Australian Words

• acko - Accident, "That car was in a huge acko"


• aerial ping-pong - Australian Rules Football


• Aggro — aggressive or aggravation


• Arse – as elsewhere in English, slang for Buttocks (sometimes also the Anus ). In Australia the derivation ''' Arsey ''' means someone showing daring, audacity, and/or cheekiness. It (arsey) can also mean lucky — eg to fall over and not get hurt is arsey. '''Arsed''' can indicate a lack of interest, as in "I couldn't be arsed to do it". The North American spelling and pronunciation of ''' Ass ''' is also used. Comedians Roy And H.G. have also popularised use of the term ''' Date ''' to mean '''anus'''.


• Arvo – short for afternoon


• Aunty or ''' Auntie ''' - aunt

• Barbie – short form of Barbecue ; an outdoor meal of cooked chops and sausages (''' Snags ''' or ''' Bangers ''') and usually garnished with "Dead Horse" ( Tomato Sauce ) or sometimes BBQ Sauce . Australians also refer to Barbie as in the doll.


• Barrack – to hoot or cheer in support of something, invariably a sporting team (typically Rugby League or Australian Rules Football ). Cognisant with the US "root". For example: "who do you barrack for?" Almost the exact opposite of the (now rare) British usage of barrack, that is to ''denigrate'': to jeer or hoot against something, such as a sporting team.


• Beaut – adjective meaning great, terrific. for example "I've just bought a beaut new car".


• Beauty ! – exclamation showing approval, usually corrupted and spelt as ''' Bewdy !''' (to represent broad Australian pronunciation). For example: "you bewdy!"


• Bickie — biscuit. Sometimes also used as a word for a cigarette lighter, after the manufacturer Bic . More recently this has become a slang word for the drug Ecstasy , from the slang ''disco biscuit''.


• Biscuit — cf. American English ''cookie'' and ''cracker''.


• Blue


• --- a brawl or heated argument (for example "they were having a blue"), similar to the British word "barney".


• --- an embarrassing mistake (for example "I've made a blue")


• --- pornographic ("a blue movie")


• --- offensive ("blue language")


• --- someone with red hair and freckles (also "Bluey")


• Blue Swimmer — a ten dollar note


• Bludge – to shirk, be idle, or waste time either doing nothing or something inappropriate; also to live off others efforts rather than providing for one's self (for example "Hey mate, can I bludge a smoke?" or receiving welfare payments). (Compare '''bum''')


• Bloody – "the great Australian adjective / adverb" (for example ''The price of beer nowadays is bloody outrageous!'') Also common in British English ). Roughly translates as "very".


• Bloody Oath — Used as an affirmative to a statement, often when something has been understated. Believed to date back to colonial times, from the expression "My colonial oath!" and then later "My Australian oath!"


• Blowie – the common blow-fly


• bodge – inferior or poor quality, as in "That's a bodge paint job". Contraction of ''bodgie'' (see below, Old, Declining or Expiring slang.)


• Bot — either the Buttocks (an abbreviation of bottom) or; to ask for an object (without any obligation to return), as in "can I bot" a cigarette?". (Compare '''bum'''.)


• Bottle Shop – a shop selling alcoholic drinks (for external consumption). cf. British English Off-licence


• Bottlo – (pronounced ''bottle oh'') diminutitve form of '''bottle shop'''


• Bree Cake — a heavy or excessive layer of make-up. In reference to former Big Brother contestant Bree Amer.


• Brekky — short for Breakfast .


• Bub – A baby.


• Buckley's — (originally "buckley's chance"); something which has little or no chance of success, as in "You've got buckley's of getting there before the store closes." Origin uncertain, possibly a reference to an escaped convict, William Buckley , who was believed dead in 1803, but lived in an Aboriginal community for more than 30 years. Alternatively the expression may have originated with, or was influenced by, a Melbourne business known as Buckley and Nunn. Alternatively believed to be a reference to a rural hardware store, Buckley's. As in, "If you want nails, you've got two chances: Buckley's and none"


• Budgie Smugglers — Men's Speedo swimwear. Given this term because a man wearing Speedo's can look like he has stuffed a Budgerigar (a native Australian bird) down them.


• Bugger


• --- the process of wrecking or wearing something out, or making a general mess of things ("You'll bugger it up"),


• --- a general purpose epithet that can range from endearment to awed surprise to outright hostility ("He's a dear old bugger" vs "well bugger me" vs "You little bugger!")


• --- describing something as hard to do ("It'd be a bugger to fold up a full scale road map").


• --- commonly used as a word of exclamation, as in "bugger!" Originally a very offensive word that is no longer considered as offensive.


• Buggered – broken (for example ''it's buggered, mate'' or ''steve buggered it''); or exhausted, tired out (for example ''I'm buggered''). Also "I'll be buggered!", an expression of surprise, or an intention to disallow something ("I'll be buggered if I'll let that stop me").


• Buggerise – see "piss-fart around"


• Bum — shares both meanings of '''bot''' (see above). Can also mean someone who is lazy.


• --- to be lazy or unproductive, similar to bludge ("I bummed around home all day"). "A bum" is usually a lazy, unproductive and often cheap person (commonly used in the term "uni bum", ie a university student). Not usually a homeless person, as in the North American usage of ''bum'', but the term "homeless bum" is gaining popularity.


• bung


• --- originally A Stopper In A Cask ; a synonym for "put" or "place"; as in "bung it in the oven" (also used in British English); also pretending as in "bunging it on"


• --- not working, broken, impaired, injured or infected. From the Jagara (Aboriginal language) word for "dead".


