overseas call it a “cutifying” words which makes sense however asking some Aussies all over the country, nobody here thinks of it that way. It’s seen as a plain thing to do. Just an interesting cultural difference of what is regarded as “cute." |
A
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Aboriginal or Aboriginies | The Indigenous people of Australia and traditional owners of Australia. Though they are more commonly they are refered to First Nations people nowadays. |
| Ace | Excellent |
| Adlay | An term from the “eshay” subculture that refers to a member of the subculture. It is derived from the pig latin version of “Lad” |
| Air Con | Short for Air Conditioner |
| Akka Dakka | The Australian Rock Band |
| Aggro | Aggressive |
| Akubra | Probably the largest Aussie ‘cowboy’ Hat Brand |
| Al-Foil | Short for aluminium foil |
| Alco/Alkie | Alcoholic |
| All The Go | The latest fashion/culture/technology/etc. |
| Amber Fluid | Beer (especially when in a brown bottle) |
| Ambo | Ambulance (Driver or vehicle) |
| ANZAC | Australian & New Zealand Army Corps. While the corp itself was formed twice, each during the world wars, other times things like a joint regiment in the Vietnam War and a battle group sent to Timor Leste as part of Operation Astute have had the ANZAC moniker attached to them. Australia and New Zealand both keep their own military corps seperate now but still often collaborate in the ANZAC spirit |
| Around the traps | The neighbourhood. Word around the traps is your mums the slashing sort. |
| Arvo | Short of Afternoon |
| Aussie Kiss | Oral Sex |
| Aussie Rules | Short for Australian Rules Football aka AFL see: “footy” for a broader definition |
| Aussie Salute | When you swat away flies from your face |
B
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Back of Bourke | Somewhere that is remote |
| Bacon | $5 note |
| Bag | To make fun of someone. “Bazza keeps bagging me out.” |
| Banana Bender | Someone from Queensland |
| Banger | An attractive woman |
| Banjo | $10 note |
| Barbie | A barbeque |
| Barker’s Egg | Dog poo |
| Barrack | To cheer or support (Typically a sports thing) |
| Barney | An argument, typically a loud verbal or a small physical one |
| Barra | Barramundi, a fish. Known as an Asian Seabass or Giant Perch in other parts of the world. It’s Aboriginal word that sources will credit either the Darumbal or Gangulu people. Both groups do hail from Rockhampton, Queensland and it could be both use the word but I can’t get an exact answer. If I have a chance, I’ll try to get in contact with some people to ask. |
| Bash | A one sided beating or a party. “There was a bashing at Mozzie’s last night.” “A party or an ass kicking?” [Gestures to black eye] “Yes.” |
| Bat | Masturbate |
| Bathers | Swimwear (Guys & Girls) |
| Battler | An ordinary working-class person in Australia who is an underdog in life and is likely having a hard tome getting by in life. (A term that many Australians identify with and is used pretty commonly used in discourse by politicians in the same way phrases like “the hard working family” or “greater good”) |
| Beaut or Beautie | Used to describe something that was executed well or a talented person "What a kick. You Beautie!” |
| Beer Coat | That warm feeling alcohol gives you |
| Berk or Berko | To go berserk, usually when someone is intoxicated |
| Bevan | See “Bogan” (Queensland specific) |
| Bikkie | Biscuits or money |
| Billabong | A small permanent body of water like a lake or pond |
| Billy | A small tin or pot used to boil water over a campfire, usually enough for a tea/coffe for one or two people |
| Bird | A woman |
| Bitzer | Dog of mixed breed, likely unknown |
| Blackfella | Aboriginal people |
| Bloke | A Man |
| Bloody | Used as an attributive expletive "What is bloody going on in here?" |
| Bloody Oath | Means true or correct |
| Blowie | A blow fly or blowjob |
| Blow In | Unannounced visitor or newcomer |
| Bludge | To be lazy or actively avoid work. Also can be used to describe a person, “Bludger,” to describe them as lazy. This usage is derogatory and is often used to describe those who are recipents of some kind of social/government welfare system |
| Blue | A physical fight |
| Blue Heeler | Australian Cattle Dog. They usually have black or brown hair distributed evenly through a white/grey coat making some look faintly blue |
| Also slang for a $10 note | |
| Bluey | Short for “Blue Heeler”. Also the title of a Kid’s Cartoon produced in Australia |
| Boardies | Board shorts, common beachwear |
| Bodgy | Low quality, likely to break |
| Bog | Poo or the toilet |
| Bogged | Stuck |
| Bog Roll | Toilet paper |
| Bog In | To start a task energetically |
| Bomb | To describe a mechanically bad car, like a lemon |
| Bonnet | Hood of a car |
| Bonza or Bonzer | Used to describe something as great, fantastic, etc. |
| Boofhead | Someone who has a large head or is stupid |
| Boomer | Anything that is larger than normal |
| Boomerang | A curved wooden tool used by Aboriginies to be thrown in such a way that it comes back Also used to describe an item before it is lent to another to emphasise that needs to be returned to the owner |
| Booner | See “Bogan” (Canberra specific) |
| Boot | Trunk of a car |
| Booze Bus | A police van or ute used to take away drunks who have either had too much or become a nuisance |
| Boozer | The pub |
| Bottle-O or Bottlo | A liquor store. In some parts of the country it refers to spefically the ones that have a or are a drive-thru. |
| Brekkie | Breakfast |
| Brickie | The bricklayer profession |
| Brissie | Short for Brisbane, capital city of Queensland |
| Brothel | A messy house or room |
| Brumby | Free-roaming feral horses |
| Bubbler | Drinking fountain |
| Budoo | Aboriginal slang. Penis. |
| Budgie Smugglers | A tight fitting piece of men’s swimming briefs and usually hug and pronounce his genitals. The joke here is that it looks like he has stuffed a budgerigar (a bird) down his pants, this was also something poachers have done to small birds to smuggle them out of the country and a potential origin of the original joke name. |
| Buggered | To feel tired, worn out, and/or sore |
| Bull Bar | A metal device on cars, utes, and trucks to protect it’s front from collisions. <br Also called a cattle stop, push bumper, roo bar, or nudge bar. |
| Bum Fluff | The early beards young men will grow during puberty and the whispy and patchy bears some men will grow all their lives. |
| Bundy | A dark rum (Bundaberg Rum) created in Bundaberg, Queensland. Has a repuation of being the prefered drink of wife beaters. Also a soft drink company (Bundaberg Brewed Drinks) created in Bundaberg, Queensland. These are two seperate companies. |
| Bunji | Aboriginal slang. Means friend/mate. |
