A
Amber fluid : beer
Ankle biter : small child
Apples, she'll be : It'll be alright
Arvo : afternoon
Aussie (pron. Ozzie) : Australian
B
B & S : Bachelors' and Spinsters' Ball - a very enjoyable party usually
held in rural areas
Back of Bourke : a very long way away
Bail (somebody) up : to corner somebody physically
Bail out : depart, usually angrily
Banana bender : a person from Queensland
Barbie : barbecue (noun)
Barrack : to cheer on (football team etc.)
Bastard : term of endearment
Bathers : swimming costume
Battler : someone working hard and only just making a living
Beaut, beauty : great, fantastic
Bikkie : biscuit (also "it cost big
bikkies" - it was expensive)
Billabong : an ox-bow river or watering hole
Billy : large tin can used to boil water over a campfire
for tea
Bities : biting insects
Bizzo : business ("mind your own bizzo")
Black Stump, beyond the : a long way away, the back of
nowhere
Bloke : man, guy
Bloody : very (bloody hard yakka)
Bloody oath! : that's certainly true
Blowie : blow fly
Bludger : lazy person, layabout, somebody who always relies
on other people to do things or lend him things
Blue : fight ("he was having a blue with his wife")
Blue, make a : make a mistake
Bluey : pack, equipment, traffic ticket, redhead
Bluey : blue cattle dog (named after its subtle markings)
which is an excellent working dog. Everyone's favourite all-Aussie
dog.
Bodgy : of inferior quality
Bog in : commence eating, to attack food with enthusiasm
Bonzer : great, ripper
Boogie board : a hybrid, half-sized surf board
Boomer : a large male kangaroo
Booze bus : police vehicle used for catching drunk drivers
Boozer : a pub
Bored shitless : very bored
Bottle shop : liquor shop
Bottle-o : liquor shop
Bottler : something excellent
Bottling, his blood's worth : he's an excellent, helpful
bloke.
Bounce : a bully
Bourke Street, he doesn't know Christmas from : he's a
bit slow in the head. (Bourke Street is a brightly lit Melbourne
street)
Brass razoo, he hasn't got a : he's very poor
Brekkie : breakfast
Brick shit house, built like a : big strong bloke
Brickie : bricklayer
Brizzie : Brisbane, state capital of Queensland
Brown-eyed mullet : a turd in the sea (where you're swimming!)
Brumby : a wild horse
Buck's night : stag party, male gathering the night before
the wedding
Buckley's, Buckley's chance : no chance ("New Zealand
stands Buckley's of beating Australia at football")
Bull bar : stout bar fixed to the front of a vehicle to
protect it against hitting kangaroos
Bundy : short for Bundaberg, Queensland, and the brand
of rum that's made there
Bunyip : mythical outback creature
Bush : the hinterland, the Outback, anywhere that isn't
in town
Bush telly : campfire
Bushie : someone who lives in the Bush
Bushranger : highwayman, outlaw
BYO : unlicensed restaurant where you have to
BYO own grog, also similar party
or barbecue
C
Cactus : dead, not functioning ("this bloody washing machine is cactus")
Captain Cook : look (noun) ("let's have a Captain
Cook")
Cark it : to die, cease functioning
Cat burying shit, as busy as a : busy
Cat's piss, as mean as : mean, stingy, uncharitable
Chewie : chewing gum
Chokkie : chocolate
Chook : a chicken
Chrissie : Christmas
Christmas : see Bourke Street
Chuck a sickie : take the day off sick from work when you're
perfectly healthy
Chunder : vomit
Clayton's : fake, substitute
Click : kilometre - "it's 10 clicks away"
Clucky : feeling broody or maternal
Cobber : friend
Cockie : farmer. Also a cockatoo
Cockroach : a person from New South Wales
Coldie : a beer
Come a gutser : make a bad mistake, have an accident
Compo : Workers' Compensation pay
Cooee, not within : figuratively a long way away, far off
- England weren't within cooee of beating Australia at cricket
Cook (noun) : One's wife
Corroboree : an aboriginal dance festival
Counter lunch : pub lunch
Cozzie : swimming costume
Crack a fat : get an erection
Cranky : in a bad mood, angry
Cream (verb) : defeat by a large margin
Crook : sick, or badly made
Crow eater : a person from South Australia
Cut lunch : sandwiches
Cut snake, mad as a : very angry
D
Dag : a funny person, nerd, goof
Daks : trousers
Damper : bread made from flour and water
Dead horse : Tomato sauce
Deadset : true, the truth
Dero : tramp, hobo, homeless person (from "derelict")
Digger : a soldier
Dill : an idiot
Dinkum, fair dinkum : true, real, genuine ("I'm a
dinkum Aussie"; "is he fair dinkum?")
