Aerial pingpong : Australian Rules football
Amber fluid : beer
Ambo : ambulance, ambulance driver
Ankle biter : small child
Apples, she'll be : It'll be all right
Arvo : afternoon
Aussie (pron. Ozzie) : Australian
Aussie salute : brushing away flies with the hand
Avos : avocados
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
Big-note oneself : brag, boast
Bikkie : biscuit (also "it cost big bikkies" - it was expensive)
Billabong : an ox-bow river or watering hole
Billy : teapot. Container for boiling water.
Bingle : motor vehicle accident
Bities : biting insects
Bitzer : mongrel dog (bits of this and bits of that)
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
Blow in the bag : have a breathalyser test
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.
Bluey : heavy wool or felt jacket worn by mining and construction workers.
Bluey : bluebottle jellyfish
Bodgy : of inferior quality
Bog in : commence eating, to attack food with enthusiasm
Bog standard : basic, unadorned,
without accessories (a bog standard car, telephone etc.)
Bogan : person who takes little pride in his appearance,
spends his days slacking and drinking beer
Bogged : Stuck in mud, deep sand (a vehicle).
Bondi cigar : see "brown-eyed mullet"
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
(originally a man with hessian bags going around ,
picking up beer bottles in the 50's and 60's)
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)
Bowl of rice, not my : not my cup of tea; I don't like it
Brass razoo, he hasn't got a : he's very poor
Brekkie : breakfast
Brick ###### house, built like a : big strong bloke
Brickie : bricklayer
Brisvegas : Brisbane, state capital of Queensland
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")
Budgie smugglers : men's bathing costume
Bull bar : stout bar fixed to the front of a vehicle,
to protect it against hitting kangaroos (also roo bar)
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 bash : long competitive running or motorcar race through the bush
Bush oyster : nasal mucus
Bush telly : campfire
Bushie : someone who lives in the Bush
Bushman's hanky : Emitting nasal mucus by placing one index finger,
on the outside of the nose (thus blocking one nostril) and blowing.
Bushranger : highwayman, outlaw
Butcher : small glass of beer in South Australia -
From the theory that a butcher could take a quick break from his job,
have a drink and be back at work
BYO : unlicensed restaurant where you have to Bring Your Own grog,
also similar party or barbecue
Cab Sav : Cabernet Sauvignon
(a variety of wine grape)
Cactus : dead, not functioning
("this bloody washing machine is cactus")
Cane toad : a person from Queensland
Captain Cook : look (noun)
("let's have a Captain Cook")
Cark it : to die, cease functioning
Cat burying ######, 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
Clacker : anus (from Latin cloaca = sewer).
Also the single orifice of monotremes
(platypus and echidna) used both for,
reproduction and for the elimination of body wastes.
Clayton's : fake, substitute
Cleanskin : Bottle of wine without a label. Usually bought in bulk by companies who then add their own personalised label and use the wine as e.g. gifts to clients
Cleanskin : cattle that have not been branded, earmarked or castrated.
Click : kilometre - "it's 10 clicks away"
Clucky : feeling broody or maternal
Coathanger : Sydney Harbour bridge
Cobber : friend
Cockie : farmer
Cockie : cockatoo
Cockie : cockroach
Cockroach : a person from New South Wales
Coldie : a beer
Come a gutser : make a bad mistake, have an accident
Compo : Workers' Compensation pay
Conch (adj. conchy) : a conscientious person. Somebody who would rather work or study,
than go out and enjoy him/herself.
Cooee, not within :
figuratively a long way away, far off -
England weren't within cooee,
of beating Australia at cricket
Cooee, within : nearby -
I was within cooee of landing a big fish when,
the line broke.
He lives within cooee of Sydney.
Cook (noun) : One's wife
Corker : something excellent.
A good stroke in cricket might be described,
as a 'corker of a shot'
Corroboree : an aboriginal dance festival
Counter lunch/Countery : pub lunch
Cozzie : swimming costume
Crack a fat : get an erection
Crack onto (someone) : to hit on someone,
pursue someone romantically
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
Cubby house : Small, usually timber,
house in the garden used as a children's plaything.
Cut lunch : sandwiches
Cut lunch commando : army reservist
Cut snake, mad as a : very angry
Dag : a funny person, nerd, goof
Daks : trousers
Damper : bread made from flour and water
Date : arse[hole] ("get off your fat date")
Dead dingo's donger, as dry as a : dry
Dead horse : Tomato sauce
Deadset : true, the truth
Dero : tramp, hobo, homeless person
(from "derelict")
Dickhead : see "whacker"
Digger : a soldier
Dill : an idiot
Dingo's breakfast : a yawn,
a leak and a good look round
(i.e. no breakfast)
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
Divvy van : Police vehicle used,
for transporting criminals.