| Bunyip | A creature of Aboriginal legend, said to lurk in creeks, rivers, billabongs, lakes, ponds, and even roams the great outback. I’ve seen people refer to it as “The Australian Bigfoot” and it really isn’t. For that, see: Yowie The appearance and origin of the Bunyip differs between Aboriginal people. Some say it is a big cat/dog like creature, some say a seal-like monster, a frog, others describe it as a mix of different creatures in an almost chimera like way, William Buckley described is like a feathered cow, and there’s a famous pencil drawing by a Victorian Soldier, Gerald Markham Lewis, that depicts it as an almost eldritch abomination. Most tales of the bunyip describe it as an evil/malevolent creature that eats people but there are a few describing the bunyip as a creature that helps guide people lost in the outback back to their people. Anecdotally, I was told a story from a man who claimed the Bunyip helped him when he was lost out bush but he still said it was an evil thing that threatened to eat him if he ever got lost in the bunyip’s lands again and only didn’t eat him because it was full. |
| Burl | An attempt. "Give it a burl." |
| Bush | The outback. The great outdoors. The general wilderness of Australia found outside a city |
| Bush Doof | A festival or music concert that takes place out in a rural area |
| Bushranger | Outlaws and robbers from the 1700s to 1920s. Most famous being Ned Kelly. |
| Bush pig | An unnatractive person |
| Bush Telly | A campfire |
| Bush tucker | Food grown in the wilderness or camping meals |
| Bush Walk | A hike or walk through the outback |
| Business | Aboriginal slang. Used for serious matters that can private; like funerals, finances, or intimacy. |
C
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Cancer stick | Cigarette |
| Cark it | To die. “Jonno carked it last night.” |
| Chewie | Chewing Gum |
| Chick | A young woman |
| Chicky Babe | An attractive young woman, usually used to embarrass someone over their crush |
| Chigga | See “Bogan” (Tasmania specific) |
| Chilly Bin | The Kiwi version of Esky |
| Chips | Fries or crisps |
| Chippy | Carpenter |
| Chip in | To help out, usually a monetary donation |
| Chokkie | Chocolate |
| Chook | A chicken or an older woman |
| Chuck | To vomit |
| Chunder | To vomit |
| Cobber | Friend |
| Cockie | Either a cockatoo or cockatiel bird |
| Cockatoo | A term used by illegal gambling dens by a look-out, when a police raid was about to take place |
| Compo | An insurance compensation payout, typically from work insurance |
| Convo | Conversation |
| Cooee | A prolonged, shrill but clear call the Indigenous Australians did to call people nearby to them, adopted by white settlers and still done by farmers. Some people will also say the word plainly directly to someone to get them to come over to them. |
| Cool Bananas | Used to indicate something is cool but the user isn’t that interested. I’ve always heard from Aussies and Kiwis that this was originally a Kiwi slang term from the 60s or 70s but I can’t find a thing to corroborate that, just people saying it is. |
| Cop or Copper | Police |
| Cop Out | Someone who is making excuses for a poor performance or someone who gave up on something just before it got good |
| Corroboree | A meeting of Aboriginal people. Orginated from the Dharug language, a family of languages spoken by a variety of Aboriginal people from the area now known as Sydney. There are some old usages of it (like articles) that tried to attribute an offensive “any large disturbance” meaning to it but it seems rare. Now it’s partially a generic term many use for festive celebrations and ceromonies but is still mainly used by indigenous folk to describe many of their own gatherings and celebrations. The largest of which is believed to the “The Grand Corroboree” which took place in the Adelaide Oval on the 2nd of June, 1885. It was between approximately 100 Aboriginal men (I cannot find a name for the people or peoples who did it) after they were invited by the then Governor of South Australia, William Robinson to perform as part of the Queen’s Birthday celebrations. It’s also said around 20,000 people showed up to spectate the event however this number is disputed as that was a sixth of Adelaide’s population at the time and the event was said to be announced to the public on short notice. |
| Country | Aboriginal slang. Usually referse to Australia but can also refer to specific parts of Australia too. The word also comes with spiritual, philisophical, and lineage connotations that the breadth of its meaning can differ based on context, the person, and the Aboriginal mob. Most usages of the word you’ll find in casual speech will just refer to Australia or the general land you’re on. |
| Cracking a fat | To get an erection |
| Crash Hot | Used to describe something that looks good but also used to describe someone who arrogantly thinks highly of themselves |
| Creamed | To defeat quite handidly in a sport or game |
| Crikey | An exclamation of surprise. Fun fact: Earliest known usages of crikey comes from the UK in 1812, was used in America in 1842, and doesn’t show up in Australia until 1845. And despite Steve Irwin’s best efforts, it wasn’t too widely used in Australia despite most people elsewhere associating it with the Land Down Under. |
| Crim | A criminal |
| Crimson Cock | A take away chain called Red Rooster |
| Croc | Short for Crocodil |
| Croc of Shit | Similar usage to “bullshit” |
| Crook | To feel sick |
| Croweater | An insult towards people from South Australia (Does not carry the same meaning as the idiom “eating crow.”) |
| Crust | Money or what someone does to earn their living. |
| Cut | Angry |
| Cunt | Still has all the insulting connotations you find in the rest of the world but is also used between friends and can be used as an enhancer of words in negative, positive, and neutral ways. |
D
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Dacks | 1. Pants or underwear 2. In politics, to cause embarassment to an opponent for an advantage 3. In school yards, to pull down somene’s pants |
| Dag or Daggy | Not stylish. Either dorky or scruffy looking. Sometimes means as far as “loser.” |
| Dardy | Aboriginal slang. It means cool or good. |
| Darl | Short for darling, used a term of endearment but not always for ones spouse |
| Deadly | Cool or awesome. Originally Irish slang, it was adopted by wider Australia for a while but eventually declined, though is still used by the Aboriginal. |
| Der | Used exactly like “duh” |
| Derro | Someone who looks quite dishevelled, usually who either doesn’t look after themselves, is poor/homeless, or intoxicated. Also used as a Short for derelict when talking about a place/building. |
| Devo | Short for devastated |