Dinky-di : the real thing, genuine
Dipstick : a loser, idiot
Dob (somebody) in : inform on somebody. Hence dobber, a
tell-tale
Docket : a bill, receipt
Dog : unattractive woman
Dole bludger : Somebody on social assistance when unjustified
Doozey : something very pleasant, significant, large
Down Under : Australia and New Zealand
Drink with the flies : to drink alone
Drongo : a dope, stupid person
Drum : information, tip-off ("I'll give you the drum")
Dummy, spit the : get very upset at something
Dunny : outside lavatory
Durry : cigarette style='font-size:9.0pt;"Arial Unicode MS";color:black'>
E
Earbashing : nagging, non-stop chatter
Ekka : the Brisbane Exhibition, an annual show
Esky : large insulated food/drink container for picnics,
barbecues etc.
Exy : expensive
F
Face, off one's : drunk ("He was off his face by 9pm")
Fair dinkum : true, genuine
Fair go : a chance ("give a bloke a fair go")
Fairy floss : candy floss, cotton candy
Feral (n.) : a hippie
Flake : shark's flesh (sold in fish & chips shops)
Flick : to give something or somebody the flick is to get
rid of it or him/her
Flick it on : to sell something, usually for a quick profit,
soon after buying it.
Fly wire : gauze flyscreen covering a window or doorway.
Footy : Australian Rules football
Fossicking : searching, rummaging ("fossicking through
the kitchen drawers")
Frog in a sock, as cross as a : sounding angry - a person
or your hard drive!
Fruit loop : fool
Full : drunk
G
G'Day : hello!
Galah : fool, named after the bird of the same name which
flies south in the winter - a bloody silly thing to do in the
Southern Hemisphere
Garbo, garbologist : municipal garbage collector
Give it a burl : try it, have a go
Gobful, give a : to abuse, usually justifiably ("The
neighbours were having a noisy party so I went and gave them a
gobful")
Going off : used of a night spot or party that is a lot
of fun - "the place was really going off"
Good oil : useful information, a good idea, the truth
Good onya : good for you, well done
Greenie : environmentalist
Grinning like a shot fox : very happy, smugly satisfied
Grog : liquor, beer ("bring your own grog, you bludger")
Grouse (adj.) : great, terrific, very good
Grundies : undies, underwear (from Reg Grundy, a television
person)
Gutful of piss : drunk, "he's got a gutful of piss"
H
Heaps : a lot, e.g. "thanks
heaps", "(s)he earned heaps of money" etc.
Holy dooley! : an exclamation of surprise = "Good
heavens!", "My goodness!" "Good grief!"
or similar
Hoon : hooligan
Hotel : often just a pub
Hottie : hot water bottle
I
Icy pole, ice block : popsicle, lollypop
J
Jackaroo : a male station hand (a station is a big farm/grazing property)
Jillaroo : a female station hand
Joey : baby kangaroo
Journo : journalist
Jumbuck : sheep
K
Kangaroos loose in the top
paddock : Intellectually
inadequate ("he's got kangaroos loose in the top paddock")
Kelpie : Australian sheepdog originally bred from Scottish
collie
Kero : kerosene
Kindie : kindergarten
Knock : to criticise
Knock back : refusal (noun), refuse (transitive verb)
Knocker : somebody who criticises
L
Lair : a flashily dressed young man of brash and
vulgar behaviour, to dress up in flashy clothes, to renovate or dress
up something in bad taste
Lair it up : to behave in a brash and vulgar manner
Larrikin : a bloke who is always enjoying himself, harmless
prankster
Lend of, to have a : to take advantage of somebody's gullibility,
to have someone on ("he's having a lend of you")
Lippy : lipstick
Lizard drinking, flat out like a : flat out, busy
Lob, lob in : drop in to see someone ("the rellies
have lobbed")
Lollies : sweets, candy
Loo : toilet
Lucky Country, The : Australia, where else?
