Australian Slang Dictionary

Flashcards of Australian Slang

Ankle biter

Small child

Arvo

Afternoon

Aussie

Australian

Aussie salute

Brushing away flies with the hand

Back of Bourke

A very long way away

Barbie or BBQ

Barbecue

Big smoke

A big city, especially Sydney or Melbourne

Bikkie

Biscuit

Billabong

An oxbow lake cut off by a change in the river

Bloke

Man, guy

Bloody

Very (bloody hard yakka)

Bloody oath!

That's certainly true

Blotto

Very drunk

Blowie

Blow fly

Bludger

Lazy person

Bog in

Commence eating

Bonzer

Great, ripper

Bush telly

Campfire

BYO

Bring Your Own: often wine at a restaurant or food to an event

Cactus

Dead, not functioning

Corker

Something excellent

Cozzie

Swimming costume

Cranky

In a bad mood, angry

Crook

Sick, or badly made

Cut lunch

Sandwiches

Dag

A funny person

Daks

Trousers

Dinkum, fair dinkum

True, real, genuine

Dipstick

A loser, idiot

Dosh

Money

Down Under

Australia and New Zealand

Dunny

Outside toilet

Fair dinkum

True, genuine

Fair go

A chance

Fair shake of the sauce bottle

Taking your fair share or having a fair go

Fella

Man

Flat stick or flat chat

Very busy

Footy

Australian Rules football (AFL)

Furphy

False or unreliable rumour

G'Day

Hello!

Galah

Fool, silly person (also the proper name for a type of bird)

Give it a burl

Try it, have a go

Good onya

Good for you, well done

Grouse

Great, terrific, very good

Have a gander

Have a look at something

Heaps

A lot

Joey

Baby kangaroo

Jug

Electric kettle

Knackered

Exhausted

Knock

To criticise

Knock back

Refusal

Larrikin

A person who is always enjoying himself, harmless prankster

Lollies

Sweets, candy

Mate

Catch-all term for referring to friends or others. And importantly, sometimes not in a friendly way!

Moolah

Money

Mozzie

Mosquito

No worries or no drama!

Expression of forgiveness or reassurance

Old mate

A friend or person you are referring to. Sometimes not a mate at all.

Outback

The remote and less populated inland districts of Australia

Oz

Australia

Postie

Postman, mailman

Pozzy

Position

Prezzy

Present, gift

Quid (make a quid)

Money (earn a living)

Rack off

Push off! Get lost!

Rapt

Pleased, delighted

Ratbag

Mild insult

Reckon!

You bet! Absolutely!

Rip snorter

Great, fantastic, "it was a rip snorter of a party"

Ripper

Great, fantastic

Rock up

To turn up

Roo

Kangaroo

Sanger

A sandwich

She'll be apples/she'll be right

It'll turn out okay

Sheila

A woman

Shoot through

To leave

Shout

Ie your shout, your turn to buy, a round of drinks usually

Sickie

Day off sick

Smoko

Smoke or coffee break

Snag

A sausage

Spit the dummy

Get very upset at something

Sprung

Caught doing something wrong

Stoked

Totally thrilled about something

Sunbake

Sunbathe

Sunnies

Sunglasses

Surfies

People who go surfing

Swag

Rolled up bedding

Tall poppies

Successful people

Tea

Supper or dinner

Tee-up

To set up

Thongs

Cheap rubber backless sandals

Togs

Swim suit

Too right!

Definitely!

True blue

Patriotic

Tucker

Food

Ugg boots

Australian sheepskin boots

Uni

University

Veggies

Vegetables

Veg out

Relax (perhaps in front of the TV)

Walkabout (it's gone walkabout)

It's lost, can't be found