Aussie Slang Dictionary

 

A

Aggro: Pissed off. Also the name of an awesome puppet from the early 90s.

Akubra: a rabbit-skin hut bushies wear

Alice, the: Alice Springs

Amber fluid: beer

Anchors: brakes

Anklebiter: a kid (short, so they bite your ankles)

ANZAC: Australia and New Zealand Army Corps

Arse over tit: fall over

Ashes, the: a trophy we play the Poms for in cricket every few years. Called that coz when we whooped their arses back in the day the joke was made that English cricket was dead so they cremated the stumps and put them in an urn. They're called The Ashes.

B

Back blocks: The cheapo suburbs

Back of Bourke: far away

Banana Bender: Queenslander

Barbie: BBQ

Barney: a fight

Battler: someone who's working hard to survive

Billabong: a little lake kinda thing that's created when a riverbed dries up and there's just a bit left. Also a surfwear brand.

Billy: a tin for boiling water over a fire

Billy tea: tea with a eucalyptus leaf in it for flavour.

Bingle: a small car accident

Bite ya bum: shut up

Blackfella: Aborigine (don't use it unless you are one coz it's racist-sounding otherwise)

Bloke: a guy

Blowy: windy
OR
a blowfly

Bonzer: awesome

Box, the: TV

Bunyip: monster that lives in rivers and billabongs

Bush: the country

Bushed: tired

Bushie: someone from the country

Bushranger: a highwayman or outlaw

Bushwhacker: a highwayman or outlaw
OR
A 4-wheel-drive someone uses to drive through the bush

BYO: Bring Your Own (normally alcohol but sometimes food too)

C

Cactus: not working

Call it a day: finish working

Cark it: die

Carn: come on

Chemist: pharmacy

Chew the fat: talk to someone

Chinwag: a talk

Chippie: carpenter

Choc a bloc: full

Chockers: short for choc a bloc

Choccie: chocolate

Chook: chicken

Chrissie: Christmas

Chuck a leftie: turn left

Chuck a right: turn right

Chuck a spaz: get angry

Chuck a U-ey: make a U-turn

Chuck up: spew

Chuffed: happy

Chunder: spew

Clapped out: old and broken

Clobber: clothes
OR
smack someone

Cobber: good friend

Cockie: a cockatoo
OR
a farmer
OR
a cockroach

D

Dag: a goofy person

Daks: pants

Damper: a bread make with flour, salt and water

Damper, to put on: slow down progress

Dead cert: completely certain

Dead horse: tomato sauce

Dead ringer: exact copy

Dead set: true.

Derro: someone crap, a derelict. Someone stupid

Desert Rat: someone who served in N Africa in WWII

Dial: face

Didgeridoo: a wind instrument made from a hollow eucalyptus branch.

Digger: someone who fought at Gallipoli in WWI

Dingbat: someone stupid

Dinkum: real or honest (See also Fair Dinkum)

Dinki Di: the real thing

Dirty: pissed off

Dob in: tell on someone.

Dodgy: suspicious

Dog's Breakfast: a mess

Donkey's Years: a long time

Doona: a feather quilt

Down Under: The BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD

Drongo: a stupid person

Dud: something that's no good

Duds: pants

Duffer: a cattle rustler
OR
a silly person

Dunny: toilet

Durry: a cigarette

E

Earbash: talk incessantly

Earbashing: a reprimand

Earth: electrical ground

Easy on: a direction to calm down

Egg on: encourage someone

Elbow grease: hard work

Esky: an insulated box used to keep food or drinks cool at a BBQ or picnic. Shortened version of the trade name Eskimo Box.

F

Fag: cigarette

Faggot: a gay man

Fair Crack of the Whip: an equal go for everyone

Fair go: an equal chance

Fanny: vagina AMERICANS, PLEASE STOP CALLING YOUR ARSE YOUR FANNY. WE ARE ALL LAUGHING AT YOU!

Fed Up to the Back Teeth: completely pissed off with a situation. Had enough.