Lurk : illegal or underhanded racket style='font-size:
9.0pt; color:black'>
M
Mallee bull, as fit as a : very fit and strong. The Mallee is very
arid beef country in Victoria/South Australia.
Manchester : Household linen, eg sheets etc.
Mate : buddy, friend
Mate's rate, mate's discount : cheaper than usual for a
"friend"
Matilda : swagman's bedding, sleeping roll
Metho : methylated spirits
Mexican : a person from south of the (Queensland) border
Mickey Mouse : excellent, very good. Beware though - in
some parts of Australia it means inconsequential, frivolous or
not very good!
Middy : 285 ml beer glass in New South Wales
Milk bar : corner shop that sells takeaway food
Milko : milkman
Mob : group of people, not necessarily troublesome
Mob : family or herd (?) of kangaroos
Mongrel : despicable person
Moolah : money
Mozzie : mosquito
Muddy : mud crab (a great delicacy)
Mug : friendly insult ("have a go, yer mug"),
gullible person
Mull : grass (the kind you smoke)
Muster : round up sheep or cattle
N
Naughty, have a : have
sex
Never Never : the Outback, centre of Australia
Nipper : young surf lifesaver
No worries! : Expression of forgiveness or reassurance
(No problem; forget about it; I can do it; Yes, I'll do it)
No-hoper : somebody who'll never do well
Not the full quid : not bright intellectually
Nuddy, in the : naked
O
O.S. :
overseas ("he's gone O.S.")
Ocker : an unsophisticated person
Offsider : an assistant, helper
Oldies : parents - "I'll have to ask my oldies"
Outback : interior of Australia
Oz : Australia!
P
Pash : a long passionate kiss; hence "pashing on"
Pav : Pavlova - a rich, creamy Australian dessert
Perve (noun & verb) : looking lustfully at the opposite
sex
Piece of piss : easy task
Pig's arse! : I don't agree with you
Piker : Someone who doesn't want to fit in with others
socially, leaves parties early
Piss : beer. Hence "hit the piss", "sink
some piss"
Plate, bring a : Instruction on party or BBQ invitation
to bring your own food. It doesn't mean they're short of crockery!
Plonk : cheap wine
Pokies : poker machines, fruit machines, gambling slot
machines
Polly : politician
Pom, pommy : an Englishman
Port : suitcase (portmanteau)
Postie : postman, mailman
Pot : 285 ml beer glass in Queensland
Pozzy : position - get a good pozzy at the football stadium
Prezzy : present, gift style='font-size:9.0pt;"Arial Unicode MS";color:black'>
Q
Quid, make a : earn a living - "are you making a quid?"
Quid, not the full : of low IQ
R
Rack off :
push off! get lost! get out of here! also "rack off hairy
legs!".
Rage : party
Rage on : to continue partying - "we raged on until
3am"
Rapt : pleased, delighted
Ratbag : mild insult
Raw prawn, to come the : to bullshit, to be generally disagreeable
Reckon! : you bet! Absolutely!
Reffo : refugee
Rego : vehicle registration
Rellie : family relative
Ridgy-didge : original, genuine
Right : okay ("she'll be right, mate")
Rip snorter : great, fantastic - "it was a rip snorter
of a party"
Ripper : great, fantastic - "it was a ripper party"
Road train : big truck with many trailers
Rock up : to turn up, to arrive - "we rocked up at
their house at 8pm"
Rollie : a cigarette that you roll yourself
Roo : kangaroo
Ropeable : very angry
Rort (verb or noun) : Cheating, fiddling, defrauding
(expenses, the system etc.). Usually used of politicians
Rotten : drunk - "I went out last night and got rotten"
Rubbish (verb) : to criticize
S
Salvos, the : Salvation
Army, bless them
Sandgroper : a person from Western Australia
Sanger : a sandwich
Schooner : large beer glass in Queensland; small beer glass
in South Australia
Scratchy : instant lottery ticket
Screamer : party lover; "two pot screamer" -
somebody who gets drunk on very little alcohol
Servo : petrol station
Shark biscuit : somebody new to surfing
She'll be right : it'll turn out okay
Sheila : a woman
Shonky : dubious, underhanded. E.g. a shonky practice,
shonky business etc.
