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Not by any means a complete and thorough Aussie Dictionary, but below are some classic Aussie words and phrases which you may well find useful on your journey round Australia. When speaking to a native Queenslander, they may well end a lot of their sentences with the word Ay (or letter A) - almost as a question. Eg Wet weather we're having, ay... I'm just off to the shops, ay.... Nice looking car you've got, ay..... I'll get the barbie started, ay....
Treat the sentence as a statement, not a question
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| A |
| Amber fluid |
Beer |
| Ambo |
An ambulance worker/driver |
| Arvo or Arvie |
Afternoon |
| Aussie salute |
Waving flies away from your face - normally practiced in the outback |
| B |
| Bananabender |
A resident of Queensland |
| Barbie |
Barbeque |
| Barrack |
To cheer on your team (football, soccer, basketball etc). This is opposite to the UK meaning which is to jeer or shout at the opposing team |
| Beanie |
A woollen hat - associated items would be a Flanno (checked 'lumberjack' shirt), mullet haircut and pack of cigarettes |
| Big ask |
Requesting something which may be beyond the scope of that person Eg on your first visit to a gymnasium the instructor may ask you to do 50 sit-ups - a big ask. |
| Billabong |
Water hole or small pond |
| Billy |
Large metal can used for boiling water on a campfire. Hence Billy Tea |
| Bingle |
Car accident |
| Bludger |
Lazy person |
| Boardies |
Swimming shorts (usually male) |
| Bottle Shop or Bottle-o |
Liquor store/Off Licence. Australia is blessed with decent wine, and all bottle shops have a huge range. Don't be too prudish or snobbish to buy cask wine - a lot of it is pretty good. |
| Bring a plate |
If you are invited to a barbie, picnic or some social gathering it is normal practice to 'bring a plate' of food (sandwiches, nibbles, cakes etc..) |
| Brissie or Brizzie |
Brisbane - state capital of Queensland |
| Bugger |
Socially acceptable word which now means 'what a shame'. Something broken is 'buggered', and a person who is ill or having some bad luck is 'a poor bugger' |
| Bundy |
A Queensland town called Bundaberg. They distil rum there of the same name, hence a popular drink is Bundy and Coke |
| BYO |
Pronounced Be-Why-Oh - Bring Your Own (alcohol). Lots of restaurants and cafes are BYO, but you will probably get charged corkage (even though most wine bottles are screw tops !!) |
| C |
| Cab Sav |
Cabernet Sauvignon wine |
| Chips |
(Mainly for the benefit of UK people) Chips are crisps, and Hot Chips are big, thick French fries (ie chips) |
| Chook |
Chicken |
| Cobber |
Friend or mate |
| Cockroach |
A NSW resident |
| Coldie |
Beer |
| Crim |
Criminal |
| Croc |
Crocodile |
| Crook |
Not feeling well as in I'm not going to work to-day, I'm crook in the gut (stomachache). Also means crim. |
| Croweater |
A South Australia resident |
| D |
| Damper |
Bread made from flour and water |
| Deadset |
The truth, really |
| Digger |
An Aussie soldier |
| Dinkum or Fair dinkum |
True, real, genuine as in He is a fair dinkum Aussie. If you are agreeing a price on say a car, you would conclude the deal with a 'fair dinkum handshake'. |
| Doco |
A TV documentary |
| Dole Bludger |
A lazy person on social/welfare assistance |
| Doona |
Duvet, quilt |
| Dunny |
Toilet |
| E |
| Esky |
Large insulated food/drink container useful for picnics, barbies etc. |
| F |
| Firie |
Member of the fire brigade |
| Fix up |
Pay money that is owed. e.g when you come to pay your bill at the Lodge you could say Can I fix you up |
| Flanno |
Flannelette shirt (checked lumberjack shirt) |
| Footie or Footy |
Depending on where you are in Oz it refers to Australian Rules Football, Rugby Union or Rugby League. Soccer is called soccer - not footie. |
| Freshie |
Fresh water crocodile. |
| G |
| G'Day |
Hello |
| G-string |
Very thin underwear (not advisable if you suffer from piles). Probably known as thongs in the rest of the world. |
| Garbo |
Garbage collector or waste disposal engineer |
| Good on ya |
Well done, good for you |
| H |
| Hard yakka |
Hard work |
| Hooroo |
Goodbye |
| Hot or cold, mate |
If you visit a bottle shop and ask for beer, you may get asked if you want hot or cold beer. Cold beer means that it is in a refridgerated room, and hot means that it is not in a refridgerated room (ie room temperature). Apparently if you get the beer cold, and then let it reach room temperature and then put it in your fridge to cool down again, it won't taste as good, or something nasty happens to the beer. Not sure that I go along with that theory. Also you may be charged more for cold beer. |
| I |
| I'm right, thanks |
No. Also something like .... mmmm, yeah I'm right thanks. So if I ask someone at brekky time if they want some more tea or coffee, and they reply ... yeah I'm right - I have to remember that means No. I'm easily confused. |
| Idiot Box |
Television |
| J |
| Jackaroo |
A male worker on a big sheep or cattle farm |
| Jillaroo |
A female worker on a big sheep or cattle farm |
| Joey |
Baby kangaroo |
| Journo |
A journalist |
| K |
| K |
Kilometer - How far is it to Cairns ?? It's 150 ks |
| Kanga |
Kangaroo |
| Kiwi |
A New Zealander, aka K1 (Kay-One) |
| L |
| Lamington |
Sponge cake covered in chocolate icing and dessicated coconut. Unofficially Australia's favourite cake. Make sure you try some. |
| Larrikin |