Fire away: direction to start talking

Five-Finger Discount: shoplifting

Flake: shark meat

Flaming: family friendly version of "Bloody"

Flat out: full speed
OR
really busy

Flat Out Like a Lizard Drinking: Really Really REALLY busy or hard at work

Flog: to beat someone

Footy: Football

Franger: condom

From go to whoa: From start to finish

Fussed: worried

G

Gab: talk

Ga-ga: loony

Galah: a pink and grey parrot
OR
a fool or silly person

Gander, have a: to look at something

Gaol: Aussie (and therefore correct) spelling of 'Jail'

Garbo: garbage man

G'day: hello. Short for Good day

Get Nicked: piss off

Ghan: train line to Alice Springs. Named after the Afghan camel trains that used to take travellers to Alice.

Give it Heaps: Not hold back

Gizmo: a tool

Gun: very good

H

Happy as a Pig in Shit very happy

Happy Little Vegemite: someone who is contented. From an ad in the 40s.

Have a Burl/Have a Crack/Have a Go: try

Heaps: lots

Herb: not Aussie but you should know we pronounce the 'H'

Hoik: throw

Home and Hosed: finished easily

Hoof it: walk

Hooroo: bye

Hum dinger: something really good

I

Icing: cake frosting

Idiot Box: TV

Iffy: suspicious

I'm Easy: not worried

In a tick: in a moment

In the Altogether: naked

In the Bag: describes a job that is as good as done

J

Jack of: sick of

Jackroo: a male stationhand. The female version is a Jillaroo

Jack Shit: nothing

Jaffle: toasted sandwich

Jaffle Iron: sandwich toaster

Jiffy: a second

Jillaroo: see Jackaroo

Joe Bloggs: the average person

Joey: a baby kangaroo

K

K: Kilometre

Keen as mustard: very eager. From the brand Keen's Mustard

Kelpie: A breed of cattle dog

Kerfuffle: a commotion

Kick in the Teeth: a setback

Kick in: put in a share of the work or money

Kick the Bucket: die

Kindy: kindergarten

Knackered: tired

Knee-high to a Grasshopper: short
OR
very young

Knock: criticise

Knock back: refuse something
OR
drink

Knock off: finish work for the day

L

Lamington: a sponge cake covered in chocolate icing and coconut, often layered inside with cream and jam.

Lamington Drive: traditional way of raising money for schools, charities or the scouts.

Larrikin: an irresponsible young boy (nice)

Lay-by: pay something off at the shops. US = Lay away

Lead-foot: fast driver

Leckie: an electrician

Legend: someone who's great

Lift: elevator

Lino: linoleum

Lippie: lipstick

Liquid amber: beer

Lob: throw

Lollies: candy or sweets

Loo: toilet

Lucky Country: THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD

M

Maggies: magpies, a black and white bird

Make a quid: earn money

Make do: cope

Make tracks: leave

Mallee: bush between Victoria and S Australia

Mate: a friend (but not always an endearment) US = buddy

Metho: methylated spriits or someone who drinks it

Mexican: someone from south of the state it is used in. A Victorian is Mexican to a New South Welshman, who is Mexican to a Queenslander etc. Tasmanians are never Mexican though as they aren't from the mainland.

Middy: 285ml of beer

Misery guts: a constant complainer

Moo juice: milk

Mozzie: mosquito

Mucking around: playing

Mudguard: fender

Mulga: the outback bush

Mum: mother

Mushie: mushroom

Mystery bags: sausages (coz you don't know what really goes into them)

N

Nappy: diaper

Nark: a continual complainer

Narked: pissed off

Never-Never: a region of desert in the Northern Territory (from the book, 'We of the Never-Never')

New Australian: a migrant

Nick: the condition of an object

Nick off: piss off

Nick out: go out for a little while

Nip: a Japanese person (don't use it unless you want your arse kicked by Asians), from the word Nippon

nipper: young child

Nong: silly person

Nose, on the: smelly

Nud/Nuddy, in the: nude

O

Ocker: stereotypical uncultured Aussie. Kind of similar to the US 'redneck' but nicer

Off one's face: really drunk

Off the beaten track: away from the main traffic

Old chook: disliked old lady

Old man: father
OR
husband

Old lady/woman: mother
OR
wife

Oldies: parents

On for young and old: out of control, usually refers to a fight

Onya: 'Good on you'

O.S.: Overseas

Out in the sticks: in the bush

Outback: the bush

Outhouse: toilet in the backyard

Oz: THE BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD

P

Pack a wallop: punch someone hard

Paddock: field on a farm

Pamphlet: brochure

Pash: kiss

Pavlova: a meringue covered in cream and fruit. Named after Anna Pavlova. the Russian ballerina.

