Australian slang can be tricky to wrap your laughin’ gear around. But strewth, mate; learning this complete list of bonzer terms and phrases will endear you every true blue Aussie. You little ripper!

Also see:

Australian slang dictionary (A-F)

Australian slang dictionary (G-Q)

[R]

Rack off : push off! get lost! get out of here!

Rapt : pleased, delighted

Rego : vehicle registration

Rellie (also: rello) : family relative

Right, that’d be : accepting bad news as inevitable (“I went fishing but caught nothing” “Yeah, that’d be right”)

Righto: used to express cheerful concurrence, assent, or understanding (“Righto mate, head this way”)

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

Roadie : a beer you buy to take away with you for the car/train/general journey

Roo : kangaroo

Roo bar : stout bar fixed to the front of a vehicle to protect it when hitting kangaroos

Root (verb and noun) : synonym for ‘fuck’ in nearly all its senses: “I feel rooted”; “this washing machine is rooted”; “(s)he’s a good root”

Ropeable : very angry

Rort (verb or noun) : cheating, fiddling, defrauding (eg. expenses, the system). Usually used to describe politicians’ actions

Rotten : drunk (“I went out last night and got rotten”)

[S]

Salvos, the : Salvation Army, bless them

Sandgroper : a person from Western Australia

Sanga: a sandwich (also known as a ‘sando’)

Sav : sausage (see: ‘fair suck’ of the)

Schooner : large beer glass in Queensland/NSW; medium beer glass in South Australia

Scratchy : instant lottery ticket

Screamer : party lover; somebody who gets drunk on very little alcohol (“he’s a two pot screamer”)

Seppo : an American (rhyming slang for ‘Septic tank’ = ‘Yank’)

Servo : petrol station

She’ll be right : it’ll turn out okay

Sheepshagger : a New Zealander

Sheila : a woman

Shit house (adj.) : of poor quality, not enjoyable (“This car is shit house”, “The movie was shit house”)

Shit house (noun) : toilet, lavatory

Shout : responsibility to pay, usually for a round of drinks (“it’s your shout”)

Show pony : someone who tries hard, by his dress or behaviour, to impress those around him.

Sickie (chuck a): constitutionally legislated (maybe) right to take a day off sick from work, especially if perfectly healthy

Skull : to drink a beer in a single draught without taking a breath

Slab : a carton of 24 bottles or cans of beer

Snag : a sausage

Sook : someone who is soft, tame, inoffensive. Also means to sulk. (“I lost his phone, and he’s having a sook”)

Spag bol : spaghetti Bolognese

Spew : vomit

Spewin’ : very angry

Spit the dummy : get very upset at something

Sprung : caught doing something wrong

Square Bear : Bundaberg rum

Stickybeak : very inquisitive (“have a stickybeak”, or “Don’t be such a bloody stickybeak”)

Stoked : very pleased (also Michael Clarke’s favourite word)

‘Straya : The great island continent nation of Australia, the world’s most awesome country

‘Strayan : Australian slang and pronunciation. Also a person who holds Australia citizenship

Strewth : exclamation, mild oath (“Strewth, that Chris is a bonzer bloke”)

Strides : trousers

Strine : see ‘Strayan

Stubby : a 375ml beer bottle (or plural ie stubbies – a pair of footy shorts)

Stubby holder : polystyrene insulated holder for a stubby

Sunnies : sunglasses

Swag : rolled up bedding (usually made of canvas with a mattress inside)

[T]

Tackle box : a gentleman’s nether region

Taswegian : a person from Tasmania

Tea : supper

Tee-up : to set up (an appointment)

Thangamajig: See ‘Whatchamacallit’

Thingy : You know, a thingy! (also: ‘thingo’)

Thongs : cheap rubber backless sandals (known elsewhere as jandals or flip flops)

Tinny : can of beer

Toey : horny, desperate for action (“Kevin’s as toey as a Roman sandal”)

Togs : swim suit

Too right! : definitely!

Top End : far north of Australia

Trackie dacks : tracksuit pants

Trackies : track suit

Truckie : truck driver

True blue : patriotically Australian

Tucker : food

Turn it up! : expression of disbelief

Turps : turpentine, alcoholic drink

Turps, hit the : go on a drinking binge

[U]

U-bolt: to perform a 180 degree turn around (also U-banger)

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”)

Ute : utility vehicle, pickup truck. Best if powered by a V8 engine and with a kelpie in the back

[V]

Veg out : relax in front of the TV (like a vegetable)

Vegie: Vegetable. Also Vegemite (Australia’s favourite spread)

Vego : vegetarian (pronounced ‘vejjo’)

[W]

Walkabout : a journey of discovery without a stated destination, to go missing (“it’s/he’s gone walkabout”)

Whatchamacallit: See ‘Thingy’

Whoozywhats : Someone you don’t know the name of and you don’t quite want to ascribe the title ‘mate’ to yet

White pointers : topless (female) sunbathers

Wobbly, chuck a : tantrum, excitable behaviour (“I complained about the food and the waiter chucked a wobbly”)

[X]

XXXX : pronounced ‘Fourex’, brand of beer made in Queensland

[Y]

Yabber : talk (a lot)

Yabby : tasty inland freshwater crayfish

Yakka : work (noun)

Yarn : story told, often employing great poetic licence. Also to engage in conversation

Yewy : see ‘u-turn’ (“Chuck a yewy at the next traffic lights”)

Yobbo : an uncouth person

[Z]

Zonked: exhausted, tired

By Rob Flude with Bryce Lowry

Go to: Complete Dictionary of Australian Slang