Australian Slang Words & Meanings: Funny Phrases, Confusing Sayings, Quotes, Euphemisms, Insults, Idioms, Swearing, Catchphrases, Terms, Expressions and Colloquialisms! My Silly Strine Dictionary!

It’s Australian Slang time! Something that’s all too common on my silly Australian travel blog!

When people visit Australia, you don’t actually need to learn English! That’s because everyone hear talks in slang all the time. And Australian Slang doesn’t resemble the Queen’s English at all.

For further reference, check out the below books – but read on!

Australian Slang is like another whole language in itself! If English is your second language (and even if it is your first!) those English lessons were a complete waste of your time and money.

But that’s where I come into it. I’ve produced this rather comprehensive list of Australian slang words, insults, expressions and silly colloquialisms to help you try and make sense of this mutant version of English! Learning Aussie slang should be on everyone’s bucket list!

Hey, even I don’t understand some of these, and I use these expressions all of the time! It’s like my Australian Slang Dictionary!

Australian Slang is just another product of the colonisation of the world by the British Empire. When the English language was exported, English took on another form of it’s own. Just like the silly Australian Culture and Stereotypes.

Australian slang has evolved over time to something that’s almost unrecognisable!

If English has almost a million words that ‘belong’ to the language, then slang words from all around the world surely would make up around 80% of those words. If you’re a professor of linguistics, let me know if I’m on the ball! (this means right!)

If you’re looking to start a new life in Australia, you might actually need to learn some of these Australian Slang words to pass an Australian Citizenship Test one day, because they’ll probably be on the test!

Anyway, here is my silly list of Australian Slang. Enjoy mate! You’ll need this guide in amongst all of the other silly Australian Travel Tips if you ever come over from the other side of the world!

If you ever get to meet me, I’ll be using a lot of these Australian Slang Terms! I’ve even put them in alphabetical order for you for quick reference!

Here we go!

Australian Slang Words: Everything You Wanted To Know. From Funny Phrases, Sayings, Quotes, Insults, Idioms, Expressions, Swear Words to Silly Colloquialisms – The Travel Tart Ultimate Guide & Version to Aussie Slang!

A

• A book short of a library – someone who’s a bit stupid
• An egg short of a dozen – as above
• A penny short of a pound – as above
• A snag (sausage) short of a barbie – as above
• A can short of a slab – as above
• A grape short of a bunch – as above
• A sandwich short of a picnic – as above
• A stubby short of a six pack – as above
• A bitch on heat – a woman seeking casual sex
• Accadacca – slang for hard rock band, ACDC
• Ace – that’s excellent
• A few stubbies short of a six pack – not quite there in the head
• 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
• Ape s%&it – an expression of extreme anger, also means going crazy
• Apple Eater – a Tasmanian
• Argy Bargy – a fight
• Arse – bottom
• Arse licker – someone who tries to befriend you but is not really genuine about it
• Arse over tit – when you fall over something
• Arse wipe – an idiot
• Arvo – afternoon
• As obvious as dog’s balls – obvious
• As popular as a rattle snake in a lucky dip – not popular
• As scarce as hen’s teeth – very rare
• As useful as a third armpit – useless
• As useful as tits on a bull – useless
• As useful as a one legged man in an arse kicking competition – once again, useless!
• 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
• Australian Kiss (or Aussie Kiss) – just like a French Kiss, but ‘Down Under’…