• Bushwalking – hiking in the Bush .

• Cactus – non-functional. For example "This computer is cactus!"


• camp – male homosexual, both as a noun and an adjective, now replaced by the American "gay".


• Carn – Assimilation of "Come on!" Usually used to either goad someone "Carn, have another" or to cheer on a sporting team "Carn the 'Doggies!"


• Chippie - a Carpenter


• Chook – a chicken, also used in New Zealand .


• Chuck - to throw a ball; in particular, to Bowl a ball with a bent arm in Cricket .


• Chunder - to be sick/throw up


• Clayton's – not the real thing, Ersatz (from a brand of zero alcohol mixer, advertised as "The drink you have when you're not having a drink") less widely used than in New Zealand.


• Cobber - same as mate. Arose out of mateship between soldiers in WWI and WWII


• cop shop — police station


• crook – unwell; also unfair. For example "I am feeling a bit crook after that curry"; "That's a bit crook that they sacked you, Jim." Can also mean angry: "I'm really crook at you now mate."


• cut – angry or upset. To be "half cut" means to be drunk.


• cut sick — to yell at someone angrily "to cut sick". Also to make a real effort at something, generally successfully — "I cut sick on the footy field today". To cut sick on the DF (to look good and dance hard on the dance floor).


• cuppa – a cup of tea or coffee.

• Dead Soldier — Empty beer bottle.


• deadly — Aboriginal English — Excellent.


• devo — Devastated, as in the saying "After her mother died, she was totally devo."


• derr — exasperated acknowledgment "that's obvious" as in "Mum's gunna be crook that the window's broken." — "Well, DERR." Common in Victoria, especially among children.


• digger - an Australian soldier


• dink — To give somebody a lift on the back a bicycle. The term 'double' is used in Northern and Western NSW.


• dinkum — honest, genuine, real ( OED ). Probably not, as is often claimed, from the Cantonese (or Hokkien) ''ding kam'', meaning "top gold". Most scholars believe dinkum was a dialect word from the East Midlands of England, where it meant "hard work" or "fair work", which was also the original meaning in Australian English. {Link without Title} The derivation ''dinky-di'' means a native-born Australian or "the real thing". '''Fair dinkum''' means "fair and square," i.e. honest. Can be shortened to "Dinks"


• division – electoral district, equivalent to constituency in UK, electorate in New Zealand, riding in Canada (This term is formally used in the parliament but in general use the term 'electorate' is most common).


• Dob – to inform on. Personal noun: '''dobber''' or '''dibber dobber'''. The saying "dibber dobbers wear nappies" is commonly used by children.


• dodgy — Of dubious quality or origins.


• dole bludger - often used negatively to insult those who rely on social security payments.


• donk - refers to a combustion engine of any size, belonging to any type of vehicle. Commonly used in a statement such as 'Check out the size of that donk, it's massive!!


• Doona – Cf. British Duvet . From the brand name "Doona". Originally the generic term was '''continental quilt'''. In South Australia and, to a lesser extent, Queensland the word Quilt is used, and the term Eiderdown (from the name of the Eider duck) is also used.


• doover – a Placeholder for an object whose name is unknown or forgotten, perhaps from "it'll do for now". for example "Do you know where I put that doover?" Also "doovermalaky" or "dooverlacky."


• Dreamtime – In the mythology of most Indigenous Australians , a "golden age" when the first ancestors and living things were created. A Calque of the Arrernte word ''alcheringa''.


• Drongo — an idiot. eg. "he's a bloody drongo" (slightly antiquated but still in use as of 2006).


• Dummy – cf. American Pacifier (also common in British English ); or cf. American Mannequin .


• Dunny – a toilet, the appliance or the room — especially one in a separate outside building. This word has the distinction of being the only word for "toilet" which is not a euphemism of some kind. It is from the old English "dunnykin": a container for dung. However Austalians use the term toilet more so than dunny.


• durry - a cigarette.

• electorate – electoral district


• emubob – the duty given to enlisted men in the military, of picking up cigarette butts lying around barracks and parade grounds. The term arose by the similarity between a person bending over to pick up litter and the distinctive bob that Emus make when picking at the ground. The term is only used in military circles. It was also used up until at least the last 5 years by Scouts and Cub Scouts for the same activity. The term '''emu parade''', meaning the collection of all types of litter, enjoys wider usage.


• Esky — portable cooler, a Genericized Trademark from the trade name ''Esky''.

• Fag – a cigarette, in common with British English . Due to American media influence this term can also refer to a homosexual man.


• fair dinkum - see '''dinkum.'''


• fair enough - I don't see a problem with that. (Can be used as a replacement for 'OK')


• fanny – vagina (same meaning as in British English ), unlike North America, where it means buttocks. (The item known to Americans as a "fanny pack" is a "bum bag" in Australia).


• Footpath – paved walkway running parallel to a street or road, and known in other countries as a Sidewalk or pavement.


• Football – or the abbreviation '''footy''', can mean several different codes of football, usually Australian Rules Football or Rugby League , or a ball used to play them. (See The Word Football In Australia .)


• franger — Condom

• gammon or '''gammon job''' (mainly used in the Northern Territory and Far North Queensland ) — A word derived from a similar sounding Aboriginal word meaning invented or not true. As in "that's gammon mate" or "no mate that's a gammon job there".


• garn – assimilation of ''go on'' or short for ''going'', for example ''garn y'mongrel'' (that is ''go on you mongrel''). See ''carn''.


• g'day – the typical Aussie greeting, short for '''good day'''. Generally a Broad Australian or working class/ blue collar greeting.