Named after the protective 'division'
between the driver and the villains.
Dob (somebody) in : inform on somebody.
Hence dobber, a tell-tale
Docket : a bill, receipt
Doco : documentary
Dog : unattractive woman
Dog's balls, stands out like : obvious
Dog's eye : meat pie
Dole bludger :
somebody on social assistance when unjustified
Donger : penis
Doodle : penis
Down Under : Australia and New Zealand
Drink with the flies : to drink alone
Drongo : a dope, stupid person
Dropkick : see 'dipstick'
Drum : information, tip-off
("I'll give you the drum")
Duchess : sideboard
Duffer, cattle : rustler
Dummy, spit the :
get very upset at something
Dunny : outside lavatory
Dunny budgie : blowfly
Dunny rat, cunning as a : very cunning
Durry : tobacco, cigarette
Dux : top of the class (n.);
to be top of the class (v.)
"She duxed four of her subjects".
<H3 class=initial>E</H3>Earbashing : nagging, non-stop chatter
Ekka : the Brisbane Exhibition, an annual show
Esky : large insulated food/drink container,
for picnics, barbecues etc.
Exy : expensive
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")
Fair suck of the sav! :
exclamation of wonder, awe,disbelief (see also "sav")
Fairy floss : candy floss, cotton candy
Feral : V8 ute (q.v.)
sporting large heavy bullbar,
numerous aerials,large truck mudflaps,
and stickers almost all over,
the rear window and tailgate.
Sometimes seen with a Mack emblem,
on the bonnet and always with large
(multiple) driving lights
Feral (n.) : a hippie
Figjam : "F*ck I'm good; just ask me".
Nickname for people who have a,
high opinion of themselves.
Fisho : fishmonger
Flake : shark's flesh (sold in fish & chips shops)
Flat out like a lizard drinking :flat out, busy
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
Fossick : search, rummage
("fossicking through the kitchen drawers")
Fossick : to prospect, e.g. for gold
Fossicker : prospector, e.g. for gold
Franger : condom
Freckle : anus
Fremantle Doctor : the cooling afternoon breeze that arrives in Perth from the direction of Freeo
Freo : Fremantle in Western Australia
Frog in a sock, as cross as a :
sounding angry - a person or your hard drive!
Fruit loop : fool
Full : drunk
Furphy : false or unreliable rumour
G'Day : hello!
Gabba : Wooloongabba - the Brisbane cricket ground
Galah : fool, silly person.
Named after the bird of the same name because of its antics and the noise it makes.
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")
Gobsmacked : surprised, astounded
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
Goog, as full as a : drunk. "Goog"
is a variation of the northern English
slangword "goggie" meaning an egg.
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"
Gyno : gynaecologist
Handle : beer glass with a handle
Harold Holt, to do the : To bolt.
(Also "to do the Harold")
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
Hooroo : goodbye
Hotel : often just a pub
Hottie : hot water bottle
Icy pole, ice block : popsicle, lollypop
Jackaroo : a male trainee station manager or station hand,
(a station is a big farm/grazing property)
Jillaroo : a female trainee,station manager or station hand
Joey : baby kangaroo
Journo : journalist
Jug : electric kettle
Jumbuck : sheep
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
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
Liquid laugh : vomit
Lizard drinking, flat out like a :
flat out, busy
Lob, lob in : drop in to see someone
("the rellies have lobbed")
Lollies : sweets, candy
London to a brick : absolute certainty
("it's London to a brick that taxes won't go down")
Long paddock : the side of the road ,
where livestock is grazed during droughts
Longneck : 750ml bottle of beer in South Australia
Lucky Country, The : Australia, where else?
Lunch, who opened their? : OK, who farted?
Lurk : illegal or underhanded racket
Maccas (pron. "mackers") :
McDonald's (the hamburger place)
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.
Mappa Tassie : map of Tasmania
a woman's pubic area
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 or New South Wales 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
Mystery bag : a sausage
Nasho : National Service
(compulsory military service)
Naughty, have a : have sex
Never Never : the Outback, centre of Australia
Nipper : young surf lifesaver
No drama : same as 'no worries'
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
Nun's nasty, as dry as a : dry
Nut out : hammer out or work out
(an agreement, say)
O.S. : overseas ("he's gone O.S.")
Ocker : an unsophisticated person
Offsider : an assistant, helper
Old fella : penis
Oldies : parents - "I'll have to ask my oldies"
Op shop : opportunity shop,
thrift store, place where second hand goods are sold.
Outback : interior of Australia
Oz : Australia!
