Aussie Slang: A glossary

Since I'm running of time, I can't do in depth analysis of all the major slang terms. Australia is one of the most slang dominated countries in the world. They just can't be bothered saying entire words most of the time. The terms listed below are only the most common of slang; this is only scratching the surface! With this list and the ones from previous blogs, if you visit Australia, you'll be 'right. A quick rule of thumb for slang, if the word ends in -o, -er, -y, just eliminate these endings and think of a different suffix that makes a word that'll fit in context. It really doesn't take long to figure it out and once you do, speaking is Aussie slang can be a whole lot of fun! I'm going to actively take a bunch of it home with me and start some sort of trend or something.

Aggro


When somebody is angry and has a high potential for becoming violent or aggressive. Can be used for both permanent and temporary states.


Arvo


The afternoon.


Back of Bourke


Used to describe a place that far away or in the middle of nowhere. Named after Bourke, an outback town in Northern New South Wales


Bloke


Generic term for a male. Typically only used when describing people you think of positively. A bloke is typically a particularily masculine male. If somebody is really stereotypically male, they're refered to as a "blokey bloke." HAHAHA


Bludger


Someone who is particularly lazy and unproductive on the job, a time waster. If you are wasting time, you're bludgin'.


Bogan


A slut or a general term for a stupid irresponsible female. This is a derogatory term.


Bubs


A pet name between lovers, though I've only heard it used by the Eyles family.

Buggered

To be tired.

Bush


A general term for an area that isn't in town. It doesn't matter if it's forest, mountains, or simply bushes. Many other terms come from this, bushwalking for hiking, goin' bush for heading to the country and living off the land, etc.


"Can't be bothered"

When you should do something, but just don't. Cause really, you "Can't be bothered" doing it. I use this entirely too much myself.


Chock-a-block


To be filled to the brim with something, typically people. Often, this is shortened to "chockers".


Chook


A chicken. Often used as an affectionate pet name. However, if you call someone an "old chook", this is a derogatory term for a cranky old lady.


Dodgy


An adjective for an object or situation that is either cheap or can't be trusted. This is similar to the US slang, "That's so Ghetto!"


Doll


Government assistance or welfare as we call it. When somebody is "on the doll" they're unemployed and living off the government. From this, when a person has to reluctantly pay may more than they'd desire, they "doll out the money."


Esky


A portable cooler, like our Coleman's. This is shortened from Eskimo Box, which nobody says.


Fair Dinkum


This is a classic Aussie slang term. It means simply, "I assure you dude, I'm telling you the truth!" This is either used fair dinkum or to help give believability to BS comments. Most of the time though, if a sentence ends with a, "Fair Dinkum mate!" they are typically telling the truth. In a country where BS flows as easily as the beer, they need something to keep them from "crying wolf" so to speak. For example, "Ah mate, I bought this kangaroo skin jacket for only $5, fair dinkum!" I looked up the origin of this saying in a dictionary. Their answer, "Origins uncertain."

Flat out/full on

When something is very busy or intense. If you are being direct with somebody though, you're being flat out honest.

G'day Mate, how ya goin'?

This is the standard Australian greeting. Often, only one of the two parts of this is said as a greeting. Let's not dissect the grammar of "how ya goin' ", it is just something everone says. Be warned, I've adopted this saying myself; prepare to hear me use for my first couple months back home

A go


Ok, this needs a bit of explaination, cause it's a bit confusing. "Have a go." is an invitation to try something out. "Having a go." means to rile somebody either in an affectionate or aggressive way, though most of the time, it refers to the latter. If you say to somebody, "Ah, I'm just havin' a go", this means you're just messing around. If somebody accuses you or asks you if you're "having a go", however, they think you're trying to start something. You just have to read between the lines to figure this out.


Good on ya

This mean "good for you" or "way to go". This can also be used in the third person as well, for example, "good on 'er" or "good on 'im". Yet another of the Aussie slang you'll have to tolerate me using for a while.


Heaps


Lots of a particular thing. This is very common.


Jelly

Anything that is of a gelatinous texture, be it candy or jello. They do not, however, use jelly to refer to a fruit gelatin spread like we do in the states. In this case, they say jam.


Karked' it


Kicked the bucket...slang defined by slang. I love it.


Knackered


Exhausted, typically mentally.


Legend


One of my favorite Aussie terms. This is used to refer to somebody in an extremely positive way. Also used as a way of expressing extreme gratitude, for example, "Ah, you're a legend!" or simply "A legend!" I love it when people call me a legend; it's such an endearingly positive term.