| Digger | A soldier from Australia or New Zealand. Still sometimes used to refer to soldiers in the modern day it almost always refers to the Australian and New Zealand soldiers of WW1, WW2, Korean War, and Vietnam war. To refer to an Aussie soldier as a digger but to not also call a Kiwi soldier as one is somewhat common from foreigners (Pretty much just the British do this. Surprise, surprise.) however this is widely considered offensive to both Aussies and Kiwis. |
| Dill | A gullible idiot |
| Dinger | Condom |
| Dink | To give someone a like on a bike |
| Dip | To go for a swim |
| Dip Stick | An idiot, particularly obnoxious or foolish |
| Dob | To tattle on somebody “Miss just gave me detention, did you dob me in?” |
| Doey | Whipping your car around in a circle, liek a donut |
| Dog act | Used when someone has done you dirty in some way |
| Donger | Penis |
| Doona | A duvet |
| Doori | Aboriginal slang. Sex. |
| Dreamtime or Dreaming | Of Aboriginal belief. It’s an abstract metaphysical idea that is at the core of many Indigenous Australian’s spiritual beliefs. It is the everywhen, the “eternal uncreated” before time began and after it ends, it is here and now, it is a golden age, it is where the ancestors are, it is where the ancestors eere, it is not a fixed point in time, it is the thing that connects all lives, it is where the world was created, it is where the stories live and come from, and it is free of form and life. In saying all that, various Aboriginal groups have their own stories about the dreamtime and the nuance around what it is can differ but most agree on the core elements of it. (at least as far as I’m aware). The nature of the Dreaming can be pretty confusing for those who come from a monotheistic and pantheonistic religion so if you still don’t understand the jist of what I’m talking about and would like to know more, there are plenty of stories about and explanations by Indigenous people on Dreamtime online. |
| Drum | Brothel |
| Dunno | Don’t know |
| Dunny | Toilet |
| Dunny Diver | Plumber |
| Durrie | A roll-your-own cigarette |
E
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ear bashing | To nag or constantly complain |
| Ekka | The Royal Queensland Show. An annual aggricultural and amusment carnival. |
| Emu parade or bob | The act of going around to pick up litter |
| Eshay | Either a person in the culture or the culture itself that originated in Western Sydney since the 80s and is still found today. Eshay is derived from the pig latin version of “sesh” |
| Esky | A brand of portable coolers or ice chests derived from the word eskimo. It is also used generically for any portable cooler. |
F
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Fair enough | Used as an acknowledgement or agreement when something is said. Like the word Okay |
| Fair Dinkum | Something that is honest, genuine. Often used as expression of approval. “100% fair dinkum Aussie beef” -Most burger joints in Australia |
| Fairy Bread | Sliced bread with butter and sprinkled with 100s & 1,000s (coloured sugar dots). Usually served at kids parties. |
| Fairy Floss | Spun sugar or Cotton Candy |
| Fang it | To drive fast or whip the car into a slide/drift |
| Fanny | Vagina |
| Fart-Arse | Someone who has been messing around without getting anything actually done |
| Feed | A meal |
| Fella | Aboriginal slang. Means fellow or friend but is used in combination with a lot of other words as an adjective or adverb clause or in nouns. “Sing out fella” means Speak loudly/clearly. “Big fella business” means important business. Blackfella is used for Aboriginal people and can also include other Indigenous people like the Maori of New Zealand. |
| Feral | Someone who has been acting inconsiderately of others, lacking manners, or lowly. Also directed at kids in particular who have a hard time controlling themselves. |
| Firey | A firefighter |
| Flannel | A tea towel or face cloth |
| Flannie | Flannel cloth |
| Flat White | A espresso coffee made with steamed milk. Origins are sort of unclear, Alan Preston claimed to invent it in Australia in 1985 and a New Zealand man, Fraser McInnes, claims he invented it in 1989. (Honestly, it’s entirely possible the two came to it independtly, it’s not like a flat white is an inventive creation.) |
| Flick | To get rid of something or someone |
| Flip-Flops | See: Thongs |
| Flog | 1. To sell 2. To steal 3. To treat something poorly 4. To beat someone 5. To disregard/shirk responsibility 6. Someone who regarded as a ’lost cause’ “I was trying to flog a car, the one I’ve been flogging at the track, I set up a meeting with this bloke but he flogged and I was about to head home when some flog flogged me then flogged me car.” |
| Footpath | A sidewalk |
| Footy | A specific sport known as “Australian Rules Football” also known as “Aussie Rules” and AFL Some people on the eastern states refer to Rugby as Footy but this is widely regarded as an embarrassing and stupid thing they do by the rest of the country and those in the eastern states with enough sense to call it Rugby. The origins of Aussie Rules is considered to “speculativly” come from an Aboriginal game known as Marn Grook because there’s no clear and exacting proof it did. The point “Aussie Rules” came into be was by Tom Wills, a man who descended from wealthy convicts in Victoria, that he called “Winter Practice” at the time. It was devised as a training game for cricketers during the off season. Though when you look at Aussie Rules and Marn Grook there are an incredible amount of similarties that there’s no way the game didn’t, at the very least, take inspiration from if it wasn’t an adaption of it entirely. |
| Fossicking | Recreational prospecting. Often used in mining towns that offer a some kind of tourist trap “prospecting experience” like where they will put a few gold flakes or low quality opal in a container for tourists to pay to sift through. |
| Fosters | A beer. Can be used to tell people to “go have a fosters” it means “Go Away” or rather “Fuck Off” because the logo is an ‘F’ inside an ‘O’ on top of being widely disliked throughout Australia. 1886. Two American brothers, William & Ralph Foster, moved to Melbourne and began brewing an American-style pilsner beer two years later. It never saw wide success reasonably enough to be included in a merger into the Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) along with five other companies in 1907. In 1971 and 1972 it began to export to the UK and US respectively and marketed itself as an “Australian Beer.” It’s popularity reached an all time low of popularity in Australia so it was licensed to a UK company, Courage Brewery, to brew & distribute before being sold to them as a part of CUB in 1986. 2011, South African Company, SABMiller, aquired CUB before they were incorporated into a Belgian/Brazilian/American Multinational called “Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV” or AB InBev in 2016. 2019 saw AB InBev selling CUB, including Fosters, to Asahi Breweries. It was widely not been considered Australian by Aussies for a very long time. I have only ever seen it once in person and it was in the International section. It tastes like shit. |