• goon – cheap Cask Wine , also can mean the bag containing the wine also know as a ''' Goon Bag '''.


• goonah — Aboriginal word meaning faeces. Used in general English in parts of Australia with a large Aboriginal population, including the Northern Territory (universally used), and in sections in other states.


• goner — Done for, finished. "he's a goner"


• greenie - A politician of the "green" party. A hundred dollar note. Someone who is passionate about the environment


• gronk - idiot, used when someone does something stupid - "fuck you're a gronk"


• grouse – great. Common in Victoria


• Guernsey – a sporting team jumper; by extension also sometimes means a place on a sporting team as in ''didn't get a guernsey'', meaning didn't get a place on the team or a chance to play.


• Gun – Somebody who is particularly skilled at something — "he's a gun footballer". Derived from shearing — the fastest shearer in the shed was the 'gun'.

• Hills Hoist – a type of rotary clothesline; Hills is a popular clothesline manufacturer.

• icy pole — most common generic name for a frozen flavoured water product; also known as an '''ice block''', '''popsicle''', ice stick, or By Jingo . (Known as an ice lolly in some countries.). Another term, '''paddle pop''', generally refers to a basic Ice-cream on a wooden stick, due to a popular brand of the product bearing the name.

• jet – To go somewhere in a hurry — "I've got to jet off mate"


• jocks – men's Brief-style Underpants . Probably derived either from Jockstrap or from the ''Jockey'' brand of underpants.

• kick on — partying on after a discoteque or night club has finished.usually involving more drinking and/or drug taking.


• knackered – see '''buggered'''.


• Knob Jockey — a fool; originally someone (female or male) with a seemingly insatiable taste for being Sexually Penetrated . From ''' Knob ''' (slang for penis) + Jockey (a racehorse rider).

• legless — drunk


• light globe – the common name for Light Bulb s. "Globe" is no longer commonly used in this sense outside Australia. "Bulb" is sometimes also heard in Australia.


• lolly (plural: '''lollies''') – Confectionery (cf. American '' Candy '', UK ''sweets'').

• Macca's – McDonald's (fast food restaurant).


• maggot - drunk.


• manchester – household linen.


• Mark – to catch a ball cleanly off another player's boot in Australian Rules Football , a feat which entitles the marker (catcher) to a Free Kick .


• Milk Bar or '''mixed business''' – in Victoria and New South Wales is a local shop where basic Groceries such as bread, milk, and other everyday household goods can be bought. Known as a ''' Deli ''' in South Australia and Western Australia and as a '''corner Shop ''' in Queensland and Tasmania . (In States other than SA and WA, deli retains the usual international usage of Delicatessen .)


• mozz — or "to put the mozz on". This term is used as an alternate form of "jinx".


• mozzie (or mozzy) — a short term for Mosquito .


• munt — a session of drinking, generally involving drugs


• munted — either broken, mangled or state of inebriation, generally from drugs

• nature strip (or '''verge''' in Western Australia ) – a lawn or plantation between a footpath (see above) and street. Known as a Tree Lawn in American English .


• nigel – Short for "Nigel-no-friends", a loner; someone with no or hardly any friends. Common usage in primary and high school as an insult behind the subject's back. Also used in a joking fashion between friends when one happens to be by themselves. Eg. "He's such a nigel"


• no worries – used in place of ''you're welcome'', ''no problem'', ''that's all right'', etc. Often "no worries mate"


• noon – as opposed to the British English Midday . Also used in American English


• no wuckin' furries – a Spoonerism of ''no fuckin' worries'', has the same usage as ''no worries''. Sometimes shortened to '''no wuckers'''.


• Nutting - an explosive outburst that is caused by ones deep opinionated feelings.

• Oz – shortened form of Australia (see also "Aussie"). Also known as '''Down Under''' because of Australia's geographical location on a globe, this term was made popular due to the song " Down Under " by Australian band Men At Work .

• pav – Pavlova , a kind of Meringue dessert. Also used in New Zealand English


• pearler — an excellent example of something (e.g. ''mate, that new car of yours is a pearler.'').


• perv – "to have a look" as in "I'm going round to have a perv at my mate's new car". Often, and possibly its original use was with a slight sexual connotation as in "Let's have a perv at those chicks over there". Referring to a person, it is used with a stronger and often disapproving connotation ranging in meaning from "dirty old man" to someone who likes to leer at the opposite sex.


• pillow biter — see '''poof'''


• pineapple — a fifty dollar note.


• pinged — caught doing something wrong. esp by Umpire and penalised for holding the ball in game of Australian Rules Football .


• pissed — drunk. May also refer to being angry.


• piss-fart around – to waste time (for example ''we piss-farted around for a couple of hours at the beach''; ''Stop piss-farting around and do your work.'').


• piss-off – telling a person to get lost.


• piss-up – a drinking session (''we're heading down the pub for a piss-up'') or a party/get-together — usually one where excessive alcohol consumption is expected (''piss-up at Jack's place tonight!''). Sometimes heard in the description ''couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery'' ie: disorganised and/or ineffectual.


• piss-weak – a general purpose negative with meanings including weak (''this coffee's piss-weak''), ineffectual or pathetic (''that engine's piss-weak'') and unfair (''that was a piss-weak decision''). Also "piss-poor"


• pissing down — used to describe heavy rainfall.


• port - a Backpack , almost exclusively used in Queensland . ''Rucksack'' in British English.


• prat — used as a negative meaning for an annoying brat.