B

• Back of Bourke – somewhere isolated
• Backdoor Bandit – a gay person
• Backhander – a bribe
• Bag – to criticise
• Bail – to cancel something, like your plans or even a date you really didn’t want to go on!
• Ball and chain – means that you’re married
• Balls – testicles
• 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
• Basketcase – a crazy person
• Bastard – a term of endearment for you best friend. Often, you’re best friend is a total bastard, but your worst enemy is a little bit of a bastard!
• Bathers – swimsuit
• Bazza – Barry
• Beak – nose
• Belter – really good, or excellent
• Bean counter – an accountant
• Bearded clam – a vagina
• Beat around the bush – someone who says a lot without saying anything
• Beaut – the best
• Beer Goggles – what you get when you drink to much alcohol and you start viewing unattractive members of the opposite sex as gorgeous
• Beer gut – a fat stomach
• Bevan – someone who likes cars, a bit of a hoon
• Bevvie – beverage
• Beyond the black stump – see Back of Bourke
• Bible basher – a very religious person
• Big knob – someone in upper management
• Big Unit – a large person
• Big note oneself – to brag about one’s achievements or features
• Big Smoke – a very large city that’s often polluted
• 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
• Bite your arse – shut up, be quiet
• Bities – biting insects like ants, or mozzies (mosquitoes)
• Bizzo – business
• Blind – drunk
• 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
• Blotto – drunk
• Blower – telephone
• Blowie – a fly
• Blow in – an uninvited person
• Blow in the bag – an alcohol breathalyser test undertaken by the coppers (police) when they pull your car on the side of the road

• 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. See ‘Ranga’
• Blunnies – Blundstone boots
• Boardies – boardshorts, worn by surfers
• Bobby – glass of beer in Western Australia
• Bodgy – something that is of inferior quality
• Bogan – a redneck, 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
• Bollocks – testicles
• Bomb – an old car
• Bombed – high on drugs
• Boobs – breasts
• Boofhead – a fool
• Bonnet – the hood of a car
• Bondi Cigar – a piece of poo found floating at Australia’s most famous beach. Also referred to as ‘Brown Eyed Mullet’.
• Bonk – sex
• Bonk buddies – casual sex partners
• Bonkers – crazy, or nuts
• Bored sh$%less – extremely bored
• Bonzer – awesome
• Boot – the trunk of a car
• Booze Bus – vehicle police use to catch drunk drivers
• Boozer – a pub

• Bottler – excellent
• Bottlo – bottle shop to buy liquor
• Box – a television set
• Brass razoo – you have no money
• Breadbasket – stomach
• Brekkie – breakfast
• Brickie – a brick layer
• Brick sh$% house – something that is very solid or very well built
• Brisvegas – the city of Brisbane. Also known as Brizzie

• Broke – no money
• Brolly – umbrella
• Brown eye – anus
• Bruce – an Australian man. Google the Monty Python sketch about it!
• Brumby – a wild horse
• Bub – baby
• Buckley’s chance – no chance
• Bucks Party – bachelor party
• Budgie smugglers – those tight fitting swimming trunks. Looks like a guy is transporting a small bird in them
• Bugger – bad luck
• Bugger all – none, or nothing
• Bugger me – I’m surprised
• Bugger off – get lost
• Bugger up – to mess up
• Buggerlugs – a term of endearment for someone when you want to annoy them
• Buggered – tired. See stuffed
• Buggery – a place of male prostitution
• Bullsh#$ – a lie, or total crap
• Bullsh#$ artist – someone who bullsh$#s a lot
• Bum – butt
• Bum fluff – facial hair
• Bung – to put something somewhere. e.g. just bung it in the oven
• Bunghole – mouth
• Burning the Midnight Oil – staying up for a long time to get something finished
• Bush – the outback
• Bushman’s clock – kookaburra (a native bird)
• Bush pig – an unattractive woman
• Busier than a one armed brick layer in Baghdad – extremely busy (think of this one as a mental image and you’ll get it!)
• Busted – means something is broken. Also means that you’ve been caught in the act doing something that you shouldn’t be doing
• Bust up – an argument
• Butcher – a very small glass of beer. Normally only referenced in South Australia
• BYO – Bring your own alcohol. Some restaurants in Australia allow this. Otherwise you might see this on a party invitation because no one wants to pay for your beer!

