Whether you’re a TRUE BLUE Aussie wanting to brush up on your LINGO. Or an OUT OF TOWNER wanting to fit in DOWN UNDER.. This Page of Aussie Slang will be a TOP SHOUT!
A
A snag short of a barbie – someone who’s a bit stupid
A stubby short of a six pack – as above
Accadacca – slang for hard rock band, ACDC
Ace – that’s excellent
Aerial ping pong – Australian Rules Football
After darks – sharks
Air con – airconditioning
Airy fairy – ambiguous or vague
Aggro – aggressive
All the go – fashionable
Ambo – an ambulance person/paramedic
Ankle biter – a small kid. You know, small enough to bite your ankles
Apple Eater – a Tasmanian
Argy Bargy – a fight
Arvo – afternoon
As scarce as hen’s teeth – very rare
As useful as an ash tray on a motorbike – useless
Attack of the munchies – hungry
Avo – avocado
Aussie – short for Australian
Aussie salute – waving away the flies
B
Back of Bourke – somewhere isolated
Backhander – a bribe
Bag – to criticise
Bail – to cancel plans
Banana Bender – someone from Queensland
Banter – an exchange of teasing remarks – not meant to be offensive, more playful
Barbie – barbeque
Barrack – to support your sports team
Barry Crocker – a shocker
Bathers – swimsuit
Bazza – Barry
Beak – nose
Belter – really good, or excellent
Bean counter – an accountant
Beat around the bush – someone who says a lot without saying anything
Beaut – the best
Bevan – someone who likes cars, a bit of a hoon
Bevvie – beverage
Beyond the black stump – see Back of Bourke
Big Unit – a large person
Big Smoke – a large city
Bikkie/bickie – biscuit
Billy – teapot
Bin Chicken – the Ibis, a native bird that hangs around rubbish bins looking for an easy feed
Bingle – a motor vehicle or car accident
Bit of a yarn – to a have a talk or chat with someone
Bities – biting insects like ants, or mozzies (mosquitoes)
Bizzo – business
Blind Freddy – to point out something obvious, i.e. even Blind Freddy could have seen that
Block – head
Bloke – man
Bloody oath – that’s true
Blower – telephone
Blowie – a fly
Blow in – an uninvited person
Blow me down – an expression of astonishment
Bludger – a lazy person who doesn’t like to work
Blue Heeler – a policeman
Bluey – a red headed person
Blunnies – Blundstone boots
Boardies – boardshorts, worn by surfers
Bobby – glass of beer in Western Australia
Bodgy – something that is of inferior quality
Bogan – an uncultured and uncouth person
Bogged – stuck in some very deep sand or mud in your car (eg. a four wheel drive vehicle)
Bog in – to launch into eating a lot of food very quickly with a tonne of enthusiasm
Bogus – fake
Boil over – an unexpected result, usually in a sporting event where the massive underdog wins
Bomb – an old car
Boofhead – a fool
Bonnet – the hood of a car
Bonkers – crazy, or nuts
Bonzer – awesome
Boot – the trunk of a car
Bottler – excellent
Bottle-o – bottle shop to buy liquor
Box – a television set
Brass razoo – you have no money
Breadbasket – stomach
Brekkie – breakfast
Brickie – a brick layer
Brisvegas – the city of Brisbane. Also known as Brizzie
Brolly – umbrella
Brumby – a wild horse
Bub – baby
Buckley’s chance – no chance
Bucks Party – bachelor party
Budgie smugglers – tight fitting swimming trunks
Bum – butt
Bum fluff – bad facial hair
Bung – to put something somewhere. e.g. “just bung it in the oven”
Burning the Midnight Oil – staying up for a long time to get something finished
Bush – the outback
Bushman’s clock – kookaburra (a native bird)
Busier than a one armed brick layer – extremely busy
Bust up – an argument
Butcher – a very small glass of beer in South Australia
C
Cabbie – a cab driver, or taxi driver
Cab Sav – shortened version of the grape variety, Cabernet Savignon
Cactus – broken or useless
Cake hole – mouth
Cane Toad – someone from Queensland
Cardie – cardigan
Cark it – to die
Cat’s pajamas – something that’s really excellent
Charge like a wounded bull – a place that charges very high prices
Chat – to talk
Cheap as chips – very cheap!
Cheeky – someone who shows a lack of politeness in a likeable way
Cheerios – small sausages
Cheesed off – annoyed or pissed off
Chin wag – a very long discussion
Chippie – carpenter
Chit chat – a talk
Choccy Biccy – a chocolate biscuit
Chockers, or chocka block – very full of food
Chockie – a chocolate
Chook – a chicken
Chrisse – Christmas
Chuck a lefty – please turn left
Chuck a righty – please turn right
Chuck a Uey – please do a U turn
Chunder – to vomit
Chewing the fat – having a talk
Chewy – chewing gum
Clapped out – broken
Click – kilometre
Clodhoppers – feet
Clucky – a woman who feels maternal
Coathanger – the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Cobber – friend
Cockie – a cockatoo, a native Australian bird
Cockroach – someone from New South Wales
Coldie – a cold beer
Cods Wallop – total rubbish
Come a gutser – made a very big mistake
Come to blows – to fight
Conch/conchie – someone who is a conscientious person
Congrats – Congratulations!