| Franger | Condom |
| Freckle | The butthole |
| Freeo (or Freemantle) Doctor | From Perth. A cool afternoon breeze usually from the direction of Freemantle. |
| Furphy | A lie or rumour. Comes from WW1, “Furphy” was the builder and supplier of water carts which was a common meeting place and became known as a rumour mill |
| Fully Sick | Wog slang from the 00’s, means something is very good. |
G
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| G, the | Short for the MCG. MCG is short for Melbourne Cricket Ground. |
| G’Day | Short for “Good Day” |
| Gaked | Intoxicated on drugs |
| Galah | A pink bird with grey wings and a white crest in Australia. They known for hanging in large flocks, being very noticalbe, and being noisy. Galah or “pack of galahs” is often used to describe people being noisy and/or silly. |
| Gammon | Aboriginal slang. It means fake or really bad. |
| Garbo | A waste/garbage collector |
| Garn | Short for go on |
| Gasbag | Someone who talks too much |
| Gob | Your mouth |
| Gobful | Delivering a series of verbal abuses, usually used when someone feels it was justified. “Old mate in there tried pinching my wallet so I gave him a gobful.” |
| Gobsmacked | Surprised and stunned to silence |
| Going Off | To loudly lose your temper |
| Good onya | Short for “Good on you.” Onya is also used to futher shorten this. |
| Good oil | Good information |
| Goog | Short for “Good egg” which is a term of endearment, meaning you are regarded well and get along well with people |
| Goona | Aboriginal slang for poo |
| Gorilla | Means 1000 |
| Grog | Alcohol, usually for lower priced alcohols |
| Grog sack | An aluminal bag that cheap and boxed wine comes in |
| Gronk | Someone who exhibits a lot of anti-social behaviour. Stealing, fighting, rude, etc. Used as an isult for someone nobody wants around. |
| Greenie | An environmentalist |
| Grumblebum | Someone who is complaining, usually used in a way intended to insult in an infantilising manner |
| Grundies | A form of rhyming slang refering to Reg Grundy who was one of the most influential media moguls in Australia |
| Gubbah | Aboriginal slang. It means white people, believed to be derrived from the word “Government” it can be a derogatory word or a term of affection. It’s entirely contextual. |
| Gulloo | Aboriginal word for penis |
| Gum Boots | A rain boot, wellington boot, rubber boot, etc. |
| Gun | Excellent ability or talent |
| Gurgler | The drain |
H
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Hang shit | To mock someone or something “Come on, you’ve been hanging shit on Jezza for a while now.” |
| Heaps | Means “a lot.” Or it can be used as an affirmation something is good. “You get those Bahn Mi every day, you must like them.” “Heaps, ay.” |
| Hoodrat | A youth culture similar to “Eshay” in New Zealand. |
| Hooley Dooley | An exclamation of surprise or admiration. Origins are a little unknown but likely date to 1916 from a song called “Since Maggie Dooley learned the Hooley Hooley.” It’s about an Irish girl who goes to Hawaii then some back with a whole new identity; talking, dressing, and dancing differently. Also was the name for a popular kid’s musical performance act from 1996-2009 similar to The Wiggles but with three men hanging with a Kangaroo and a Koala. |
| Hoon | From “hooligan” Someone who is rebellious and a trouble maker. Hoon is used in particular for people breaking the law in the car by speeding, driving recklessly, doing donuts, or drifting on the public streets. |
| Hooroo | It means goodbye. It comes from hooray but it was used as a sign off for a lot of Australian TV shows right up until the 80s to 90s. |
I
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ice Block | A frozen confection like juice or syrup |
| Icy Pole | See “Ice Block” |
| Island | Any section of concrete or grass in the middle of the road that usually serve to divide traffic as part of flow or indicate separation in traffic |
J
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Jackaroo | A male farmhand, typically for sheep or cattle. |
| Jaffa | An orange flavoured chcolate in a hard shell. Also from New Zealand it can mean “Just Another Fuckwit From Auckland” |
| Jarmies | Pajamas |
| Jillaroo | A female farmhand, typically for sheep or cattle. |
| Jocks | Underwear |
| Joe Blow | Generic name. Similar to John Smith. |
| Joey | Any baby or young marsupial |
| Jumbuck | Male sheep, of Aboriginal origin |
K
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Kelpie | Australian Sheep Dog. Notable for their Red coloured coat. |
| Ken Oath | Short for “fucking oath” |
| Kero | Kerosene |
| Treefrog | A $100 note |
| Kindie | Kindergarten or pre-school |
| Kiwi | Someone from New Zealand |
| Knackered | Tired |
L
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Lairy | To dress pretentiously show or flashy in an ugly way |
| Lamington | A butter or sponge cake cut into squares, coating in chocolate sauce and desiccated coconut. Some have strawberry jam and/or cream halfway in lamington. In 2014 the Guardian Australia posted an April Fool’s Day article claiming the article was actually based on a previously forgotten New Zealand cake called a “Wellington.” It has since been mistakenly spread at times as fact. |
| Larrikin | A mischevious person, who typically tries to be the centre of attention. Comes from the British expression “to lark about.” |
| Legend | Extremely high praise of someone or something |
| Lobster | $20 note |
| Lolly | Sweets, confectionary, or candy |
| Longneck | A tall bottle of beer. Normally 750mL. |
| Long Paddock | The strip of grass between a property boundary and the road |
| Looker | An attractive person |
| Lurk | An illegal operation/racket |
M
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Maccas | Short of McDonalds |
| Maggies | Magpie |
| Maggot | To be drunk or intoxicated |
| Mangkin | To describe someone who visably looks like or acting like they are on drugs |
| Map of Tassie | Vagina and the general pubic region on a woman |
| Mark | Typically in footy or rugby when catch the ball |
| Mate | Friend |
| Mate’s Rates | A discount or a favour |
| Matilda | The bundle of possessions carried on the back of a itinerant worker or “swagman” |
| Melbournite or Melburnian | Someone from or living in Melbourne. Melbournite in particular can be used quite derisively |
| Milk Bar | A small local general store, more like a delicatessen or deli than anything else |
| Missus | The wife or girlfriend |
| Mob | Used by Aboriginal people to refer to their family, extended family, clan, or even their wider community from a particular place. |
| Mole | Used to describe someone who has done something annoying or two faced, particulaly aimed at women |