Lolly


A generic term for a piece of candy. It is used to refer to small bits of chocolate, but for the most part, it describes fruity sweets. This is also used as slang for money, Ecstasy pills, or any other mind altering pill.


Maccas



Mickey-D's. MacDonald's.


Mate

Australian slang for a complete stranger, an acquaintance, or a friend, depending on the context. Sometimes the Aussie lengthen this to the more endearing, matey. Really, just throw mate at the end of every sentence and you'll be 'right. (see below, "you'll be right")


Milk bar


A convenience store.


Moll (pronounce Mull)


Marijuana.


Nick


Ug, here's another confusing generic slang term. When you nick something, you're stealing. If you're "in the nick" you're naked, this is typically used when refering to sleeping. To "nick out" is to leave unannounced for a brief period of time. If told to "nick off" that means go away. If something is of a "good nick" that means it's in good condition.


Pash


A kiss, but only as a noun. You can't pash someone. However, you can snog somebody, which means the same thing. You can't give someone a snog though, but you can go for a snog. Ah, the aussies!


Pinch


To steal or borrow something. If you get caught pinching something, prepare to pinched (arrested) by the police. Don't look at me; I don't make the rules.

Piss

I'm convinced that the Aussie just like to say the word piss. Piss is a generic term for grog, alcohol, but it is mostly used to describe beer. If you drink to much, you get pissed. If you are going to have a session (a night of drinking), you're going "on the piss." If you drink too much piss, you have to take or have a piss. If you're joking around with somebody, you're merely "taking the piss," which is the shortened form of "Just taking the piss outaya' mate!" If you don't appreciate somebody "taking the piss outaya mate," you get pissed off. Finally, if it's raining hard, "it's pissing down!" Got it? Good.

Plonk

Bad wine from the bottle. Bad cask wine in bag (box wine) is called goon.

Pom

A brit. They also use pommy.

Poof

A gay guy, though it's typically used to refer to a excessively feminine gay man. They also say poofta.

Preggers

To be pregnant.

Pushie

A bicycle. This is a shortened version of push bike.

Rollie

A hand rolled cigarette. Factory rolled cigarettes are referred to as "tailor mades".

Root

To have meaningless sex. This can be used as a noun or verb. Aussie men are quite up front with women. It is not uncommon when a bloke is chatting up a female, to just flat out say, "hey, how 'bout a root?"

Seppo

This is a derogatory term for an American. A shortened form of Septic Tank...which is rhyming slang for yank...another derogatory term for an American. Makes sense, right?

Servo

Shortened form of service station or petrol station, which is what they call a gas station. They call gasoline petrol.

Serviette

A napkin. Though if you say napkin, they won't get confused; they just don't say it often.

(to)Skull

To chug your drink in one gulp.

Smoko

A generally 15 minute work break in the morning. We call it a coffee break.

Sook

A whiny or pouty person. If you are sitting in the corner alone, looking sad, you're sooking.

Station

A large farm. Though, given the excessive land and poor soil of Australia, all farms are large.

Sus

An adjective describing somebody suspicious or that makes you uneasy. When you are investigating a situation, you "sus it out". After you've investigated the situation, you've got it all "sussed". If you don't want to do something, you can say, "Ah, mate, I can't be sussed." If you are excited, you're sussed. I love this one.

Swag

A canvas sleeping bag with a built in mattress. Everyone has these. Since it is often dry and hot in Australia, it's not uncommon for people to just sleep under the stars in their swag.

Ta

A quick thank you. Most use it in recognition of a small act, like handing somebody something.

Trackie Dacks

What the Aussies call sweatpants. This is often shortened to trackies.

Winge

To complain.

Yabby

A crayfish. People in Australia love their yabbies. Aussie blokes often take off for the weekend for yabbie fishin'.

You'll be 'right

A reassuring way of saying things will be ok. If you ask somebody for permission, they'll often reply, "Ah, mate. You're 'right." As you can guess, 'right is short for alright. Listen carefully for the apostrophe, Aussies almost never say "Alright".

Youse

The plural form of you. I like to use this because it eliminates ambiguity. Another word that'll you'll probably be annoyed by hearing me use...youse.

Zed

How the Aussies say the letter 'Z'. Lots of sleeping related slang comes from this. "Counting zeds" is to sleep. To "Catch a zed" is to take a nap. I've even heard people say, "you looked zedded out." for tired. This isn't too common though.