A bloke who is always messing about and being a bit silly and thinks that he is amusing the rest of the world |
| Lolly |
Sweet or candy |
| Longneck |
A tall bottle of beer usually 750 ml |
| Lotto |
The lottery. Australia has six lottery games, one for each day of the week (apart from Sunday). All the lotteries are state run so a tremendous amout of revenue for the Government. Most newsagents sell lottery tickets. |
| Lucky Country |
Australia |
| M |
| Manchester |
Towels, bed linen, tea towels etc.. Department stores will almost certainly have a Manchester department, and lots of high street shops which specialize in Manchester. |
| Map of Tassie |
Female pubic hair region (Tassie being Tasmania) |
| Middy |
A small beer measure (285 ml) in NSW. Known as a Pot in Qld |
| Milko |
Milkman |
| Mozzie |
Mosquito or any flying insect that can be judged as a mosquito |
| Muso |
Musician |
| N |
| Never never |
Centre of Australia, the outback in general |
| No worries |
No problem, it's cool, you're welcome |
| O |
| Ocker |
A bit of a yobbo, unsophisticated person |
| Offsider |
A helper, lackey, assistant, apprentice |
| Oz |
Australia |
| P |
| Pokies |
Gambling slot machines, poker machines. Almost all large pubs/hotels/clubs will have numerous pokies in one part of the building. If you get the chance just have a look at all the zombies religiously putting money into these machines. |
| Pollie |
Politician |
| Pom |
An English person. Also Pommie and Pommie bastard (not considered to be offensive by Aussies) |
| Postie |
Postman |
| Pot |
A small beer in Qld (known as middy in NSW) |
| R |
| Rattler |
A train |
| Rego |
Vehicle registration document |
| Rellie |
Family relatives |
| Ripper |
Fantastic, excellent |
| Rock Up |
To arrive |
| Rocky |
Rockhampton |
| Roo |
Kangaroo |
| Root |
To make love. So expect sniggers if you go into a garden centre and ask for 'rooting powder'. Expect the same if you say that you are rooting for your team. In Oz you barrack for your team. Also used for something that is broken as in my car won't go, it's rooted. Also means tired as in I've had a hard day and I'm rooted.
|
| Rort |
Cheat, defraud, deceive. A word often applied to pollies. |
| RSL (club) |
Returned Services League (social club). Originally a place for army/navy/air force etc personnel but now open to everyone. Do try these clubs as you will get very cheap drinks and food (which is excellent), and the vast majority have other wonderful facilities such as sports fields, swimming pools, bowling greens, snooker tables, film shows and of course pokies. All you need to do is sign the visitors book as you enter the club. It costs nothing to go in. |
| S |
| Saltie |
Salt water crocodile |
| Salvos |
The Salvation Army |
| Sandgroper |
A Western Australia resident |
| Sanga |
Sandwich |
| Schooner |
A large beer in Qld and NSW (but small in South Australia) |
| Scratchy |
An instant lottery ticket (where you scratch out part of the ticket to reveal that you haven't won anything) |
| Seppo |
A septic tank, also an American. If you want to know why, ask me when you get here |
| Servo |
Gas station/Petrol station |
| Sheila |
A female - not offensive |
| She'll be right |
Everything will turn out OK - also she'll be right boss. |
| Slab |
A carton of 24 beer cans or beer bottles |
| Smoko |
A work break. Mid morning break or lunchtime. More used in Qld. Does not mean have a break for a cigarette - just a food and/or drink break. |
| Snag |
Sausage |
| Stickybeak |
A nosey person or as a verb to have a look at. If you wish to inspect a hotel room before you pay, then can I have a stickbeak at the room please. |
| Strewth |
To emphasise the point, an exclamation Strewth, that curry was hot !! |
| Stubby |
A bottle of beer (usually 375 ml). |
| Stubby holder |
Polystyrene (or neoprene) holder desinged to keep your stubby nice and cold |
| T |
| TAB |
Totalisator Agency Board, Government betting shop. To be found in most large pubs/hotels/clubs. Aka T.A.B. |
| Tassie |
Tasmania |
| Thongs |
These are known to some of the world as flip-flops. Simple footwear to be found all over Australia. Lots of places will have a sign saying 'No Thongs' - so no need to remove your underwear. |
| Tinny |
A can of beer or a small aluminium boat |
| Top Ender |
A Northern Territory resident |
| Truckie |
Truck/Lorry driver |
| Tucker |
Food |
| Two Up |
A gambling game involving two coins. Only played on ANZAC day (April 25) |
| U |
| U-ie |
U-turn (performed in a car on the road) |
| Uggies |
Also Ug Boots Sheepskin boots or slippers deemed by half the population of Australia as 'must-have' fashion accessory. |
| Ute |
Utility vehicle, pick-up truck |
| V |
| Veg out |
Relax (usually in front of the TV) |
| Vegemite |
Iconic Australian breakfast spread. Comparable with Marmite. Personally I hate the stuff, but Sue likes both. |
| Vinnies |
St Vincent de Paul's charity stores |
| W |
| Westie |
A resident west of Sydney. Normally sporting a flanno, beanie and a mullet haircut. |
| Wog |
Someone from the Mediterranean area - eg Italy, Greece, Turkey. Not offensive |
| X |
| XXXX |
Queensland's main beer - pronounced Four-Ex |
| Y |
| Yabbie |
Small freshwater crayfish |
| Yakka |
(Hard) work |
| Youse |
The plural of you !! If there are two (or more) of you at a shop, the assistant might say 'How youse doing ??' Sue now replies 'Wees doing fine' That normally goes way over their heads. |
| Z |
| Zeds |
Sleep |
| Zonked |
Tired |