A

• A snag short of a barbie – someone who’s a bit stupid

• A stubby short of a six pack – as above

• Accadacca – slang for hard rock band, ACDC

• Ace – that’s excellent

• Aerial ping pong – Australian Rules Football

• After darks – sharks

• Air con – airconditioning

• Airy fairy – ambiguous or vague

• Aggro – aggressive

• All the go – fashionable

• Amber fluid – beer

• Ambo – an ambulance person/paramedic

• Ankle biter – a small kid. You know, small enough to bite your ankles

• Apple Eater – a Tasmanian

• Argy Bargy – a fight

• Arvo – afternoon

• As scarce as hen’s teeth – very rare

• As useful as an ash tray on a motorbike – useless

• Attack of the munchies – hungry

• Avo – avocado

• Aussie – short for Australian

• Aussie salute – waving away the flies

B

• Back of Bourke – somewhere isolated

• Backhander – a bribe

• Bag – to criticise

• Bail – to cancel plans

• Banana Bender – someone from Queensland

• Banter – an exchange of teasing remarks – not meant to be offensive, more playful

• Barbie – barbeque

• Barrack – to support your sports team

• Barry Crocker – a shocker

• Bathers – swimsuit

• Bazza – Barry

• Beak – nose

• Belter – really good, or excellent

• Bean counter – an accountant

• Beat around the bush – someone who says a lot without saying anything

• Beaut – the best

• Bevan – someone who likes cars, a bit of a hoon

• Bevvie – beverage

• Beyond the black stump – see Back of Bourke

• Big Unit – a large person

• Big Smoke – a large city

• Bikkie/bickie – biscuit

• Billy – teapot

• Bin Chicken – the Ibis, a native bird that hangs around rubbish bins looking for an easy feed

• Bingle – a motor vehicle or car accident

• Bit of a yarn – to a have a talk or chat with someone

• Bities – biting insects like ants, or mozzies (mosquitoes)

• Bizzo – business

• Blind Freddy – to point out something obvious, i.e. even Blind Freddy could have seen that

• Block – head

• Bloke – man

• Bloody oath – that’s true

• Blower – telephone

• Blowie – a fly

• Blow in – an uninvited person

• Blow me down – an expression of astonishment

• Bludger – a lazy person who doesn’t like to work

• Blue Heeler – a policeman

• Bluey – a red headed person

• Blunnies – Blundstone boots

• Boardies – boardshorts, worn by surfers

• Bobby – glass of beer in Western Australia

• Bodgy – something that is of inferior quality

• Bogan – an uncultured and uncouth person

• Bogged – stuck in some very deep sand or mud in your car (eg. a four wheel drive vehicle)

• Bog in – to launch into eating a lot of food very quickly with a tonne of enthusiasm

• Bogus – fake

• Boil over – an unexpected result, usually in a sporting event where the massive underdog wins

• Bomb – an old car

• Boofhead – a fool

• Bonnet – the hood of a car

• Bonkers – crazy, or nuts

• Bonzer – awesome

• Boot – the trunk of a car

• Bottler – excellent

• Bottle-o – bottle shop to buy liquor

• Box – a television set

• Brass razoo – you have no money

• Breadbasket – stomach

• Brekkie – breakfast

• Brickie – a brick layer

• Brisvegas – the city of Brisbane. Also known as Brizzie

• Brolly – umbrella

• Brumby – a wild horse

• Bub – baby

• Buckley’s chance – no chance

• Bucks Party – bachelor party

• Budgie smugglers – tight fitting swimming trunks

• Bugger – bad luck

• Bugger all – none, or nothing

• Bugger me – I’m surprised

• Bugger off – get lost

• Bugger up – to mess up

• Buggered – tired. See stuffed

• Bum – butt

• Bum fluff – bad facial hair

• Bung – to put something somewhere. e.g. “just bung it in the oven”

• Burning the Midnight Oil – staying up for a long time to get something finished

• Bush – the outback

• Bushman’s clock – kookaburra (a native bird)

• Busier than a one armed brick layer – extremely busy

• Bust up – an argument

• Butcher – a very small glass of beer in South Australia

C

• Cabbie – a cab driver, or taxi driver

• Cab Sav – shortened version of the grape variety, Cabernet Savignon

• Cactus – broken or useless

• Cake hole – mouth

• Cane Toad – someone from Queensland

• Cardie – cardigan

• Cark it – to die

• Cat’s pajamas – something that’s really excellent

• Charge like a wounded bull – a place that charges very high prices

• Chat – to talk

• Cheap as chips – very cheap!