Peckish: hungry

Pie Floater: Pie floating in pea soup. Looks like arse, tastes like Heaven

Pikelet: small pancake

Pinch: steal

Plonk: cheap wine

Polish off: finish something

Pom: an English person. From 'Person of her Majesty'

Poof: gay man

Pozzie: position

Post code: zip code

Prang: car accident

Prawn: a shrimp

Preggers: pregnant

Pub: hotel

Pull up stumps: finish for the day and go home

Q

Quince, do your: lose your temper

R

Rack off: piss off

Rapt: keen (short for enraptured)

Rego: car registration

Rellies: relatives

Ridgy-didge: the real thing

Rip-off: cheat

Rissole: meat patty

Rolly: hand-rolled cigarette

Roo-bar: Bullbar on a car

Ropeable: really angry

S

Sanger: sandwich

Schoolie: someone who just graduated from school

Schooner: a large beer

Scorcher: a hot day

Seppo: an American

Servo: petrol station

Shiela: an Aussie chick

Shirty: pissed off

Shonky: dodgy

Shoot through: leave in a hurry

Shout: buy a drink for everyone in your group

Sickie: a day off work when "sick" but probably you're healthy and bullshitting so you can go surfing

Skint: completely broke

Slab: a carton of 24 drinks

Slog: hard work

Smoko: a short break from work

Snag: sausage

Snow job: a con job

Sook: a cry-baby

Sparrow's Fart: dawn

Squatter: someone leving somewhere illegally

Squiz: a look

Station: large farm US = ranch

Stockman: mounted stationhand US = cowboy

Strewth: Wow

Strine: Aussie slang

Stubbie: small bottle of beer

Stunned mullet: used to describe someone's face when shocked

Sus: suspicious

Sus out: check something out

Sussed: worked out

Swaggie/Swagman: someone who wanders the country looking for work

T

Ta: thanks

Tall poppy: an overachiever

Tally-ho: cigarette papers

Taswegian: someone from Tasmania

Tea: dinner

Thongs: flip flops

Thunderbox: toilet

Tingle: a phonecall

Tinnie: a beer
OR
a small boat

Tomato sauce: ketchup

Too right: "I agree completely"

Top End: Northern part of NT

Torch: flashlight

Tracksuit/Trackie daks: sweatshirt and pants.

Troppo: crazy

True blue: genuine

Turps: Turpentine
OR
strong alcohol

Two-up: a gambling gameplayed on ANZAC Day

U

Ugg Boots: Sheepskin boots

Uni: university

Up yourself: Egotistical

Ute: Utility vehicle US = pickup truck

V

Vegemite: black, salty, yeast spread that we eat on toast or sangers. I think you've got to have eaten it before age 3 to like it.

Veg out: hang around and do nothing

W

Wag: skip school

Walkabout: go for a long walk

Waterhole: a pub

Weatherboard: a way of covering a house with overlapping wooden planks.

Wet, the: monsoon season in Northern Australia

Wharfie: a dock-worker

White Ants: termites

White or black?: "Do you like your tea/coffee with or without milk?"

Willy Nilly: all over the place

Willy Willy: a whirlwind

Witchetty Grub: a grub that lives in trees and is eaten by many inland Aborginal tribes. Said to taste like chicken or mutton.

Wonky: unstable

Woop Woop: mythical place far from civilisation

XYZ

Yabby: freshwater crayfish

Yak: talk

Yakka: hard manual labour

Yank: an American

Yarn: a long story

Yonks: a long time ago

Zed: Z

Zonked: really tired