| Moot | A vagina. Usage of this at a woman will probably make her dry retch kind of how some people hate the word “moist.” |
| Monkey | Means 500 |
| Mozzie | A mosquito |
| Muddy | A mud crab |
| Mull | Cannabis |
| Mullock | Something that is seen as worthless or nonsense. It is also a rock that was mined and contains no gold, opal, or other precious metals/gems/ores/gems |
N
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Nah, yeah | See: Yeah, nah |
| Naughty | Sex |
| Never Never | The deeper parts of the outback |
| Ning Nong | An idiot |
| Nipper | A young member of the surf lifesaver club |
| Noodling | The practice of sifting through “mullock,” rock and debris discarded by miners for small opal stones. |
| No Wucking Furries | Basically “No fucking worries” but very casual |
| Nosey Parker | Someone who is always prying and inserting themselves into other people’s business |
| Nuddy | Naked |
O
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ocker | Originally the word meant the average uncultured, insensitive, and aggressive Australian male but then was changed back in the 70s to 80s to mean a more honest, laid back, and “larrikin” type of Aussie. |
| Old Mate | “Usually means an aquaintance or a stranger. “Did you see Master Chef last night?” “Yeah, Old Mate got eliminated.” |
| Op Shop | A second-hand or thrift store |
| Outback | The remote, and at times uninhabited, parts of inland Australia |
| Oz or Ozzie | Australia |
P
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Pash | Kissing, usually quite passionate |
| Pav | Pavlova |
| Pavlova | A meringue dessert the size of a cake topped with cream and a variety of cut fruit. Yet another dish with disputed origins between Australia and New Zealand. This one is particularly confusing with both having several dishes over years called Pavlova that come close to what we consider one but not quite there over the course of decades. Realistically, it’s likely the dish we now call Pavlova was a social creation between Australia and New Zealand where the dish was tweaked until we both came to accepted dish for whatever reason. |
| Pearler | When something was executed well “Pearler of a comeback, mate.” |
| Peppermint | $100 note |
| Perv | To check someone out “Where were you?” “There was this really pretty shiela so I had a bit of a perve.” |
| Piece of Piss | Something that is very easy or used just like “no worries” |
| Piglet | $5 note |
| Pigs Arse | To vehemently disagree |
| Piker | A person who doesn’t participate in something with their friends, leaves early, or brings the overall mood down. Can also be used to refer to the British, “pikey.” |
| Pineapple | $50 note |
| Pinged | To get penalised for something in a game “Ref has pinged Adam Goodes.” “Goodes did nothing wrong!” |
| Pingers/Pingas/Pingaz | MDMA |
| Pink Lady | $5 note |
| Piss | Alcohol |
| Pisshead | Alcoholic |
| Plate | A dish, platter, or food brought to a party or BBQ |
| Poofter | A homosexual or effeminate man. Derogatory. |
| Pokies | Slot machines, especially those found in pubs |
| Pom or Pommy/Pommie | A british person. |
| Pong | Smelly |
| Port | A bag, suitcase, or anything used to carry your belongings around in |
| Posty | Postman |
| Pov or Povo | Short for poverty but used to describe one who is poor, usually as a tounge in cheek expression |
| Prang | A minor car collision |
| Pressie | Short for present, a gift |
| Pull | Someone you’re trying to date, flirt with, or have sex with. “I’ve been on the pull for Shazza for a bit now.” “You’re dreaming, mate. She’s on the pull for Gaz.” |
| Punt or Punter | A gambler or an audience at a music gig or sporting events. Also used to refer to the average Australian, like “battler.” |
Q
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Queer | Strange or weird |
| Quinkin | See: Yowie |
R
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Rack Off | Used like go away or get lost |
| Radelaide | A sarcastic or ironic (depending on context) term of endearment or insult (also depending on context) for the capital city of South Australia, Adelaide. Typically only used by people from Adelaide. |
| Rager | A party |
| Rapt | To be quite taken or pleased with something |
| Ratbag | A goofball or clown kind of person |
| Rattler | A train |
| Reckon | Used like I think so “Yeah, I reckon that’s what he did.” |
| Rego | Short for vehicle registration |
| Rello | Short for relative |
| Ridgy-Didge | Similar to fair dinkum |
| Rip Snorter | excellent or fantastic |
| Ripper | excellent or fantastic |
| Road Train | A semi truck carrying two or more as road freight. Usually how things are moved interstate. It’s not unusual to see road trains on interstate highways carrying up to seven trailers however they can carry more than that. The record is 116 and was set in 2006. |
| Rock-Up | To arrive at something |
| Rollie or Rollo | See “Durrie” |
| Roo | A Kangaroo |
| Root | Sex |
| Rooted | When someone is tired or something is broken |
| Rort | To cheat or defraud someone or the system |
| Rubber | Condom |
| Rubberneck | The act of slowing down but not stopping in your car to look at something like a car accident |
| Rugged Up | To put on extra or thick clothes to keep warm |
S
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Salvos | The Salvation Army, a charity that runs second-hand stores |
| Sam Ting | Same thing |
| Sandgroper | People from Western Australia, comes from an subterranean insect |
| Sanger | A sandwich |
| Sav | A saveloy sausage |
| Scab | Used to describe someone who is mooching off someone |
| Scorcher | A hot day |
| Score | To get laid |
| Scozza | See “Bogan” (Victorian specific) |
| Scrag | A promiscuous woman |
| Scratchie | A lottery ticket you have to scratch to see if you won |
| Screamer | A loud drunk or a particularly high speccy |
| Seppo | An American. Comes from rhyming slang. American > Yank > Septic Tank > Seppo |
| Servo | A service/gas station |
| Sesh | Typically refers to a “session” of smoking cannabid but can also refer to any narcotic. |
| Sharpie or Sharps | A youth subculture gang from the 60s to 70s found mainly in the capital cities. The name came from their aesthetic of “looking sharp,” wearing jeans, suspenders, jumpers, dress shirts, etc. There was a musical component to the subculture too, usually pub or hard rock music. |
| Sheila | A woman |
| Shirtfront | A type of shepherding tactic in AFL (See Footy) in which someone does a small charge into their opponent chest to chest, typically to try and knock them to the ground. It is against the rules of the game. Also used to refer to a similar thing some guys will do where they aggressively bump their chest into another to intimidate, to seem strong, or to try and knock them over. |
| Shoey | To drink a beverage (alcoholic) from a shoe. Must be a used one and is a lot funnier if it’s a strangers. “Is a shoey a real thing Aussies do and make foreigners do?” “Yes.” |
