It wasn't easy but we've tried to include uniquely Australian slang here and to exclude British and American slang even though these are commonly used in Australia. We see no point in informing the world that "fridge" is Australian slang for a "refrigerator". If you've got any comments or suggestions, though, we'd very much like to hear them. This page © Koala Net 1997-2020. Reproduction without permission forbidden. Updated 4th November 2018

[Added "Whingeing Pom"] Search for a word [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [Q] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Y] [Z] A Ace! : Excellent! Very good!

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 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 Smoke : a big city, especially Sydney or Melbourne

Big-note oneself : brag, boast

Bikkie : biscuit (also "it cost big bikkies" - it was expensive)

Billabong : an oxbow lake cut off by a change in the watercourse. Billabongs are usually formed when the course of a creek or river changes, leaving the former branch with a dead end.

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).

Boil-over : an unexpected (sporting) result

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 shit 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 B ring Y our O wn grog, also similar party or barbecue

C 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 shit, 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 (Farmers were called cockies in the early days of European settlement because, like the birds of the same name, they made their homes on the edges of permanent waterholes)

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

D 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

Doovalacky : used whenever you can't remember what something is called. Thingummyjig, whatsit.

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".

E Earbashing : nagging, non-stop chatter

Ekka : the Brisbane Exhibition, an annual show

Esky : large insulated food/drink container for picnics, barbecues etc.

Exy : expensive

F 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 g ood; j ust a sk m e". 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 G'Day : hello!

Gabba : Wooloongabba - the Brisbane cricket ground

GAFA (pron. gaffa) : the big nothingness of the Australian Outback. Great Australian F**k All.

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

H 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

I Icy pole, ice block : popsicle, lollypop

J 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

K 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

L 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

M 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

N 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 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!

P Paddock : see 'long paddock'

Pash : a long passionate kiss; hence "pashing on"

Pav : Pavlova - a rich, creamy Australian / New Zealand 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, pommie : an Englishman • See the complaint about "Pom" etc.

Pommy bastard : an Englishman (see also 'bastard')

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

Q 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]

R 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'll be : 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

Roadie : a beer you buy to take away with you

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

S 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

Sheepshagger : A New Zealander

Sheila : a woman

Shit house (adj.) : of poor quality, unenjoyable ("this car is shit house", "the movie was shit house")

Shit 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 nightclub 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 : beaten, defeated, cornered, perplexed

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

T 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

Tea : supper

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

U Ugg boots : Australian sheepskin boots worn by surfers since at least the 1960s to keep warm while out of the water. Also worn by airmen during WW1 and WW2 because of the need to maintain warmth in non-pressurized planes at high altitudes.

Ugh : ugly. hence Ugg boots

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

V 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)

W 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

Whingeing Pom : An Englishman who is always complaining.

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

X XXXX : pronounced Four X, brand of beer made in Queensland

Y Yabber : talk (a lot)

Yabby : inland freshwater crayfish found in Australia (Cherax destructor)

Yakka : work (noun)

Yewy : u-turn in traffic ("chuck a yewy at the next traffic lights")

Yobbo : an uncouth person

Z Zack : sixpence (5 cents) - "it isn't worth a zack", "he hasn't got a zack"