• Cheeky – someone who shows a lack of politeness in a likeable way

• Cheerios – small sausages

• Cheesed off – annoyed or pissed off

• Chin wag – a very long discussion

• Chippie – carpenter

• Chit chat – a talk

• Choccy Biccy – a chocolate biscuit

• Chockers, or chocka block – very full of food

• Chockie – a chocolate

• Chook – a chicken

• Chrisse – Christmas

• Chuck a lefty – please turn left

• Chuck a righty – please turn right

• Chuck a Uey – please do a U turn

• Chunder – to vomit

• Chewing the fat – having a talk

• Chewy – chewing gum

• Clapped out – broken

• Click – kilometre

• Clodhoppers – feet

• Clucky – a woman who feels maternal

• Coathanger – the Sydney Harbour Bridge

• Cobber – friend

• Cockie – a cockatoo, a native Australian bird

• Cockroach – someone from New South Wales

• Coldie – a cold beer

• Cods Wallop – total rubbish

• Come a gutser – made a very big mistake

• Come to blows – to fight

• Conch/conchie – someone who is a conscientious person

• Congrats – Congratulations!

• Cook top – stove

• Coppers – policemen

• Corker – something that is excellent

• Couldn’t be bothered – don’t want to do something

• Cossie – swimsuit

• Cranky – someone who is in a really foul mood!

• Creamed – to defeat the opposition team by a very big margin

• Crikey! – an expression used when you’re astonished about something

• Croc – crocodile

• Crook – sick

• Cross country wrestling – rugby league

• Crow Eater – someone from South Australia

• CUB – cashed up bogan. An uncouth person who has a lot of money

• Cubby house – play house for children

• Cuppa – a cup of tea

• Cut lunch – sandwiches

• Curly – a bald person

D

• Dad n’ Dave – rhyming slang for a shave

• Dag – an affectionate term for someone who is a bit of a geek or nerd

• Daks – pants or trousers

• Dazza – Darren

• Dazzler – a very good looking person

• Dead Horse – rhyming slang for tomato sauce

• Dead soldier– an empty beer bottle

• Dead Ringer – exactly the same, or an exact copy

• Dead set – genuine, authentic

• Dear – expensive

• Defo – definitely

• Dero – someone who is derelict

• Devo – devastated

• Dial – face

• Dill – an idiot

• Digger – an Australian solider

• Din dins – dinner

• Dingaling – a very silly person

• Dinky di – genuine, much like Fair Dinkum

• Dipstick – an idiot

• Dirty – to be really really angry

• Divvy van – police wagon where you are transported back to the police station

• Docket – a receipt, or bill

• Doco – a documentary

• Dog and Bone – rhyming slang for phone

• Dog’s Breakfast – a total mess. Think about it. When a dog wakes up in the morning and looks into his messy bowl…

• Dog’s Eye – rhyming slang for meat pie

• Dole – unemployment payments from the Australian government

• Donkey’s Years – a very, very long time!

• Doona – Duvet

• Dodgey – not quite right, or a shady character

• Dosh – money

• Dough – money

• Do Your Block – lose your mind, lose your temper etc

• Drongo – a dumb person

• Drop Bear – a very real creature

• Drumstick – chicken leg

• Drunk as a skunk – obviously, drunk

• Dummy – a pacifier for a baby

• Dunno – shortened version of ‘I don’t know’

• Dunny – toilet

• Dunny diver – a plumber

E

• Earbash – to talk non stop

• Easy Campese – it’s really easy. David Campese used to be an Australian rugby player

• Easy on – slow down or calm down

• Elbow Grease – hard work

• Empties – empty beer bottles

• Even Stevens – where you don’t owe each other anything

• Every dog will have it’s day – your time will come eventually

• Esky – cooler box

• Exy – expensive

F

• Faceless – drunk

• Fair dinkum – true, honest, genuine

• Fair go mate – means you want to be treated fairly

• Feral – badly behaved person

• Filthy – really disappointed

• Firie – a fireman

• Fisho – the fish and chip shop

• Fiver – a $5 note

• Fizzer – a failure or disappointment

• Flat chat /full bore – doing something very quickly

• Flat out like a lizard drinking – very busy

• Flattie – a flat tyre

• Flick – to get rid of something

• Flicks – the movies

• Flick it on – to turn something on

• Flogging the plastic – using your credit card a lot

• Foodie – a person who loves gourmet food

• Footy – football

• Freebie – something that is free

• Freshie – freshwater crocodile

• Front up – to turn up somewhere

• Frostie – a very cold bottle of beer

• Frothy – a beer

• Full of beans – high energy

• Fully sick – excellent

• Furphy – rumour

G

• Gabba – the Brisbane Cricket Ground. Located in the Brisbane suburb of Woolloongabba