| Shonky | Something is dubious and untrustworthy |
| Shoot through | To arrive but depart soon after. “I got your tupperware so I’ll shoot through.” |
| Shout | To buy something on another’s behalf, often a round of drinks. |
| Shrapnel | Spare change |
| Silly buggers | To act in a foolish way. “You fellas been playing silly buggers?” |
| Silly Season | The festive season of Christman and New Years Eve but also a little further than that on both ends for all the people who seemingly have parties for all kinds of reasons. Reasons such as: Birthdays, Early Christmas for friends, and “cause the weather is good.” |
| Singlet | A tank top |
| Skiddy | A skidmark or shit stain whether it was left in the toilet bowl or underwear |
| Skite | To brag about yourself |
| Slab | A box of 24 to 30 cans of beer/cider |
| Slapa | A prostitute |
| Slash | Urinate |
| Slashing Sort | An attractive woman |
| Sleaze Bag | Similar to a common slang “sleazeball” but for playboy men that come on too strong and mess around with women without serious intent |
| Sloppy Joe | A pullover fleece sweater |
| Smoko | Short for “smoke break,” a brief 10-20 minute break you get during work |
| Snag | A sausage |
| Snot Rag | A hankerchief |
| Sook | A cry baby. Particularly used against young boys and men when they ever look upset about anything. |
| Spag Bol | Spaghetti Bolognese |
| Sparkie | An electrician |
| Speccy | Similar to a mark, when you catch the ball but specifically in AFL (See: Footy) but you leap into the air to catch the ball, usually with the unwanted assistance of an opponents back or shoulders |
| Spewin | To be upset at something or used when someone talks about their woes, similar to “that sucks.” 1. “Cops caught me speeding. I was spewing once I saw the ticket.” 2. “Lost me wallet.” “Ah, spewin’.” |
| Sprog | Semen or a common nickname for an infant |
| Sprung | To get caught doing something you shouldn’t have been or to get caught up in romantic emotions |
| Spunk | An attractive man |
| Squizz | To take a look at something |
| Starkers | Naked |
| Station | A cattle farm, usually cow or sheep |
| Sticky beak | Similar to squizz, usually said by someone when they know they are sticking their nose in your business |
| Stiffy | An erection |
| Stirrer | A troublemaker |
| Stoked | Means you’re excited. Commonly used by skaters, surfers, and other sporty subcultures. |
| Strewth | Short for “that’s true,” used as an exclamation of surprise or to emphasise a remark. “Strewth you’re looking crash hot tonight.” |
| Strides | Pants |
| Strife | To be in trouble |
| Stingy | Someone who is unwilling to share. Either frugal or not reciprocate social charities. “Mate, I’ve already shouted you four rounds last week and you’re not going to shout a single round? It’s a little stingy, don’t you think.” |
| Stubby | A 375mL can of dink, usually beer |
| Stubby Holder | A foam cover you put your can in to insulate it |
| Stuffed | To be full of food |
| Stunned Mullet | When someone looked visably shocked. “She’s got you like a stunned mullet.” |
| Sucked In | An exclamation used to rub it in when something has gone wrong for someone else |
| Sunbake | Sun bathe |
| Sunnies | Short for sunglasses |
| Surfboard | A women’s sanitary pad |
| Surfies | Surfers |
| Suss | To inspect, investigate, or gather info on something |
| Swag | Camping bedding |
| Swaggie | A swagman |
| Swagman | Transiet labourer. Conjures an old image of a man walking from farm to farm, carrying all his belongings on his back. The famous folksong “Waltzing Matilda” is about a swagman. |
T
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ta | Short for thank you |
| TAB | Short for Totalisator Agency Board. Pronounced by each letter seperately (T.A.B.) Once a government run business but then privatised in 1994 so they have a monopoly on sports betting in Australia. For fellow Aussies, they own “Sportsbet” for the online gambling too. |
| Talent | Attractive people. “You boys wanna go to the beach and check out the talent?” |
| Tall Poppy Syndrome | It means when people criticise the successful because of jealousy. Like “haters gonna hate.” In practice it’s mainly used by business entrepenuers and the wealthy when they feel like they are taking too much negative criticism, even when it’s deserved. Or when they have been bragging too much as there is a large cultural element in Australia where people expect a certain level of humilty from those at the top so they feel justified in taking them down a peg. |
| Tanked | Drunk |
| Taswegian | Someone from Tasmania |
| Tea | Dinner |
| Technicolor Yawn | Vomit |
| Tee-up | To set up an appointment or date. |
| The Show | The Royal Adelaide Show. An annual aggricultural and amusment carnival. |
| Thick | Stupid |
| Thick Headed | Stupid |
| Thingamebob or Thingamajig | Used for a person, place or thing when you don’t remember their name |
| Thongs | A sandal like shoe that only consists of the ‘Y’ like strap around the toes and no strap at the heel. Not to be confused with the underwear called a ‘g-string’ |
| Throne | Toilet |
| Thunder box | Toilet |
| Tight-ass | Someone who is frugal in a negative sense |
| Tinny | 1. Can of beer 2. A small aluminium boat 3. A lucky person |
| Toastie | A toasted sandwich |
| Toey | Aroused |
| Tommy | Refers to a British soldier during the time of the World Wars. |
| Too Right | Used like “That’s true.” |
| Top Ender | Someone from the Northern Territory |
| Trackies or Trackie Dacks | Tracksuit packs |
| Tradie | A person who works a trade (Electrician, construction worker, plumber, etc.) |
| Trolley | A shopping cart |
| Trough Lolly | The block of disinfectant placed in urinal troughs |
| Truckie | A truck driver |
| True Blue | Authentically Aussie, more refers to things in a cultural sense not a patriotic sense |
| Tuck Shop | School canteen or a small take away shop |
| Tucker | Food |
| Tucker Bag | Food bag |
| Turps | Short for Turpintine also used for an alcoholic beverage |
| Twinkle | Urinate |
| Two-Up | A traditional gambling game in which two coins are placed onto a strip of wood that is used to toss them into the air. Bets are then place on whether the coins land heads (obverse), tails (reverse), or one of each (odds). For a long time, non-state sanctioned gambling in Australia was illegal and Two-Up was quite popular in illegal gambling dens. To the point where the game was explicitly banned itself on top of gambling laws. Around WW1 and WW2, the game became quite culturally popular which led to a continuing association of the game with the ANZACs. In fact there was a period that while the game was still illegal, a blind eye was turned to it during ANZAC day celebrations. Nowadays the game and non-state sanctioned gambling is legal but Two-Up games can still be found hosted at a variety of pubs across the country during ANZAC day. |