• ratshit – something that is broken or not work properly. "The engine's ratshit"


• reg grundies — Underpants


• ripper — similar to "beauty". Something that is excellent. "What a ripper of a goal that was!" or "you little ripper"


• root – to have sex. Also a noun, as in "I'm dyin' for a root" This can inadvertently cause embarrassment for Americans visiting Australia, if they declare that they "root" for a particular sports team.


• rooted – broken or tired; see '''buggered'''.


• rort – a scam, especially the exploitation of rules or laws; used mostly to describe the actions of politicians. (Also '''lurk''' as a noun.)

• sacked - fired


• sealed road – a road covered in bitumen, equivalent to paved road in British English . In Western Australia, the US term blacktop has also become widely used.


• '''secondary college - high school (used in many Victorian high schools)


• servo – the accepted abbreviation for a service station. (The equivalent of a gas station in North America.)


• sesh or '''session''' — a session of smoking 'pot' ( Marijuana )


• shame or '''shame job''' — based on Aboriginal culture, where shame is a major factor, the word and phrase has been adapted in to general English in areas with a large Aboriginal population. As in "oh shame job man" and "shame, shame". Usually used by school-aged children.


• sheltershed — in most States a simple detached building for the protection of school children from hostile weather. Also known as a '''lunch shed''', '''weather shed''' or '''undercover area'''.


• shit-hot – exclamation; excellent.


• shit-house - originally a term for a toilet, but now a generic descriptor meaning something that is badly done or made, or bad in general, as in "The Eagles played shithouse last weekend". Rarely, abbreviated to ''shouse''.


• shout – to treat someone or to pay for something, especially a round of drinks, as in "Cough up, Bill — it's your shout", "Let's go for a coffee: my shout".


• shonky – poorly made or of low quality. Also dishonest.


• sick — very good; usually intensified in the phrase "fully sick". Often heard in Melbourne's western suburbs


• sickie – a day of absence from work, sometimes due to ''feigned'' illness. To "chuck a sickie" is to partake in such a day.


• slab — a carton (24 cans) of beer. More recently augmented in some states by the '''block,''' which contains 30 cans.


• smoko – A short break from work, named for a "smoking break" but synonymous with ''coffee break''. Used to describe any short break from work or activity, even if it does not include smoking.


• snagger or '''snag''' – sausage.


• sook — (n) a petulant person; (v) to be petulant, ''She's sooking again''. Also a noun; ''He's such a sook!''


• spare — very angry or upset. "He went spare"


• sparky — electrician.


• Spanner – as in British English, a tool used for adjusting bolts, equivalent to the North American Wrench . However in Australian English it can also can be a derogatory remark, e.g. "that guy is an absolute spanner". Similar to tool (see below).


• spit the dummy — To throw a tempter tantrum. Refers to a baby who becomes so angry, that the baby spits the dummy (pacifier) out of it's mouth.


• Spruik – cf. British Flog . To promote or sell something.


• spud — potato


• squiz — To have a look, as in "Let's take a squiz at the new house".


• stepladder - in Australian Football , the player whose back is used to launch a Specky .


• sticks — see '''woop-woop'''


• stickybeak — to nose around, as in "I'll go to Fred's place and have a stickybeak around the back."


• Strine — a word used to describe Australian spoken English. From the Broad Australian pronunciation of "Australian". '''Strayan''' is an alternative.


• super — short for Superannuation , the Australian term for a private retirement Pension , equates to the US 401k .


• suss


• --- suspicious or suspect. ''That food looks a bit sus'' ie that food looks a bit suspicious or off.


• --- to figure something out, or to uncover something/someone. Eg. ''I finally sussed out the crossword'', I finally worked out the crossword; or ''I sussed out that James was smoking marajuana'', I found out that James was smoking marajuana.


• --- to have something worked out, to have a plan. ''Don't worry, I've got it all sussed out.''


• sweet — fine, good

• thingo or '''thingamajig''' – a placeholder word for an object whose name is unknown or forgotten. '''Thingie''' and '''whatsit''' are also used with this meaning.


• thong – A backless sandal, usually made of plastic, the top section of which sits between the big and second toes. Known as Jandals in New Zealand English . The name thong was also the original name for this footwear in the U.S. but the name Flip Flop later came to dominate and the term ''thong'' in the U.S. now more commonly refers to G-string style underwear. Due to U.S. influences in Australia thong is now also used in Australia to refer to the underwear.


• tool – penis. Also used as a general insult. ''Mate, you're a tool.''

• U-ie – (pronounced "yew-ee") a U-turn . Often used in a phrase like "Chuck a u-ie here, Bill" (make a u-turn here, Bill). U-bolt is also used, albeit less commonly, as a metaphor for the same motoring manoeuvre.


• Un-Australian — considered to be an example of unacceptable behaviour or policy in Australia or undertaken by Australians particularly when it violates cultural or traditional values.


• ute – short for ''utility vehicle''. A Car -like vehicle with a tray back, possibly with sides, a rear gate and/or a removable cover. Any small Truck . Generally cognisant with Pickup in most countries; Australian-made Holden and Ford utes are based on family car chassis, and are normally much smaller than North American pickup trucks. However, all imported pickups are also known as utes in Australia.


• Ugg Boots or '''uggies''' — a type of boot/slipper hybrid made of sheep skin.

• wag or '''wagging''' – to skip school or work to do something else on someone else's time.


• wagon – station wagon in US, estate car in UK


• westie — a person from the western suburbs (usually Sydney)


• woop-woop or '''the back of Bourke''' or '''beyond the Black stump''' – a generic far-off place (for example ''out past woop-woop'' – with the short ''oo'' sound used in 'c''oo''k').