Cook top – stove
Coppers – policemen
Corker – something that is excellent
Couldn’t be bothered – don’t want to do something
Cossie – swimsuit
Cranky – someone who is in a really foul mood!
Creamed – to defeat the opposition team by a very big margin
Crikey! – an expression used when you’re astonished about something
Croc – crocodile
Crook – sick
Cross country wrestling – rugby league
Crow Eater – someone from South Australia
CUB – cashed up bogan. An uncouth person who has a lot of money
Cubby house – play house for children
Cuppa – a cup of tea
Cut lunch – sandwiches
Curly – a bald person
D
Dad n’ Dave – rhyming slang for a shave
Dag – an affectionate term for someone who is a bit of a geek or nerd
Daks – pants or trousers
Dazza – Darren
Dazzler – a very good looking person
Dead Horse – rhyming slang for tomato sauce
Dead soldier– an empty beer bottle
Dead Ringer – exactly the same, or an exact copy
Dead set – genuine, authentic
Dear – expensive
Defo – definitely
Dero – someone who is derelict
Devo – devastated
Dial – face
Dill – an idiot
Digger – an Australian solider
Din dins – dinner
Dingaling – a very silly person
Dinky di – genuine, much like Fair Dinkum
Dipstick – an idiot
Dirty – to be really really angry
Divvy van – police wagon where you are transported back to the police station
Docket – a receipt, or bill
Doco – a documentary
Dog and Bone – rhyming slang for phone
Dog’s Breakfast – a total mess. Think about it. When a dog wakes up in the morning and looks into his messy bowl…
Dog’s Eye – rhyming slang for meat pie
Dole – unemployment payments from the Australian government
Donkey’s Years – a very, very long time!
Doona – Duvet
Dodgey – not quite right, or a shady character
Dosh – money
Dough – money
Do Your Block – lose your mind, lose your temper etc
Drongo – a dumb person
Drop Bear – a very real creature
Drumstick – chicken leg
Drunk as a skunk – obviously, drunk
Dummy – a pacifier for a baby
Dunno – shortened version of ‘I don’t know’
Dunny – toilet
Dunny diver – a plumber
E
Earbash – to talk non stop
Easy Campese – it’s really easy. David Campese used to be an Australian rugby player
Easy on – slow down or calm down
Elbow Grease – hard work
Empties – empty beer bottles
Even Stevens – where you don’t owe each other anything
Every dog will have it’s day – your time will come eventually
Esky – cooler box
Exy – expensive
F
Fair dinkum – true, honest, genuine
Fair go mate – means you want to be treated fairly
Feral – badly behaved person
Filthy – really disappointed
Firie – a fireman
Fisho – the fish and chip shop
Fiver – a $5 note
Fizzer – a failure or disappointment
Flat chat /full bore – doing something very quickly
Flat out like a lizard drinking – very busy
Flattie – a flat tyre
Flick – to get rid of something
Flicks – the movies
Flick it on – to turn something on
Flogging the plastic – using your credit card a lot
Foodie – a person who loves gourmet food
Footy – football
Freebie – something that is free
Freshie – freshwater crocodile
Front up – to turn up somewhere
Full of beans – high energy
Fully sick – excellent
Furphy – rumour
G
Gabba – the Brisbane Cricket Ground. Located in the Brisbane suburb of Woolloongabba
Galah – a native Australian bird, but the slang version means a person is a noisy idiot
G’day – good day, or hello
Get a Guernsey – to receive an award
Get a wiggle on – I need to keep moving
Get on your goat – you’re annoying me
Get your hand off it! – stop talking crap
Ginger Beer – rhyming slang for ‘Engineer’
Give it away – to give up
Give it a burl – let’s try this
Give someone a bell – give someone a call on the phone
Goalie – goalkeeper
Goanna – rhyming slang for a piano
Gob – mouth
Gobfull – to abuse someone
Gobsmacked – surprised
Goes down like a lead balloon – a failure
Going off like a frog in a sock – going crazy
Going off like a bucked of prawns in the sun – going smelly
Going troppo – going crazy, usually in the heat of the tropics
Good oil – useful information