U
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| U-ee | A u-turn “Chuck a u-ee here.” |
| Ugg Boots | A unisex shoe, either boot or slipper, made of twin-faced sheepskin. And remember, it’s only called an Ugg Boot if it originated from Australia, otherwise it’s a fuzzy shoe. |
| Um-mah | Usually heard in school by the innocent one when one kid had done something wrong and either has or about to get in trouble for it. The “mah” is usually drawn out too. |
| Uncle Dan or Uncle Danny or Danny’s | Short for Dan Murphy’s, the largest chain of alcohol stores. |
| Unco | Short for uncoordinated |
| Uni | Short for University |
| Unna | Aboriginal slang. It’s used like “Is that right?” “What was that?” or like “Yeah” or “True”. |
| Unreal | Excellent |
| Up Oneself | To be arrogant |
| Up the [team] | An excalamtion of support for your team of choice. “UP THE MIGHTY CROWS,” -A based and crow-pilled Adelaide Crows supporter |
| Ute | Short for “utility” and used to refer to utility vehicles. Any kind of two or four door car with a tray on the back, is a ute. |
V
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Veg | To relax |
| Vegemite | A yeast extract spread for bread, similar to Marmite but better in every way. Pro-tip: If you’ve never hard vegemite before, spread butter on toast and then a VERY THIN layer of Vegemite on top. Let it melt a little, then eat it. Vegemite is very intense in flavour and while it is hilarious to feed to foreigners on a spoon, you will outright hate it at first if you try more than a little. |
| Veggies | Vegetables |
| Verbal Diarrhea | Someone who talks a lot of nonsense and/or lies |
| Verge | See: Long paddock |
| Vinnies | A charity that runs second-hand stores. Named after Saint Vincent De Paul. |
W
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Waffle | When someone talks about nothing in particular or very important |
| Wag | To skip school |
| Walkabout | Aboriginal slang. To explain any kind of unexplained absence. “Where’s Shazza?” “Gone walkabout.” If the person who was absent tells you as their explanation for why they were absent, that they went walkabout just accept this answer. It means they are unlikely to tell you why they weren’t there/late. The term originates from when many of Aboriginal Australians would work on farms, similar to swagmen, and would travel on foot between farms. At times, they would just up and leave to a new farm at whim or return to their home. It created a percieved aimless wandering nomadic image of the Aboriginies for a time. |
| Walloper | Police officer. Comes from wallop. |
| Wally | Someone who is being stupid in a particular moment. “Oh, right, it is multiplication before addition.” “You’re a bloody wally.” |
| Westie | Make-up |
| Whinge | To complain. Usually used against the “whinger” to insult them. |
| Whipping Shitties | Whipping your car around at high speeds, usually in a circle to do doeys |
| White Pointers | Topless women sunbathing |
| Willy Willy or Whirly Whirly | A small whirlwind/tornado, like a dust devil |
| Wino | An acoholic with a preference for cheap wine |
| Wobbly | To fly into a rage. “I’m about to chuck a wobbly.” |
| Wog | Refers to people of South European, Eastern European, Middle Eastern, or Mediterranean ethnicity, descent, or appearance. Was once a pejorative but adoption of the word by the people in question has seen common usage of it sees is like a nickname like “Pom” for the English or “Kiwi” for New Zealanders. |
| Woop Woop | Some where far away |
| Wowser | A killjoy or puritan |
| Wuss | A person who is weak or a crybaby, same usage as “sook” |
X
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| XXXX | Pronounced as “four ecks” or “four x” |
Y
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Yabba Yabba | To just carry on and endlessly talk |
| Yabby | A freshwater crayfish/crawfish |
| Yahoo | Someone who is loud or obnoxious |
| Yakka | Physical labour/work “I’ve been at the hard yakka all day.” |
| Yarn | A story, usually one that is incredible or made up. Comes from the expression, “to spin a yarn.” There is also an Aboriginal usage of it that refers to a specific conversational storytelling style used for talking about spiritual legends, folklore, and culture. |
| Yeah, nah | See: Nah, yeah |
| Yobbo | A sloppy/slovenly person |
| Youse | A plural of you |
| Yowie | Of Aboriginal legend. A hairy, bipedal ape-like creature that stands roughly 2 metres tall. As a gist, it’s similar to the bigfoot and some call it “the aussie bigfoot.” There’s a few different stories about sightings, some differ on if the creature is agressive or timid and various Aboriginal groups have their own name for it. Yowie is the most well known across the country. |
Z
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Zack | 5 cent coin |
| Zebra Crossing | Pedestrian crossing |
| Zonked | To have fallen asleep |
Z
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi | A chant heard at Aussie sporting events, taken from the ‘British’ (Both Greater England and the Welsh claim it’s their chant. Historians say it likely comes specifically from a Cornwall chant about Cornish pasties which is hilarious to me.) during the Sydney 2000 Olympics. |
| Banging like a door in cyclone tracy | A promiscuous woman |
| Beyond the black stump | Far away |
| Blood is worth bottling | You are special to and admired by the person saying this |
| Brown-eyed mullet | A poo floating in water |
| Bush pig or Scrub grunter | An insult directed towards women, means they are unattractive and/or unhygenic |
| Butter wouldn’t melt in his/her mouth | Used to describe a woman who is very prim and proper but overly so. A similar phrase is “acting like your shit doesn’t stink.” |
| Buzzing around like a blue tailed/assed fly | Means a person is busy or at least frantic. A blue bottle fly is a kind of blowfly and even for a blowfly, they cannot fly straight to save their lives. |
| Can’t be assed | A phrase to remark someone is lacking to willpower or interest in doing something |
| Cark it | Death of a person or the break down of a car |
| Carrying on like a pack of galahs | When one or more people have been making a lot of noise or been stupid |
| Chuck a Sickie | To fake being sick or to use a sick day to get out of work |
| Cop it sweet | To be accepting of criticism with humility |
| Couple of cans short of a six pack | Someone who is slow on the uptake |
| Cunning as a shithouse rat | Someone who is very underhanded, to be avoided at all costs |
| Cuntscrape | An insult that literally means they are an unwanted child |
| Dolmio grin | Oral sex when she is on her period. Dolmio is a pasta sauce brand. |
| Don’t carry on like a pork chop | Used when someone has gone too far with their anger, rant, stupidity, or silliness |
| Don’t come the raw prawn with me | Don’t tell lies |