• wallopers — police

• youse – plural of the pronoun you, also common in Irish, Scottish and US English.

• block – as in 'do the block', to parade around or be on display, especially in public. or 'do my block' to get aggressive. "He was off his block".


• blimey — An exclamation of surprise or astonishment, as in "Caw blimey!". Popularly used term of international Australian celebrity Steve Irwin


• bodgie — bad or poor quality (adjective) or; a male member of a 1950s Rock 'n' Roll subculture (noun). In the latter sense, similar to both US Greasers and British Rockers .


• bonzer – excellent (almost extinct). Often in the exclamation '''bonzer beauty'''. Probably from the Spanish word ''bonanza'', by way of American English . Also spelt '''bonza'''.


• cobber — friend, buddy. Nearly extinct.


• clobber — clothes. "That's some fancy clobber ya got there, mate"


• cooee! – a shouted greeting. Also in the phrase "not within cooee," meaning "a long way off." Once ubiquitous, now almost extinct.


• dogs, '''jacks''' or '''traps''' – the police. These Australianisms have been largely replaced by the international '''cops''', '''coppers''', '''pigs''' or '''bacon'''. However the older, more affectionate '''wallopers''' is also still used. '''jacks''' survives in semi-common usage in Melbourne's Western suburbs.


• Drongo – an idiot (usage in decline); from a Subfamily of Australian birds. (According to mythology, these have extravagantly flared tails and cavort noisily in groups as part of their mating habits.) Possibly an indirect derivation, from the name of a remarkably unsuccessful Racehorse .


• flamin' – an exclamatory term, usually with bad connotations for example "You flamin' mongrel!" (This phrase is famously used on Australian soap opera '' Home And Away '', but is not unique to Australia and is also common in British English ).


• Furphy – a lie or rumour. Furphy was the supplier of water carts to the Australian Army in World War I . Much like modern day Water Cooler s, the carts became meeting points and rumour mills.


• Galah – a fool (survives, but in decline), from the bird. This word has been used in commercials against Drunk Driving ; "Don't be a galah!"


• map of Tassie – Female pubic hair. Tassie being short for Tasmania and used for the general similarity in shape of the map to this part of the anatomy. Not in common usage.


• nasho -adjective and noun, pertaining to National Service or conscription for military service esp. in 1960s.


• sharpie — member of a 1960s and 1970s teenage subculture. Probably from "sharply dressed" and/or a reference to the use of knives.


• struth! (sometimes spelt '''strewth''') – expression of shock or dismay (replaced by stronger expletives such as " Fuck !" or "shit!"). Possibly of Shakespeare an origin, "God's Truth". Also heard occasionally in the English Cockney dialect. Other older expletives of English origin such as "cripes," "my oath" and "blimey" are also dying out.


• widgie — female bodgie (see above).


• Wowser – a killjoy or puritan. Still used but in decline.

• Adrian Quist – "pissed" (that is drunk, not the US English sense of "annoyed" or "angry"). Now rarely heard. Named after a well-known Australian Tennis player of the 1930s and 1940s .


• bag of fruit – "suit", as in suit and tie.


• billy lids — kids.


• bread crumb – as in bum.


• barry – a "shocker" (as in a poor performance), from the Australian Crooner and actor Barry Crocker .


• captain – "look", from Captain James Cook , as in "Having a good Captain, are ya??


• china plate – "mate", friend, buddy.


• chunder – to vomit. From Chunder Loo, a Cartoon Character who was once a regular feature in '' The Bulletin '' (not an abbreviation of "watch under", which is a False Etymology ). Falling out of use as the more common synonyms such as "throw-up", "have a spew", "chuck me guts up" and "be sick" persist. US terms like "puke" or "hurl" are also occasionally used.


• dead horse — "tomato sauce"


• dog and bone – "telephone".


• dropkick – originally " Cunt ", from "dropkick punt", a kick used in various codes of Football . Since the "punt" has now been forgotten, "dropkick" usually just means a stupid person.


• frog and toad – "road", usually in the phrase "hit the frog 'n 'toad" (that is depart)


• good cheer – "beer".


• Harold Holt — " Salt ". Derived from an Australian Prime Minister , who disappeared while swimming in the sea, in 1967 .


• Harry Holt (see above) – "bolt", as in depart quickly.


• horse's hoof — "poof" ( Homosexual ).


• jack dancer — Cancer , "the big 'C'"; rhymes only with the Australian pronunciation of "dancer".


• Joe Blake – "snake".


• Meat Pie — Try a score in Rugby League and Union


• Noah's Ark — "shark".


• Pork Pie, Porky Pie Or Porkies — "is a form of lie, typically a white lie. It would be used as in "when I looked into it I realised the whole story was a porky pie".


• reg grundy's – "undies", Underpants , after Reg Grundy , well known Australian television producer. Sometimes also: "reginalds".


• sausage roll – "goal", as in scoring point(s) for the team.


• septic (or '''seppo''') – " American ", short for Septic Tank , which rhymes with Yank .


• snake's – "piss", from snake's hiss, as in "I'm busting for a snake's."


• Steak And Kidney – " Sydney ".


• sway and swerve — perv (see above)


• trouble & strife – "wife", as in "I can't come out I gotta stay home with the trouble and strife".


• Warwick Farms — Arms. After the racecourse in Sydney , Australia .

• ambo- ambulance driver.


• ''' a bastard?"


• battler – a socially-respected, hard-working Australian who is struggling to "make ends meet", because their income is only just enough to survive off.


• birds — females, (being driven out by the American word "chick").


