During your time abroad, you’ll hear your fair share of Aussie Slang.To help you understand our ‘foreign tongue’, we have compiled a list of frequently used slang words and phrases! Learn these and you’ll feel at home on your first day “down under”.
Aussie slang incorporates many terms that we consider to be unique to our country. Some words are derived from the indigenous Aboriginal languages, mainly as names for flora and fauna (for example, dingo & kangaroo). One of the most well-known of the Aussie slang words is ‘outback’ which means “remote, sparsely-populated areas”.
Take a look over the list, you might be surprised how much slang you already know!
SLANG | DEFINITION |
---|---|
Ace! | Excellent! Very good! |
Aussie (Pronounced Ozzie) | Australian |
Arvo | Afternoon |
Beaut | Great, fantastic |
Barbie | Barbecue (noun) |
Bloke | Man, guy |
Bloody oath! | That’s certainly true |
Blowie | Blow fly |
Bottle-o | Liquor shop |
Budgie smugglers | Men’s bathing costume |
Coldie | A beer |
Cozzie | Swimwear |
Dinkum, fair dinkum | True, real, genuine – “I’m a dinkum Aussie”; “is he fair Dinkum?” |
Dag | A funny person, nerd, goof |
Down Under | Australia |
Dunny | Outside lavatory |
Esky | Large insulated food/drink container for picnics, Barbecues etc. |
Fair dinkum | True, genuine |
Flat out like a lizard drinking | Flat out, busy |
Footy | Australian Rules football |
G’Day | Hello! |
Galah | Fool, silly person. Named after the bird of the same Name because of its antics and the noise it makes |
Good onya | Good for you, well done |
Grog | Liquor, beer – “bring your own grog” |
Grouse (adj.) | Great, terrific, very good |
Hoon | Hooligan |
Hooroo | Goodbye |
Hit the Turps | To go on a drinking binge |
Joey | Baby kangaroo |
Kelpie | Australian sheepdog |
Kindie | Kindergarten |
Longneck | 750ml bootle of beer |
Mozzie | Mosquito |
No drama | Same as ‘No worries’ |
Ocker | An unsophisticated person |
Outback | Remote sparsely-populated area (Interior of Australia) |
Oz | Australia |
Porky | Lie, untruth |
Ripper | Great, fantastic – “it was a ripper party” |
Reckon | You bet! Absolutely! |
Rellie or Relo | Family relative |
Roadie | A beer you buy to take away with you |
She’ll be right | It’ll be all right |
Spewin’ | Very angry |
Smoko | Smoke or coffee break |
Snag | A sausage |
Sheila | A woman |
Stubby | A 375ml beer bottle |
Sunnies | Sunglasses |
Tallie | 750ml bottle of beer |
Veg out | Relax in front of the TV (like a vegetable) |
Vejjo | Vegetarian |
Walkabout | A walk in the Outback by Aborigines that lasts for an indefinite amount of time |
Wog | Flu or trivial illness |
Woop Woop | Invented name for any small unimportant town – “he lives in Woop Woop” |
Yabber | Talk (a lot) |
Yakka | Work (noun) |