Paddock : see 'long paddock'
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
Pink slip, get the : get the sack
(from the colour of the termination form)
Pint : large glass of beer
(esp. in South Australia)
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
Pommy bastard : an Englishman
Pommy shower :
using deodorant instead of taking a shower
Pommy's towel, as dry as a : very dry
based on the canard that Poms
bathe about once a month
Porky : Lie, untruth (pork pie = lie)
Port : suitcase (portmanteau)
Postie : postman, mailman
Pot : 285 ml beer glass in Queensland and Victoria
Pozzy : position -
get a good pozzy at the football stadium
Prezzy : present, gift
Quid, make a : earn a living -"are you making a quid?"
Quid, not the full : of low IQ.
[Historical note: 'quid' is slang for a pound.
£1 became $2 when Australia converted to decimal currency]
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 or relo : family relative
Ridgy-didge : original, genuine
Right, she : it'll be all right
Right, that'd be : Accepting bad news as inevitable.
("I went fishing but caught nothing."Yeah, that'd be right.")
Rip snorter : great, fantastic -"it was a rip snorter of a party"
Ripper : great, fantastic - "it was a ripper party"
Ripper, you little! :
Exclamation of delight or as a reaction to good news
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
Roo bar :
stout bar fixed to the front of a vehicle
to protect it against hitting kangaroos
(also bull bar)
Root (verb and noun) :
synonym for f*ck in nearly all its senses:
"I feel rooted";
"this washing machine is rooted";
(s)he's a good root".
A very useful word in fairly polite company.
Root rat : somebody who is constantly looking for sex.
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
Salute, Aussie : brushing flies away
Salvos, the : Salvation Army, bless them
Sandgroper : a person from Western Australia
Sanger : a sandwich
Sav : saveloy (see also "fair suck of the sav!")
Schooner : large beer glass in Queensland;
medium beer glass in South Australia
Scratchy : instant lottery ticket
Screamer : party lover; "two pot screamer" - somebody who gets drunk on very little alcohol
Seppo : an American
Servo : petrol station
Shag on a rock, stands out like a :
very obvious
Shark biscuit : somebody new to surfing
She'll be right : it'll turn out okay
Sheila : a woman
###### house (adj.) : of poor quality,
unenjoyable ("this car is ###### house",
"the movie was ###### house")
###### house (noun) : toilet, lavatory
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")
Show pony : someone who tries hard,
by his dress or behaviour,
to impress those around him.
Sickie : day off sick from work
(chuck a sickie = take the day off sick,
from work when you're perfectly healthy!)
Skite : boast, brag
Skull/Skol (a beer) : to drink a beer in a,
single draught without taking a breath
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
Spiffy, pretty spiffy : great, excellent
Spit the dummy : get very upset at something
Spruiker : man who stands outside a nightclu,
or restaurant trying to persuade people to enter
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
Stonkered : drunk
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
Swagman : tramp, hobo
Tall poppies : successful people
Tall poppy syndrome :
the tendency to criticize successful people
Tallie : 750ml bottle of beer
Taswegian : derogatory term,for a person from Tasmania
Technicolor yawn : vomit
Tee-up : to set up (an appointment)
Thingo : Wadjamacallit, thingummy, whatsit
Thongs : cheap rubber backless sandals
Throw-down : small bottle of beer,which you can throw down quickly.
Tickets, to have on oneself :to have a high opinion of oneself
Tinny : can of beer
Tinny : small aluminium boat
Tinny, tin-arsed : lucky
Togs : swim suit
Too right! : definitely!
Top End : far north of Australia
Trackie daks/dacks : tracksuit pants
Trackies : track suit
Troppo, gone : to have escaped to a state,
of tropical madness;
to have lost the veneer of civilisation,
after spending too long in the tropics.
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
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
Vedgies : vegetables
Vee dub : Volkswagen
Veg out : relax in front of the TV
(like a vegetable)
Vejjo : vegetarian
Vinnie's : St. Vincent De Paul's
(charity thrift stores and hostels)
WACA (pron. whacker) :
Western Australian Cricket Association,and the Perth cricket ground
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
Weekend warrior : army reservist
Whacker, whacka :
Idiot; somebody who talks, drivel;
somebody with whom you have little patience;
a dickhead
Whinge : complain
White pointers : topless (female) sunbathers
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
Wog : flu or trivial illness
Wog : person of Mediterranean origin.
A milder insult than the same word,
in the UK and perhaps elsewhere.
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
XXXX : pronounced Four X,
brand of beer made in Queensland
Yabber : talk (a lot)
Yabby : inland freshwater crayfishfound in Australia (Cherax destructor)
Yakka : work (noun)
Yewy : u-turn in traffic ("chuck a yewy at the next traffic lights")
Yobbo : an uncouth person
Zack : sixpence (5 cents) -
"it isn't worth a zack", "he hasn't got a zack"
Enjoy
Paul