• Bloke – generic term for a man (also common in British English ).


• ---Example with a negative connotation. he's such a bloke (he is insensitive, he is interested in masculine pastimes, such as drinking and sport.).


• ---Example with a positive connotation. he's a good bloke (you can rely on him / he's a good person).


• bludger – originally, one who lives off the earnings of prostitution: in Australian usage, a lazy person. See also '''dole bludger'''.


• Blue – traditional Australian name of anyone with red hair — particularly common in the Army, but also used in wider society. Richard Branson 's airline operation in Australia is therefore officially named Virgin Blue in reference to its red planes.


• Bogan – a term used for a Lower Class white Australian, similar in meaning to the US term Trailer Trash . Seems to have originated in Melbourne before spreading throughout the country after being used in Melbourne-produced television programs. ''' Westie ''' is the term favoured in Sydney for people who live in the Western Suburbs of Sydney . Other alternatives include '''bevan''' (in Queensland) , ''' Booner ''' in Canberra and '''chigger''' in the northern suburbs of Hobart .


• boofhead — idiot, can also refer to someone with big hair.


• Bub — baby.


• Bushranger – a highwayman (colonial-era word no longer in common use).


• Cadbury (sometimes ''Cadbury's'') – someone who gets drunk very quickly. From a series of commercials for Cadbury milk chocolate claiming each block contains "a glass and a half of full-cream dairy milk", the implication being the "Cadbury" can't hold more than a glass and a half of beer.


• Coconut - a person with dark skin who has forsaken his ethnic cultural values or people in favour of white cultural values and society. Brown on the outside, white inside. Derogatory.


• crook — a person of unsound character, or criminal; ''That crook Kezza's ripped me off!''.


• dag -mild term for a foolish, clumsy, unfashionable or shabbily-dressed person. Originally a lump of fæces-encrusted wool dangling from a sheep's posterior. Can also mean a silly, funny, or goofy person when used affectionately. '''Daggy''' is a commonly used adjective.


• derro – a tramp or wino. Short form of .


• dole bludger – a person living on social security who does so by choice, that is who actively chooses to be unemployed.


• dropkick — someone who is not successful, lazy or not fulfilling their full potential.


• Eastie – a term used for an Upper Class white Australian, a term favoured in Sydney for people who live in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney .


• garbo – a garbage collector. More specifically, the men who ran behind the garbage truck, picking up the garbage bins from the kerbside and emptying them into the truck. Now made obsolete by machines which do the same thing with a pronged implement.


• greenie – an environmentalist.


• Gumby – ticket inspectors on Melbourne's public transport system. Employees of the old Public Transport Corporation wore dark green overcoats of a similar colour (being the colour generally used by the PTC) to the cartoon character of the same name. Also known as a 'grey ghost', as the coat colours have changed in recent years.


• hoon – a thug or lout; especially one in command of a hotted-up motor vehicle.


• Larrikin – A person who is rebellious, non conformist and/or anti-authoritarian.


• leso – (pronounced lezzo). A lesbian.


• Mate – a friend. A term that is used affectionately to address friends and acquaintances ("How's it going, mate?"), to address strangers ("Excuse me, mate..."), and extravagant pleasure at seeing someone (Mate! It's beaut to see yer again!"). Also used as a noun ("He's a good mate"). Sometimes deliberately used as an expression of aggression or threat (hostile overfamiliarity) directed towards a hostile or indifferent stranger (the tone of voice and context will make this usage very clear; there is no danger of confusion). The term is also common in British English in all these respects.


• nong, or '''ning-nong''' – idiot, moron. (Used famously on one occasion by Wilson Tuckey , at that time a Member of the Opposition , to address Prime Minister Paul Keating .)


• party room — group of members of parliament belonging to the same party, equivalent to parliamentary party (in British English). Caucus is used only to refer to the parliamentary members of the Australian Labor Party .


• poofter, '''pooftah''' or '''poof''' – homosexual man (also common in British English ).


• public servant — government employee, or (in British English) a Civil Servant . Originally a euphemism for British Convict s transported to Australia in the 18th and 19th centruries. {Link without Title}


• root rat – a sexually active and promiscuous person; a person always on the lookout for a sexual liaison.


• sheila – a (young) woman: also in New Zealand (being driven out by the American word "chick").


• sook — someone who acts in a timid, crybaby manner.


• spunk- a sexually attractive female or male. This usage can inadvertently cause outrage among British people, where "spunk" is slang for Semen . Conversely, spunk in North American English usually means "courage" or "pluckiness".


• sprogs — children. "They've got a coupla sprogs". Can also be slang for Semen .


• stickybeak — A snoop, cf. British English ''noseyparker''. Also used as a verb ''to stickybeak''.


• Tall Poppy – someone who (through hard work, natural ability, or simply luck) rises above the average, and if he/ she has the bad manners to flaunt his/ her success or talent rather than employing the socially acceptable self-deprecation or modesty (real or false), attracts the disapprobation of others.


• tool — an idiot, imbecile.


• towie — a tow-truck operator. Ski-lift operator


• truckie — a truck driver.


• two-can Sam — somone who get drunk very quickly. Reference to the mascot of Fruit Loops breakfast cereal '''Toucan Sam'''.


• two pot screamer – someone who gets drunk very quickly. " Pot " is the term used in Victorian and Queensland pubs for a 285 ml (10 ounce) beer glass. See also ''Cadbury''.


• Yobbo or '''yob''' — uncouth male. Also used in British English.

• Banana bender – a Queensland er, since Queensland is a major banana-producing region. Also " Cane Toad ", since the state was where the troublesome amphibian species was introduced.