Goodies – treats
Good sport – a good person
Good on ya – great job
Goose – idiot
Gone walkabout – gone travelling
Greenie – environmentalist
Gregory Peck – neck
Grommet – young surfer
Grouse – terrific
Grub – food
Grundies – undies, or underwear
H
Half arsed – a job that’s not complete
Hangry – hungry and angry at the same time
Happy as a dog with two tails – extremely happy
Hard Yakka – hard work
Have a Blue – to have a fight
Have a Captain Cook – have a look
Have a lash at it – to have a try at something
Heaps – a lot of something
Hen’s fruit – eggs
Hen’s night – the bachelorette party
Hit the frog and toad – going for a drive on the road
Hollie – holiday
Holy Dooley – an expression when you’re surprised
Hooligan – a troublemaker
Honker – nose
Hoon – someone who loves driving fast
Hooroo – good bye
Hot under the collar – someone who is angry
How about a quick bite? – Let’s go and eat now
I
I could eat a horse and chase the jockey – I’m hungry
I need that like I need a hole in the head – I don’t need it at all
I reckon – absolutely
Iffy – something that is questionable
I’ve got a thirst you could photograph – I’m thirsty
Ivories – teeth
J
Jarmies – pyjamas
Joe Blake – rhyming slang for a snake
Journo – a journalist
Jug – electric kettle
Jumbuck – a sheep
Jumper – sweater
Junk Food – fast food that’s very unhealthy
K
Roo’s loose in the top paddock – a crazy person
Kazza – Karen
Kero – kerosene
Kezza – Kerry
Kick the bucket – to pass away
Kindy – Kindergarten
Kip – to take a nap
Knackered – very tired
Knickers – female underwear
Knock back – to refuse something
Knock something – to criticise it
Knocked up – pregnant
L
Lappy – laptop
Lark – a joke
Larrikin – a cheeky person
Legless – a person who is extremely drunk!
Lemon – something completely useless
Lift – either a ride in a car, or an elevator
Like a rat up a drain pipe – doing something very quickly
Like a shag on a rock – a shag is a bird that often sits by itself in the ocean
Lingo – Australian Slang for language
Lippie – lipstick
Liquid laugh – a vomit
Little Aussie Battler – someone who is experiencing extreme hardship
Littlelie – a small kid
Live on the smell of an oily rag – to live frugally
Loaded – you have a lot of money
Lob in – to visit someone
Lobster – $20 note
Lollies – sweet confectionery
Lolly water – soft drink or soda
Look see – to have a look at something
Loose cannon – someone who is completely out of control
Lugs – ears
Lurk – an illegal activity
M
Mad – crazy
Mad as a cut snake – crazy
Maggie – magpie (a bird)
Manchester – bed sheets/linen
Mango Madness – really hot
Mash – mashed potatoes
Mate – usually mean friends, but depending on the context, can be derogatory
Mates rates – discounted services, usually for friends
Meanie – a mean person
Middy – a 285 ml glass of beer in New South Wales
Mince – hamburger meat
Mob – a group of people
Mongrel – an idiot
Moo juice – milk
Moolah – money
Mozzie – mosquito
Mucking around – playing silly games
Muddy – mud crab, often found in Northern Australia
Muso – musician
Munchies – snacks
Mushies – mushrooms
Muzza – Murray
N
Nah Yeah - Yes
Nappies – diapers
Newbie – the new person at work
Newie – a new item
Never Never – the outback
Nibblies – finger food
Nigel – someone who has no friends
Nipper – young surf life saver
Noggin – head
Nosh – food
No worries – no problems
Nuddy – naked
Nuff – enough
Number cruncher – accountant
Nut out – to work something out
O
Ocker – a person from the country
Old cheese – mother
Oldies – your parents
On the nose – very smelly
One off – something that is one of a kind or unique
Op Shop – Opportunity Shop
Outback – the vast, dry, and largely unpopulated interior of Australia
Oz – Australia
P
Parliament House – the toilet
Pash – a long, passionate kiss
Petrol – gasoline, fuel
Petrol head – someone who loves cars
Pick the eyes out of it – to choose the best bits
Piffed – thrown away into the bin
Pig’s arse – I don’t agree with a single thing that you’re saying!