| Done the Harold Holt | Harold Holt was an Australian Prime Minister who once went missing while out on a swim and has never been found. First we named a swimming pool after him and then we started using his as an expression to suddenly disappear. |
| Dry as a dead dingo donger | Thirsty/dehydrated |
| Fair go | An expression that ties into the Australian ideals of equality of opportunity and the right to self-determination |
| Fair shake of the sauce bottle | To make a good attempt at something, usually said in protest of something. “I should get a fair shake of the sauce bottle.” |
| Fair suck of the sav | See: Fair shake of the sauce bottle |
| Fed up to the back teeth | To be very displeased with something or someone |
| Five Finger Discount | To steal something |
| Flash as a rat with a gold tooth | A person who is decietful in some way. Like someone pretending to be smarter or wealthier than they are, someone running a scam, or a politician trying to act like they can be trusted. |
| Flat out like a lizard drinking | Going at something as fast and/or hard as can be reasonably expected |
| Fuck me dead | An expression of disbelief |
| Get off at Mile End | The pullout technique during sexual intercourse. Mile End is one of the train stops just before the main Adelaide Central one where all trains turn around |
| Give him the bullet | To fire or get fired from a job |
| Good as Gold | When something is good |
| Hangin’ loose, full of juice, ready for use | Someone who is enthusiastically ready |
| Happy as larry | To be very happy |
| Hard Yakka | Hard Work |
| Hasn’t got a brass razoo | Is poor. The razoo part of this a mystery when it comes to origins. There are a lot of theories but no real answer. There are joke “brass razoo” coins you can buy at some souvenier shops in reference to this joke however. |
| Haven’t got a brass razoo to my name. | Means you’ve got nothing. The origin of “brass razoo” is unknown, with most proposed origins being of loose connection. |
| He has tickets on himself | To have a very high opinion of oneself |
| How’s it hanging? | How are you? (Literally, how are your nuts hanging?) |
| I see you brought the weather with you. | Used when someone looks negative during poor weather |
| I’d rather chew a used tampon | Someone is not in the mood |
| I’d suck her cunt till her head caved in | Said about an attractive woman |
| I’m hungry enough to chew the tred off a menstrual cycle | Someone is very hungry. |
| I’m hungry enough to eat the ass out of a dead possum | Someone is very hungry. |
| I’m so broke I need to wank the dog to feed the cat | Someone is poor |
| It’s chockers in here | Something is full or busy |
| Just cause you got hair round your lip, doesn’t mean you should talk like a cunt | Directed at men with beards who have been talking shit |
| Just up the road | If someone is walking, it’s not far If someone is driving, it’s very far |
| Kangaroos loose in the top paddock | Not the smartest person, like “sharpest tool in the shed.” |
| Let stalk strine | Sounds like “lets talk strine” in an Aussie accent. Strine is slang for both the accent and slang of Australians. So let stalk strine means to talk with more slang or talk about Australian topics |
| Let’s make like a tampon and leave this bloody hole | Let’s leave |
| Like a bulldog eating custard | Messy |
| Like a draft horse eating an apple | When a women is aroused. |
| Like hearding a pack of kangaroo | Nearly impossible |
| Like two possums having a fight in a hessian sack | Calling someone fat |
| Looks like a bucket of smashed crabs / Face like a bashed crab | Ugly |
| Mad as a cut snake | A person who is very iritable and quick to temper |
| Make tracks | A phrase people announce when they feel it is time for them or others to leave |
| May your balls turn to bike wheels and pedal up your ass | “Go fuck yourself” |
| Missed by a bee’s dick Missed by a cunt hair |
VERY close |
| Not the shapest spoon in the draw | A person is gullible |
| Off like a bucket of prawns | 1. With food it means it expired or expiring soon 2. With objects it means you can see the degrade in real time 3. Someone left in a hurry |
| On the rag | For when a woman is having their period |
| On ya bike | Used like “go away” |
| Out of pocket | Something was unexpected or offensive |
| Piss weak | Something is low quality |
| Pissing down | It is raining |
| Pull a cow’s cunt over your head and get a bull to fuck some sense into ya | Someone is being stupid |
| Pull your finger out | Used when someone isn’t thinking for themselves to solve something or are being very lazy |
| Pull your head in | Used to tell someone to focus on something or to mind their own business |
| Root your boot | The meaning of this is also what you say if someone doesn’t get it. There’s a great big cunt in it. |
| Rough as Guts | A poor quality job or object |
| She’ll be right | Like the phrase “no worries” or “everything will be alright” |
| Sheep, shit, and, onions | A common response from many people’s mothers when asking what was for dinner. Can mean something plain or it’s after a specific response where the child will be grossed out then they’ll say what they’re actually having before the mum asks “Isn’t that better?” |
| Spit the dummy | A tantrum |
| Sweating like a diddler/pedo at a Wiggles concert | For when someone is looking suspicious |
| Thanks champ | A sarcastic remark. I cannot explain why, but there is something about the word “champ,” especially when paired with thanks, that many Aussies regard as the height of Australian sarcasm. Sometimes it’s playful but other times, there is no greater word to call you an idiot. |
| Up at the sparrow’s fart | To get up very early |
| Up the duff | To get pregnant |
| Useful as an ashtray on a motorbike | Not useful |
| Useless as tits on a bull | Not useful |
| Wearing the wobbly boot | The staggering you get when trying to walk when drunk |
| Well, I’m not here to fuck spiders | “Used sarcastically when someone states the obvious reason why someone is here “You here to order a burger?” “At Maccas? Well, I’m not here to fuck spiders.” |
| You got two chances: Buckley’s and none. Shortened: You got Buckley’s |
No chance at all. It comes from a famous tale of an Australian convict, William Buckley. Buckley managed to escape into the Bush and lived among the Indigenous for 30 years before he turned himself in. This being notable as for many years the settler camps found it hard to survive in Australia for a variety of reasons and likely what the phrase is expressing, comparing the seemingly impossible to the impossible. |
| You’re an ankle | The meaning of this is also what you say if someone doesn’t get it. 3 feet lower than a cunt, lacking in the depth and warmth. |
| Your mate | Something you say to someone when you’re pointing out someone they don’t like or just to point out someone who looks/is acting strange |