• Deep North – Queensland . Used by New South Wales people as a derogatory term in the same way the Americans use the phrase '''Deep South'''.


• Cockroach – a New South Wales Person . Popularised by the Queensland Rugby League identity Barry Muir (b. 1937). Consequently, in State Of Origin rugby league matches between Queensland and New South Wales, the teams are informally known as the Cane Toads and the Cockroaches.


• Crow eater – a South Australia n. Possibly from the Piping Shrike , the Crow -like Fauna l emblem of the state. Another common theory is that early European settlers were forced by hunger to eat crows.


• Eastern States – term used by West Australians and South Australians to refer to the rest of Australia; a common derivation is '''Eastern Stater'''.


• Mainland – term used by Tasmanians to refer to the rest of Australia; a common derivation is '''Mainlander'''.


• Mexican – usually used to indicate a Victoria n, due to the fact that Victoria is south of the border from New South Wales, Queensland and the territories, but also used by Queenslanders to refer to people from both New South Wales and Victoria (states south of Queensland). Strangely, South Australians also use this term to refer to Victorians, even though Victoria is east of the border from SA.


• Sandgroper – a Western Australia n. Originally insects from the '' Cylindrachetidae '' family, many of which are found in WA. Probably also a reference to the sandy soils of the Perth region. Popularised by Henry Lawson .


• Taswegian or '''Tasmaniac''' – a Tasmania n.


• Territorian or '''Top Ender''' – a Northern Territorian .


• Centralian or '''Dust eater''' — for people living in Central Australia , typically around Alice Springs , in Southern Northern Territory .


• Wetback - loan word from American slang. Used by Queenslanders in the same manner as Mexican. Derogatory.


• Yogi or ''' Yogi Bear ''' - an Australian Capital Territorian . Derived from the ACT vehicle licence plates, which all begin with "Y". See Australian Vehicle Number Plates .


• New South Welshman - Someone from New South Wales .

• Abo, '''boong''', '''coon''' or '''blackfella''' – an Indigenous Australian person. Boong and coon are considered offensive. Blackfella is an informal term mainly used in regional and outback areas by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. The offensive word Nigger , used by some English speakers around the world for People Of Colour is also sometimes used in relation to Indigenous Australians.


• Anglo – generic term for an Australian of British or Irish descent. May be offensive to people of Celt ic descent.


• Anglo-Celtic – media/academic term for an Australian of British or Irish descent


• Asian – usually East or Southeast Asia n (rather than South Asia n, as in British usage).


• Aussie ( Pronounced : ) – an Australian.


• Camel jockey — offensive slang for an Arab or other person of Middle East ern origin. Offensive.


• Chink or '''chinger''' – a person of East Asia n descent. Once used specifically for Chinese People , this is now used in a more general sense to refer to Asians. Offensive.


• Choco or '''Chocco''' – any person of significantly darker skin, including Indigenous Australians , assumed to be either from the name of a type of chocolate coloured jelly baby sold in Australia, or simply that they are "chocolate-coloured". Offensive.


• Filo (pronounced: ) – a person of Filipino descent.


• Gook – taken from the American slang term for Asians of Vietnamese origin. Highly offensive.


• Gypo or '''gipo''' (pronounced: ) – a person of Egyptian descent. may be offensive.


• Kiwi - New Zealander.


• Indian – a person from the Indian Sub-continent (including Pakistan , Sri Lanka , etc); Australians sometimes use this somewhat generic term (as British people use "Asian" for people from the same region) to distinguish them from east or south-east Asians. ''' Curry Muncher ''' or '''curry''' (abbreviated) is another term used but is generally considered offensive.


• Jap or '''nip''' – an Asian person of Japanese descent. The term Nip is sometimes used to describe a person of general Asian appearance. Both of these words are simply shortened terms for Japanese (Nip is a diminutive of ''Nippon'', the Japanese word for Japan). Both are generally considered offensive.


• Lebo or '''leb''' – a person of Lebanese descent. Considered offensive by some. See: Lebanese Australian .


• Maco — (pronounced "masso") a person of Macedonian decent. May be regarded as offensive.


• New Australian – 1950s term for immigrant, usually from continental Europe, becoming obsolete.


• Ocker - (pronounced oka) an Australian. Maybe regarded as offensive depending on context.


• Paki — term used to describe a person from Pakistan (or sometimes the Indian Sub-continent in general). Offensive.


• Pommie – (also '''pom''' or '''pommy''') a word for an English person. Generally regarded as being mildly derogatory, but sometimes also used offensivly. The true origin of this term is somewhat obscure, and several theories abound. The Macquarie Dictionary states that it is a contraction of ''pomegranate'', which was Rhyming Slang for ''immigrant'' ("imme-granate"). (See also Fake Etymology . Another common explanation is that "pom" originated as a term for British convicts sent to Australia; that is, as an Acronym for "Prisoner of Mother England". However, the latter theory is not accepted by lexicographers.)


• Reffo – someone who has moved to Australia as a Refugee . Offensive.


• Saffa - A South African person, especially used by Australians who have lived in the UK.


• Seppo – an American, from rhyming slang Septic Tank = Yank , with the connotation that said person is "full of shit". Offensive.


• Slant or '''slope''' – a derogatory term used for people of East Asia n or South-east Asia n descent. Derived from the Epicanthal Fold s (i.e. "slanted eyes") of people from these backgrounds. During the 1990s, the related term " Power Point " was reported as being used by some members of the New South Wales Police for similar reasons, based on the slanted positive and negative pins on an Australian-style power point. Highly offensive.


