Australian slang
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. Australians mostly view their slang as being uniquely Australian and an integral part of their culture. Judging by the number 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.
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 are ya goin'" to an Aussie. You can also ask for your chips to take-away, rather than fries to go.
Greetings
- G'day
- Hello.
- How ya goin'
- How are you?
- Not bad mate
- Fine, thank you.
- Cheers mate
- Thank you.
- No worries / No drama
- You're welcome (in response to thank you)
- Oi.
- Excuse me (may be regarded as uncouth by some people)
- You're right
- That is okay (in response to sorry)
- Yeah, nah
- I understand but disagree
- See ya later
- Goodbye
- Hoo roo
- Goodbye
- Take it easy
- Goodbye
Time
- Arvo
- afternoon, eg "Let's meet for a schooner this arvo".
- Yonks
- commonly used to convey an exaggerated view of time, eg "I haven't seen you in yonks".
Colours
- Bluey
- Red hair
- Ranga
- Red haired (This can be considered offensive.)
Cursing
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Bastards You may hear this a lot and it can be used in a wide range of situations, and confusingly it can be either affectionate or insulting. It is not as strong as its use in British English. For example if you experience some luck then you may be referred to as a 'lucky bastard' (in a positive sense). Generally anyone in authority, especially politicians, can be referred to as 'bastards', although a politician with a good and honest reputation may be referred to as a 'good kind of bastard'. You can occasionally refer to friends as bastards, but you should avoid with strangers. |
- Bugger
- Damn - a common expression of disappointment, not offensive to most.
- Drongo
- an idiot or a fool
- Bloody bastard
- very commonly used for an idiot
- Root
- Sexual intercourse, similar to the British word 'Shag'. Can also be used as a verb.
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.
- Take-away
- Fast food also used instead of "to go" when ordering food.
- Pissed
- drunk (as opposed to annoyed, though can be used to mean annoyed in context)
- Scab
- To scrounge off a friend, as in scab a feed.
- Bludge
- To be lazy, or to scab, as in bludge a feed.
- Grog
- alcoholic drink, likely beer.
- Plonk
- Cheap wine.
- Goon
- Plonk in a cask.
- Barbie(s)
- Barbecue.
- Sanga(s)
- Sausage.
People
- Mate
- Anybody at all, only commonly used by males, friends - especially when you forget their name.
- Aussie
- Australian - pronounced Ozzy.
- Mob
- A group of family or friends - "us mob".
- Youse
- Plural of you - pronounced Yooz.
- Bogan
- An uneducated person; (similar to the British 'chav') favoured expression outside of Sydney to describe Westies.
- Westie
- A person from the western suburbs of Sydney or Melbourne. (both being working-class neighbourhoods)
- Brickie
- Bricklayer
- Sparkie
- Electrician
- Chippie
- Carpenter
- Bikie
- Biker, usually used to refer to members of an outlaw motorcycle gang, rather than members of a motorbike club.
- Smackie
- Smackhead, as in a heroin addict
- Ocker
- A crude, uncultured Aussie.
- Banana Benders
- Queenslanders
- Sandgropers
- Western Australians
- Shiela
- A woman
- Yank
- An American
- Seppo
- An American (pejorative)
- Kiwi
- A New Zealander
- Pom/Pommy
- An Englishman
- Chink
- A Chinese person (pejorative)
- Gook
- An Asian (pejorative)
- Fob
- An immigrant, often used to describe Pacific Islanders (pejorative). Stands for "Fresh Off (the) Boat", i.e. a recent immigrant.
- Wog
- Someone from Southern Europe, Eastern Europe or the Middle East (using this term is considered racist)
- Noonga
- An Indigenous Australian (pejorative, more commonly used in Western Australia)
Geography
- The bush
- areas outside of major cities and towns.
- The outback
- often attributed to the deserts of inland Australia, but more often, that which is further away from cities than the 'bush' on the coast
- Bushfire
- wildfire
- Elsewhere
- - often used in weather reports in the past, usually further inland away from cities and coast
- Whoop Whoop
- The middle of nowhere (eg: So I was stuck out whoop whoop...)
Places
- Servo
- Service Station (Gas Station in North America)
- Bottle-O
- Bottle Shop (Liquor Store)
- Chemist
- Pharmacy (also used), Drug Store
- Maccas
- The McDonald's restaurant chain
- Hungry Jacks
- Exactly the same as 'Burger King' restaurant chain anywhere else in the world
- Gone walkabout
- When the location of someone/something is unknown, e.g. my phone's gone walkabout
See also