Australian Slang - Aussie slang words and phrases

 

Many Australian slang words and expressions came from outside Australia, mainly from England and Ireland. While some terms may seem familiar, it is important to assume they have a different meaning in Australia than in other countries. Incorrect use of Australian slang may be interpreted as mockery rather than a genuine attempt to speak the local dialect. It is best to use American English when in doubt, as it is widely understood in Australia.

 

While British English may also be understood, some terms commonly used in England may be unfamiliar to Australian people. Additionally, many Australian words and place names come from Indigenous languages ("Wooloomooloo" and "Oodnadatta"), which may be challenging for visitors to pronounce but are commonly used by Australian English speakers.

 

Below is a list of the most common "Aussie slang words".

Aussie slang word/phrase	Meaning
A Cold One	Beer
Arvo	Afternoon
Aussie Salute	Wave to scare the flies
Avo	Avocado
Bail	To cancel plans
Barbie	Barbecue
Bathers	Swimsuit
Beauty	Great!
Billabong	A pond in a dry riverbed
Billy	Teapot (in the outback on the fire)
Bloody	Very
Bloody oath	Yes! Or “That’s very true”
Bludger	Someone who’s lazy
Bogan	Someone who’s not very sophisticated
Booze Bus	Police vehicle used to catch drunk drivers
Bottle-O	Liquor shop: a place to buy alcohol
Brekky	Breakfast
Brolly	Umbrella
Budgie Smugglers	Speedos
Bush	“Out in the bush” or away from civilisation
Choc A Bloc	Full
Biccy	Biscuit
Chook	Chicken
Chrissie	Christmas
Cobber	Very good friend
Coldie	Beer
Coppers	Policemen
Crikey	an expression of surprise
Crook	Being ill (I’m crook); a criminal (he’s a crook)
Dag	Someone who’s a bit of a nerd or geek
Daks	Trousers
Deadset	That’s true, or true!
Defo	Definitely
Devo	Devastated
Drongo	a Fool, ‘Don’t be a drongo mate’
Dunny	Toilet
Durry	Cigarette
Esky	An insulated container that keeps things cold
Facey	Facebook
Fair Dinkum	Honestly? Or, Yes honestly!
Flannie / Flanno	flannelette shirt
Flat out	Really busy
Footy	Football (AFL / Aussie Rules)
G’day	Hello
Galah	Not being bright, also a stupid person
Gnarly	Awesome
Going off	Busy, lots of people
Good On Ya	Good work
Goon	Wine in a box
Hard yakka	Hard work
Heaps	Loads, lots, many
Hoon	Hooligan or a very bad driver
Iffy	Bit risky or unreasonable
Knickers	Female underwear
Lappy	Laptop
Larrikin	Someone who’s always up for a laugh
Lollies	Sweets
Maccas	McDonalds
Manchester	Sheets / Linen etc
Mate	Friend
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’
Outback	The interior of Australia. Even more remote than “the bush”
Pash	To kiss
Pissed Off	An offensive/vulgar way of saying you are very annoyed
Piss Up	A party, a get together and in Australia
Pissed	Intoxicated, Drunk
Piss Off	An offensive way to tell someone to go away or get lost.
Rack Off	The less offensive way to tell someone to go away or get lost.
Reckon	For sure
Rellie / Rello	Relatives
Ripper	‘You little ripper’ = That’s fantastic!
Rooted	Tired or Broken
Runners	Trainers, Sneakers
Sanger	Sandwich
Servo	Service Station / Garage
Sheila	A woman
Sick	Awesome; ‘that’s really sick mate’
Sickie	A sick day off work
Slab	A carton of beers
Snag	Sausage
Stoked	Happy, Pleased
Straya	Australia
Stubby	A bottle of beer
Stuffed	Tired
Sunnies	Sunglasses
Swag	Single bed you can roll up, a bit like a sleeping bag
Tea	Dinner
Tinny	Can of beer or small boat
Thongs	Flip Flops
True Blue	Genuinely Australian
Tucker	Food
Two Up	A gambling game played on Anzac day
U-IE	To take a U-Turn when driving
Up yourself	Stuck up
Woop Woop	Middle of nowhere “he lives out woop woop”
Ya	You
Yous	Plural of you