• Skip or '''skippy''' – a (sometimes derogatory) term for an Australian of Anglo-Celtic descent. Chiefly used in large cities by young people of Southeast European or Asian descent. Probably a reference to the famous 1960s children's television programme Skippy The Bush Kangaroo which featured a predominantly Anglo-Celtic cast.


• South Sea Pom — slang for a New Zealander .


• Wog – derogatory, but increasingly reclaimed, term for Italians , Greeks or other immigrants from Southern Europe or the Mediterranean Region . (Contrast with British usage, where the word usually refers to people of Middle Eastern or South Asian descent). However this is also used to mean a cold or bug. '''clog wog''' refers to Australians of Dutch descent.


• Yank – An American. Also used in the United States, in Britain, Latin America, Asia and New Zealand.


• Yarpie — a white South African (whether Anglo-African or Afrikaaner ). From the pronounciation of the Afrikaans word ''japie'', meaning "farm boy".

• Belgium sausage — Tasmania (A beef variant is known as beef Belgium.)


• Byron sausage – New England .


• devon — Victoria , New South Wales (except Hunter Valley and New England), Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory


• empire sausage — Hunter Valley


• fritz — South Australia and Broken Hill, New South Wales


• German sausage or '''pork German''' — Victoria and northern Tasmania


• luncheon sausage — Queensland


• polony — Western Australia


• round meat — Northern Territory


• strasburg or '''strasbourg''' or '''stras''' — Victoria (The name is used for a spicier, wider-sliced processed meat in other areas.)


• wheel meat — Tasmania


• windsor sausage — North Queensland

''bold = common''

• = rare/extinct''
  


• --- = Only in the case of British or Irish beers.''
  

• Australian Alcohol Guidelines Standard Drinks Guide

• cardie – cardigan


• dacks (daks) – trousers, most likely derived from the London clothier Daks (founded in 1894 ). '''Trackie dacks''' are tracksuit pants, and '''underdacks''' are underpants or knickers. To dak someone is to pull their pants down.


• flannie or '''flanno''' – A shirt made from Flanelette , most often with a check pattern.


• Gumboots — Wellington Boots .


• Jackie Howe or '''singlet''' – A blue Singlet popularised by famous Shearer Jackie Howe and blue collar workers.


• moccies – Moccasin -style footwear.


• Singlet — a sleeveless Undershirt , known in British English as a Vest and in US English as a Tank Top (or, colloquially, as a "wife beater").


• Thong s – Flip-flop s, cf. NZE ''jandals''. The undergarment is called a G-string in Australia.


• Runners or '''joggers''' (NSW/ Queensland) – Running shoes. The term Sneakers is increasly used, but refers mainly to basketball and casual shoes.


• Ugg Boots – sheepskin boot. This word has been trademarked by Deckers Outdoor Corporation in some countries, however, it has always been regarded as a generic word in Australian English.

• bathers – the most common term in Victoria , South Australia , Western Australia , Tasmania and occasionally in other states. From "bathing suit".


• boardies – short for Board Shorts


• cossie – from "swimming costume". Usage of this name is generally restricted to New South Wales and Victoria .


• Speedos – generic term for men's swimming Briefs which originated in Australia, as a brand name (see Speedo ). Known colloquially as ''sluggos'', '' Budgie smugglers'', '' Dick stickers'', ''dick dacks'', ''dick hangers'', ''dick togs'' ("DTs" for short) and ''cock jocks'' ("CJs").


• swimmers – used mainly in New South Wales. From "swimming costume".


• togs – used mainly in Queensland , but also by some people in Western Australia and Victoria, to describe any type of swimwear.


• trunks – now virtually extinct, formerly used by some people in various regions, to describe any type of swimwear.

• Commodore — popular family car designed and built by Holden (see below).


• Falcon — popular family car designed and built by Ford Australia .


• Holden — Australian branch of General Motors . Manufacturers of the Commodore in addition to other models.


• Magna — family car designed and built by Mitsubishi Motors Australia , until 2004. Replaced by the Mitsubishi 380 .

• --- In most of the Australian States , the word "football" usually refers to Australian rules football (also known simply as Australian football or "Aussie Rules"). In these States there is little or no popular differentiation between the two kinds of rugby football.


• --- In the States of New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland , most people refer to rugby league simply as "football". Rugby union is known simply as "rugby". Australian rules is often known in these areas as "AFL" (a name which, strictly speaking, refers to the main governing body, the Australian Football League ).


• --- In areas in which all three codes are popular, especially the Australian Capital Territory , the Northern Territory and the Riverina (south-western NSW), the word "football" is rarely used, and the names "league", "union" and "Aussie rules" (or just "rules") are used, to avoid confusion.


• --- Association football is generally known as soccer in Australia. However, sportscasters on the Special Broadcasting Service (if not presenters in other departments at SBS) have always referred to the game as "football". In 2005 , the governing body changed its name to Football Federation Australia . Other media sources (especially in New South Wales and Queensland ) now also refer to the game as "football".


• --- In Australia, American football, which has a small following, is known as Gridiron .

• Australian English


• List Of English Words Of Australian Aboriginal Origin

• ABC Radio National, 1999, ''Lingua Franca'', "Australian English: Australian Identity..."


• Australian National Dictionary Centre


• Australian Word Map (Australian regionalisms)


• Aussie English for beginners — the origins, meanings and a quiz to test your knowledge at the National Museum of Australia.


• ABC National Radio, "Mate, What Next?


• Macquarie Dictionary


• World English Organisation