• Galah – a native Australian bird, but the slang version means a person is a noisy idiot

• G’day – good day, or hello

• Get a Guernsey – to receive an award

• Get a wiggle on – I need to keep moving

• Get on your goat – you’re annoying me

• Get your hand off it! – stop talking crap

• Ginger Beer – rhyming slang for ‘Engineer’

• Give it away – to give up

• Give it a burl – let’s try this

• Give someone a bell – give someone a call on the phone

• Goalie – goalkeeper

• Goanna – rhyming slang for a piano

• Gob – mouth

• Gobfull – to abuse someone

• Gobsmacked – surprised

• Goes down like a lead balloon – a failure

• Going off like a frog in a sock – going crazy

• Going off like a bucked of prawns in the sun – going smelly

• Going troppo – going crazy, usually in the heat of the tropics

• Good oil – useful information

• Goodies – treats

• Good sport – a good person

• Good on ya – great job

• Goose – idiot

• Gone walkabout – gone travelling

• Greenie – environmentalist

• Gregory Peck – neck

• Grommet – young surfer

• Grouse – terrific

• Grub – food

• Grundies – undies, or underwear

H

• Half arsed – a job that’s not complete

• Hangry – hungry and angry at the same time

• Happy as a dog with two tails – extremely happy

• Hard Yakka – hard work

• Have a Blue – to have a fight

• Have a Captain Cook – have a look

• Have a lash at it – to have a try at something

• Heaps – a lot of something

• Hen’s fruit – eggs

• Hen’s night – the bachelorette party

• Hit the frog and toad – going for a drive on the road

• Hollie – holiday

• Holy Dooley – an expression when you’re surprised

• Hooligan – a troublemaker

• Honker – nose

• Hoon – someone who loves driving fast

• Hooroo – good bye

• Hot under the collar – someone who is angry

• How about a quick bite? – Let’s go and eat now

I

• I could eat a horse and chase the jockey – I’m hungry

• I need that like I need a hole in the head – I don’t need it at all

• I reckon – absolutely

• Iffy – something that is questionable

• I’ve got a thirst you could photograph – I’m thirsty

• Ivories – teeth

J

• Jarmies – pyjamas

• Joe Blake – rhyming slang for a snake

• Journo – a journalist

• Jug – electric kettle

• Jumbuck – a sheep

• Jumper – sweater

• Junk Food – fast food that’s very unhealthy

K

• Roo’s loose in the top paddock – a crazy person

• Kazza – Karen

• Kero – kerosene

• Kezza – Kerry

• Kick the bucket – to pass away

• Kindy – Kindergarten

• Kip – to take a nap

• Knackered – very tired

• Knickers – female underwear

• Knock back – to refuse something

• Knock something – to criticise it

• Knocked up – pregnant

L

• Lappy – laptop

• Lark – a joke

• Larrikin – a cheeky person

• Legless – a person who is extremely drunk!

• Lemon – something completely useless

• Lift – either a ride in a car, or an elevator

• Like a rat up a drain pipe – doing something very quickly

• Liquid Amber – beer

• Like a shag on a rock – a shag is a bird that often sits by itself in the ocean

• Lingo – Australian Slang for language

• Lippie – lipstick

• Liquid laugh – a vomit

• Liquid lunch – having only beer for lunch

• Little Aussie Battler – someone who is experiencing extreme hardship

• Littlelie – a small kid

• Live on the smell of an oily rag – to live frugally

• Loaded – you have a lot of money

• Loaf – head

• Lob in – to visit someone

• Lobster – $20 note

• Lollies – sweet confectionery

• Lolly water – soft drink or soda

• Longneck – a 750 ml bottle of beer

• Look see – to have a look at something

• Loose cannon – someone who is completely out of control

• Lugs – ears

• Lurk – an illegal activity

M

• Mad – crazy

• Mad as a cut snake – crazy

• Maggie – magpie (a bird)