Shoot through : to leave
Shout : turn to buy - a round of drinks usually ("it's
your shout")
Sickie : day off sick from work (chuck a sickie = take
the day off sick from work when you're perfectly healthy!)
Skite : boast, brag
Slab : a carton of 24 bottles or cans of beer
Sleepout : house verandah converted to a bedroom
Smoko : smoke or coffee break
Snag : a sausage
Sook : person or animal who is soft, tame, inoffensive.
Hence sooky (adj.)
Spag bol : spaghetti bolognese
Spewin' : very angry
Spit the dummy : get very upset at something
Sprung : caught doing something wrong
Spunk : a good looking person (of either sex)
Squizz (noun) : look - "take a squizz at this"
Standover man : a large man, usually gang-related, who
threatens people with physical violence in order to have his wishes
carried out.
Station : a big farm/grazing property
Stickybeak : nosy person
Stoked : very pleased
Strewth : exclamation, mild oath ("Strewth, that Chris
is a bonzer bloke")
Strides : trousers
Strine : Australian slang and pronunciation
Stubby : a 375ml. beer bottle
Stubby holder : polystyrene insulated holder for a stubby
Stuffed, I feel : I'm tired
Stuffed, I'll be : expression of surprise
Sunbake : sunbathe
Sunnies : sunglasses
Surfies : people who go surfing - usually more often than
they go to work!
Swag : rolled up bedding etc. carried by a swagman
Swaggie : swagman
T
Tall poppies :
successful people
Tall poppy syndrome : the tendency to criticize successful
people
Tee-up : to set up (an appointment)
Thingo : Wadjamacallit, thingummy, whatsit
Thongs : cheap rubber backless sandals
Tickets, to have on oneself : to have a high opinion of
oneself
Tinny : can of beer
Tinny : lucky
Tinny : small aluminium boat
Togs : swim suit
Too right! : definitely!
Top End : far north of Australia
Trackie daks/dacks : tracksuit pants
Trackies : track suit
Trough lolly : the solid piece of perfumed disinfectant
in a men's urinal
Truckie : truck driver
True blue : patriotic
Tucker : food
Tucker-bag : food bag
Turps : turpentine, alcoholic drink
Turps, hit the : go on a drinking binge
Two up : gambling game played by spinning two coins simultaneously
U
Uni : university
Unit : flat, apartment
Up oneself : have a high opinion of oneself - "he's
really up himself"
Up somebody, get : to rebuke somebody - "the boss
got up me for being late"
Useful as an ashtray on a motorbike / tits on a bull :
unhelpful or incompetent person or thing - "he, she or it
is about as useful as tits on a bull" etc. etc.
Ute : utility vehicle, pickup truck
V
Vedgies : vegetables
Vee dub : Volkswagen
Veg out : relax in front of the TV (like a vegetable)
Vejjo : vegetarian
W
Waggin' school :
playing truant
Walkabout : a walk in the Outback by Aborigines that lasts
for an indefinite amount of time
Walkabout, it's gone : it's lost, can't be found
Whinge : complain
Whiteant (verb) : to criticise something to deter
somebody from buying it. A car dealer might whiteant another dealer's
cars or a real estate salesman might whiteant another agent's
property
Wobbly : excitable behaviour ("I complained about
the food and the waiter threw a wobbly")
Wobbly boot on, he's got the : drunk
Wombat : somebody who eats, roots and leaves (see also
root)
Woop Woop : invented name for any small unimportant town
- "he lives in Woop Woop"
Wowser : straight-laced person, prude, puritan, spoilsport
Wuss : coward; nervous person or animal
X
XXXX :
pronounced Four X, brand of beer made in Queensland
Y
Yabber :
talk (a lot)
Yakka : work (noun)
Yewy : u-turn in traffic ("chuck a yewy at the next
traffic lights")
Yobbo : an uncouth person
Z
Zack : sixpence (5
cents) - "it isn't worth a zack", "he
hasn't got a zack"
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