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
• Call it quits / call it a day – to stop
• Camel – a promiscuous person. Someone who has lots of ‘humps’
• Camp – homosexual
• Cancer stick – cigarette

• Cane Toad – someone from Queensland
• Cans – breasts
• Canuck – a Canadian
• Carn – come on!
• Cardie – cardigan
• Cark it – to die
• Cat’s pajamas – something that’s really excellent
• Cat piss – very bad wine
• Charge like a wounded bull – a place that charges very high prices
• Chat – to talk
• Cheap as chips – very cheap!
• Checkout chick – a supermarket cashier or clerk
• Cheeky – someone who shows a lack of politeness in a likeable wayf
• Cheerios – small sausage consisting of mystery meat
• Cheesed off – annoyed or pissed off
• Chick – girl
• Chick flick – a movie that women like. Usually romantic comedies etc
• 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. Chooks is the plural version
• Chrisse – Christmas
• Chrome dome – a bald man
• Chuck a lefty – please turn left
• Chuck a righty – please turn right
• Chuck a spaz – to become really, really mad or angry
• Chuck a Uey – please do a U turn
• Chuck Up – to vomit or spew
• Chunder – to vomit when you’re really, really drunk
• Chew and Spew – fast food
• Chewing the fat – having a talk
• Chewy – chewing gum
• Ciggy – a cigarette
• Clap – gonorrhoea. Used in the context of ‘I’ve got the clap’
• Clapped out – broken
• Click – kilometre
• Clodhoppers – feet
• Clucky – a woman who feels maternal
• Coathanger – the Sydney Harbour Bridge
• Cobber – friend. See ‘mate’
• Cockie – a cockatoo, a native Australian bird
• Cockroach – someone from New South Wales
• Coldie – a cold beer
• Cods Wallop – total rubbish
• Come a guster – made a very big mistake
• Com 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. See togs
• Crabs – public lice
• Crack a fat – to gain an erection. Also known as crack a fatty
• Cranky – someone who is in a really foul mood!
• Crack onto someone – to pursue someone romantically
• Crapper – toilet
• Crawler – someone who tries to get on the right side of people in a non-genuine way. Similar to Arse licker
• Creamed  – to defeat the opposition team by a very big margin
• Crikey! – an expression used when you’re astonished about something. This saying was made famous by Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter
• Croc – crocodile

• Crook – sick. Used in the context of ‘I’m crook’
• Cross country wrestling – rugby league
• Crow Eater – someone from South Australia
• Crown jewels – genitals
• Cruddy – very poor quality
• Cry baby – an adult who becomes easily upset – similar to ‘sook’
• CUB – cashed up bogan. An uncouth person who has a lot of money
• Cubby house – play house for children
• C%$t – a term of endearment for one of your closest friends
• Cuppa – a cup of tea
• Cut lunch – sandwiches
• Curly – a bald person
• Cut someone’s grass – to hit on someone’s wife or husband

D

• Dad n Dave – rhyming slang for a shave. Dad n Dave was a popular radio show
• Dag – an affectionate term for someone who is a bit of a geek or nerd
• Dags – poo on your trousers
• Daks – pants or trousers
• Darwin Stubbie – the largest beer bottle in the world – it holds 2.25 litres of beer, from the Northern Territory
• Date – your bum hole
• Dazza – Darren
• Dazzler – a very good looking person
• Dead Cert – shortened form of ‘a dead certainty’
• Dead Horse – rhyming slang for tomato sauce
• Dead marine – an empty beer bottle
• Dead Ringer – exactly the same, or an exact copy. Similar to the German term ‘Doppelganger’
• Dead set – genuine, authentic
• Dear – expensive
• Death trap – an extremely dangerous and unroadworthy car – more than likely to cause your own death, or kill others
• Deep and Meaningful – an important, personal conversation you have with someone. Also known as D & M
• Defo – definitely
• Dero – someone who is derelict
• Devo – devastated
• Dial – face
• Dickhead – an idiot
• Dill – an idiot
• Dingers – condoms
• Digger – an Australian solider
• Din dins – dinner
• Dingaling – a very silly person
• Dinky di – genuine, much like Fair Dinkum
• Dipstick – an idiot, loser
• Dirty – to be really really angry
• Divvy van – police wagon where you are transported back to the police station
• Dob (someone) in – to report someone or provide confidential information on someone to someone else
• Docket – a receipt, or bill
• Doco – a documentary
• Dog – an unattractive woman
• 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
• Dole Bludger – someone on unemployment benefits who doesn’t want to look for a job
• Done a Steve Bradbury – fortunate to win something. Steve was Australia’s first gold medalist at the Winter Olympics. He won the men’s short track skating because everyone in front of him fell over and he crossed the line first. Good on him though. He deserved it because he tried his guts out for years
• Donger – penis
• Donkey’s Years – a very, very long time!
• Doodle – penis
• Doona – Duvet
• Dodgey – not quite right, or a shady character
• Dosh – money
• Dough – money
• Do Your Block – lose your mind, lose your temper etc
• Drier than a Pommy’s bathmat – I’m thirsty
• Drink with the flies – to drink alcohol by yourself
• Drongo – a dumb person
• Drop Bear – a mythical creature locals describe to tourists where bears drop out of trees and injure people