• Manchester – bed sheets/linen

• Mango Madness – really hot

• Mash – mashed potatoes

• Mate – usually mean friends, but depending on the context, can be derogatory

• Mates rates – discounted services, usually for friends

• Meanie – a mean person

• Middy – a 285 ml glass of beer in New South Wales

• Mince – hamburger meat

• Mob – a group of people

• Mongrel – an idiot

• Moo juice – milk

• Moolah – money

• Mozzie – mosquito

• Mucking around – playing silly games

• Muddy – mud crab, often found in Northern Australia

• Muso – musician

• Munchies – snacks

• Mushies – mushrooms

• Muzza – Murray

N

• Nappies – diapers

• Newbie – the new person at work

• Newie – a new item

• Never Never – the outback

• Nibblies – finger food

• Nigel – someone who has no friends

• Nipper – young surf life saver

• Noggin – head

• Nosh – food

• No worries – no problems

• Nuddy – naked

• Nuff – enough

• Number cruncher – accountant

• Nut out – to work something out

O

• Ocker – a person from the country

• Off my face – very drunk

• Old cheese – mother

• Oldies – your parents

• On the nose – very smelly

• One armed bandit – a slot machine/poker machine

• One off – something that is one of a kind or unique

• Op Shop – Opportunity Shop

• Outback – the vast, dry, and largely unpopulated interior of Australia

• Oz – Australia

P

• Parliament House – the toilet

• Pash – a long, passionate kiss

• Petrol – gasoline, fuel

• Petrol head – someone who loves cars

• Pick the eyes out of it – to choose the best bits

• Pickled – drunk

• Piffed – thrown away into the bin

• Pig’s arse – I don’t agree with a single thing that you’re saying!