Pigs ear – beer
Pig out – eating lots of food
Piker – someone who leaves your party or night out early
Pineapple – $50 note
Pink slip – what you get if you lose your job
Plates of meat – feet
Plays is straight – someone who is fair
Pluggers – cheap rubber thongs
Polly or pollie – politcian
Pommy – an English person
Pong – very bad smell
Porky Pies – telling lies
Port – a suitcase
Postie – post man / woman
Power point – an electrical outlet
Pozzy, pozzie or possie – position
Pram – a stroller to wheel a baby around
Prang – a car accident
Prezzie – a present
Pull a swiftie – do something dishonest
Pull your head in – shut up, or mind your own business
Put a sock in it – shut up
Q
Quack – doctor
Quid- money. To make a quid
R
Rack off – go away
Rad – excellent
Rafferty’s Rules – no rules at all
Rage – party
Rage on – partied all night
Ranga – a red hed
Rat bag – cheeky person
Redback – $20 note
Rego – registration
Rellie – a relative
Ridgie didge – true
Ring in – a substitute
Rip off – something that is a lot more expensive than it should be
Ripper – excellent
Ripsnorter – excellent
Road train – a large truck with multiple trailers
Rock doctor – a geologist
Rock up – to turn up somewhere
Roo – kangaroo
Rooted – tired
Ropeable – someone who is very angry
Rort – defrauding something
Rug up – to dress warmly
Rug rat – a child
Rumpus room – a recreation or family room
Runners – trainers, sneakers
Rust bucket – a very old car
S
Saltie – saltwater crocodile
S’arvo – this afternoon
Sand Groper – someone from Western Australia
Sanger – a sandwich
See a man about a dog – to urinate
Servo – petrol/gas station
Shark biscuit – a surfer that’s just starting out
Shazza – Sharon
She’ll be apples – it will be all good
She’ll be right – everything will be right
Sheila – woman
Shindig – a party
Shonky – an item that’s not of very good quality
Shoot through – to leave somewhere/someone
Show pony – someone who likes showing off a lot
Show the ropes – show how things work around here
Sickie – to take a day of work without being sick
Skint – no money
Skite – to brag or boast about something
Spine bashing – resting
Strides – trousers
Slack – lazy
Smoko – coffee break
Snag – sausage
Snag bag – sausage roll
Sook – to sulk
Sparrow’s fart – dawn
Speedo – the speedometer on a car
Spread – a large collection of different types of food
Spewing – really disappointed
Spit the dummy – an over reaction
Spud – a potato
Spunk – a really good looking person
Sparkie – electrician
Spill your guts – to reveal a deep down secret
Squiz – to have a squiz menas to ‘have a look’
Starkers – naked
Steak and Kidney – Sydney
Stickybeak – someone who is a nosy person
Stinker – a very hot day
Stone the crows – I’m amazed
Stoked – extremely happy and pleased
Straight up and down – an honest person
Strawbs – strawberries
Straya – short for ‘Australia’
Strewth – what a surprise mate
Strike a blow – to help with something
Strife – trouble
Stinger – jellyfish
Stroppy – someone who is in an irritable mood
Stuffed – really tired
Stunned mullet – a shocked person
Sucked in – to be tricked into something
Sunbake – to sunbathe
Subbie – a subcontractor
Sunnies – sunglasses
Surfies – people who surf all of the time
Sus it out – to investigate something
Suss – short for ‘suspicious’
Sweet as – awesome
T
Ta – thank you
Tacker – child
Taddie – a tadpole
Tall poppies – successful people
Tap – faucet
Tea – Dinner
Technicolour yawn – to vomit or spew
Tell him he’s dreaming – meaning unrealistic expectations
Tenner – a $10 note
Tezza – Terry
The lot – everything
The Mrs – someones wife
Thingo / Thingamajig – a thing or item
Thongs – flip flops
Thunder box – toilet
Tickets, on yourself – to have a high opinion of yourself
Tin lids – rhyming slang for kids
Tip – the garbage dump
Toastie – toasted sandwich
Togs – swimsuit
Tool – idiot
Too right – I definitely agree
Top End – Northern Territory
Torch – flashlight
Tracky dacks – a tracksuit
Tradie – tradesman, like a plumber, carpenter
Tree hugger – environmentalist
Trolley – shopping cart
Trolleyed – very drunk
Truckie – truck driver
True blue – patriotic, genuine
Tucker/tucka – food
Two Up – gambling game played on Anzac Day
U
Ugg Boots – sheep skin lined boots that keep your feet warm in winter
Under the weather – hungover
Uni – university
Unit – an apartment
Up the duff – pregnant
V
Vee dub – a Volkswagen car
Veggo – a vegetarian
Vegies – vegetables
Verandah – balcony
W
Wagging school – skipping school for the day
Wally – a fool or idiot
Wax head – a surfer
Weaker than a sunburned snowflake – very weak
Weekend warrior – someone who works around the house on the weekend
Westie – someone from Western Sydney
What’s the John Dory – What’s the Story?
Whinge – whine
Wonky – something that is very unsteady
Woop woop – an isolated location
Wowser – a very boring, extremely conservative person
Y
Yabber/Yabba – to talk a lot
Yabby – a freshwater crayfish (crustacean) you can eat
Yeah Nah – No
Yobbo – uncouth, unintelligent person
Yonks – a very long time
You little ripper – a positive opinion about something
Your shout – it’s your turn to buy a drink for me
Youse – plural of ‘you’
Z
Zack – not worth anything
Zilch / Zilcho – nothing
Zit – pimple
Zonked – tired