• Pigs ear – beer

• Pig out – eating lots of food

• Piker – someone who leaves your party or night out early

• Pineapple – $50 note

• Pink slip – what you get if you lose your job

• Pint – a large glass of beer, usually 500 ml

• Plastered – drunk

• Plates of meat – feet

• Play funny buggers – to act in a silly way

• Plays is straight – someone who is fair

• Plonk – very cheap wine

• Pluggers – cheap rubber thongs

• Polly or pollie – politcian

• Pokies – poker machines, known as slot machines

• Pommy – an English person

• Pong – very bad smell

• Porky Pies – telling lies

• Port – a suitcase

• Postie – post man / woman

• Pot – a 285 ml glass of beer

• Power point – an electrical outlet

• Pozzy, pozzie or possie – position

• Pram – a stroller to wheel a baby around

• Prang – a car accident

• Prezzie – a present

• Pull a swiftie – do something dishonest

• Pull your head in – shut up, or mind your own business

• Put a sock in it – shut up

• Put on the wobbly boot – to get drunk

Q

• Quack – doctor

• Quid- money. To make a quid

R

• Rack off – go away

• Rad – excellent

• Rafferty’s Rules – no rules at all

• Rage – party

• Rage on – partied all night

• Ranga – a red hed

• Rat bag – cheeky person

• Redback – $20 note

• Rego – registration

• Rellie – a relative

• Ridgie didge – true

• Ring in – a substitute

• Rip off – something that is a lot more expensive than it should be

• Ripper – excellent

• Ripsnorter – excellent

• Road train – a large truck with multiple trailers

• Rock doctor – a geologist

• Rock up – to turn up somewhere

• Roo – kangaroo

• Rooted – tired

• Ropeable – someone who is very angry

• Rort – defrauding something

• Rug up – to dress warmly

• Rug rat – a child

• Rumpus room – a recreation or family room

• Runners – trainers, sneakers

• Rust bucket – a very old car

S

• Saltie – saltwater crocodile

• S’arvo – this afternoon

• Sand Groper – someone from Western Australia

• Sanger – a sandwich

• Sav Blanc - Sauvignon Blanc wine

• Schooner – a 425 ml glass of beer

• Scone – head

• See a man about a dog – to urinate

• Servo – petrol/gas station

• Shark biscuit – a surfer that’s just starting out

• Shazza – Sharon

• She’ll be apples – it will be all good

• She’ll be right – everything will be right

• Sheila – woman

• Shindig – a party

• Shonky – an item that’s not of very good quality

• Shoot through – to leave somewhere/someone

• Show pony – someone who likes showing off a lot

• Show the ropes – show how things work around here

• Sickie – to take a day of work without being sick

• Skint – no money

• Skite – to brag or boast about something

• Sloshed – drunk

• Spine bashing – resting

• Strides – trousers

• Skewiff – askew

• Skull – to drink a beer very fast

• Slab – 24 cans of beer

• Slack – lazy

• Smoko – coffee break

• Snag – sausage

• Snag bag – sausage roll

• Sook – to sulk

• Sparrow’s fart – dawn

• Speedo – the speedometer on a car

• Spread – a large collection of different types of food

• Spewing – really disappointed

• Spit the dummy – an over reaction

• Spud – a potato

• Spunk – a really good looking person

• Sparkie – electrician

• Spill your guts – to reveal a deep down secret

• Squiz – to have a squiz menas to ‘have a look’

• Starkers – naked

• Steak and Kidney – Sydney

• Stickybeak – someone who is a nosy person

• Stinker – a very hot day

• Stone the crows – I’m amazed

• Stoked – extremely happy and pleased

• Straight up and down – an honest person

• Strawbs – strawberries

• Straya – short for ‘Australia’

• Strewth – what a surprise mate

• Stonkered – really drunk

• Strike a blow – to help with something

• Strife – trouble

• Stinger – jellyfish

• Stroppy – someone who is in an irritable mood

• Stubbie – a 375 ml bottle of beer

• Stuffed – really tired

• Stunned mullet – a shocked person

• Sucked in – to be tricked into something

• Sunbake – to sunbathe

• Subbie – a subcontractor

• Sundowner – a beer drunk at sunset

• Sunnies – sunglasses

• Surfies – people who surf all of the time

• Sus it out – to investigate something

• Suss – short for ‘suspicious’

• Sweet as – awesome

T

• Ta – thank you

• Tacker – child

• Taddie – a tadpole

• Tallie – a 750 ml bottle of beer

• Tall poppies – successful people

• Tanked – really drunk

• Tap – faucet

• Tea – Dinner

• Technicolour yawn – to vomit or spew

• Tell him he’s dreaming – meaning unrealistic expectations

• Tenner – a $10 note

• Tezza – Terry

• The lot – everything

• The Mrs – someones wife

• Thingo / Thingamajig – a thing or item

• Thongs – flip flops

• Throw down – a very small bottle of beer

• Thunder box – toilet

• Tickets, on yourself – to have a high opinion of yourself

• Tin lids – rhyming slang for kids

• Tinnie – a tin of beer. Also means a small aluminium boat

• Tip – the garbage dump

• Toastie – toasted sandwich

• Togs – swimsuit

• Tool – idiot

• Too right – I definitely agree

• Top End – Northern Territory

• Torch – flashlight

• Tracky dacks – a tracksuit

• Tradie – tradesman, like a plumber, carpenter

• Tree hugger – environmentalist

• Trolley – shopping cart

• Trolleyed – very drunk

• Truckie – truck driver

• True blue – patriotic, genuine

• Tucker/tucka – food

• Two Up – gambling game played on Anzac Day

U

• Ugg Boots – sheep skin lined boots that keep your feet warm in winter

• Under the weather – hungover

• Uni – university

• Unit – an apartment

• Up the duff – pregnant

V

• Vee dub – a Volkswagen car

• Veggo – a vegetarian

• Vegies – vegetables

• Verandah – balcony

W

• Wagging school – skipping school for the day

• Wally – a fool or idiot

• Wax head – a surfer

• Weaker than a sunburned snowflake – very weak

• Weekend warrior – someone who works around the house on the weekend

• Westie – someone from Western Sydney

• What’s the John Dory – What’s the Story?

• Whinge – whine

• Wife beater – a dark blue blue singlet

• Wonky – something that is very unsteady

• Woop woop – an isolated location

• Wowser – a very boring, extremely conservative person

Y

• Yabber/Yabba – to talk a lot

• Yabby – a freshwater crayfish (crustacean) you can eat

• Yeah Nah – um

• Yobbo – uncouth, unintelligent person

• Yonks – a very long time

• You little ripper – a positive opinion about something

• Your shout – it’s your turn to buy a drink for me

• Youse – plural of ‘you’

Z

• Zack – not worth anything

• Zilch / Zilcho – nothing

• Zit – pimple

• Zonked – tired