• Drop kick – an idiot
• Dropping the kids off at the pool – taking a dump
• Druggie – drug addict
• Drumstick – chicken leg
• Drunk as a skunk – obviously, drunk
• Dummy – a pacifier for a baby
• Dud root – someone who is bad at sex
• Dunno – shortened version of ‘I don’t know’
• Dunny – toilet
• Dunny diver – a plumber
• Durrey  – a cigarette you roll yourself

E

• Earbash – to talk non stop
• Earbasher – someone who talks non stop to you
• 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. Hopefully, you’re the one that’s consumed the beer out of them!
• 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

• Face fungus – facial hair
• Faceless – drunk
• Face like a dropped pie – someone who is ugly. Also see ‘Fugly’
• Facey – slang for social networking website, Facebook
• Fag – cigarette
• Fair dinkum – true, honest, genuine
• Fair go mate – means you want to be treated fairly
• Fairy – a gay person
• Fan-f$%^ing-tastic – that’s excellent! Can also mean that’s bad depending on the context
• Fanny – vagina
• Fart arse around – to waste time or procrastinate
• Feral – badly behaved person
• Festy – something that smells off or is decomposing
• FIGJAM – F%$k I’m Good, Just Ask Me. Someone who is up themselves or has a very high opinion of them self which is not warranted or substantiated by others. You might know this person at work
• Filthy – really disappointed
• Fin dick – a surfer
• 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, like a television (Idiot Box) or radio
• Flog the log – to masturbate
• Flogging the plastic – using your credit card a lot – usually unsustainably
• Foodie – a person who loves gourmet food
• Footy – football. Usually refers to Australian Rules Football, or Aerial Ping Pong
• Fox – an attractive woman
• Franger – condom
• Freckle – anus
• Freebie – something that is free
• Frenchie – condom
• Freshie – freshwater crocodile
• Frog – a Frenchman
• Front up – to turn up somewhere
• Frostie – a very cold bottle of beer
• Frothy – a beer
• Fruit cake – a crazy person
• Fruit loop – a crazy person
• F%$k me dead! – that’s really surprising
• Fugly – a mesh of two words, f*%&ing ugly
• Full – full of piss, meaning drunk
• Full of beans – high energy
• Fully sick – excellent
• Fun bags – breasts
• Funny farm – the mental asylum
• Fur burger – vagina
• 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
• Garbos, or Garbologist – the garbage people who collect your rubbish
• 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 (you know, voice calls, not SMS!)
• Give yourself an octopus – give yourself a wank (masturbate)
• 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, or just something that is very good in general
• Goodies – treats
• Good sport – a good person
• Goog, as full as a – once again, another crazy word for drunk
• Good on ya – great job
• Goon bag – wine that comes from a silver bladder
• Goose – idiot
• Gone walkabout – gone travelling
• Granny Flat – a detached building next to your house – where your grandmother or grandfather might live if they’re with you
• Green Death – Victoria Bitter beer
• Greenie – environmentalist
• Gregory Peck – neck
• Grog – alcohol – beer, wine, anything alcoholic!
• Grommet – young surfer
• Grouse – terrific
• Grub – food
• Grundies – undies, or underwear
• Gutful of piss – drunk
• Gutless wonder – a coward
• Gyno – gynaecologist

H

• Half arsed – a job that’s not complete. There is no such term as ‘full arsed’ for a finished job!
• 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 go you mug – you’re not trying
• Have a lash at it – to have a try at something
• Heaps – a lot of something
• Hen fruits – eggs
• Hen’s night – the bachelorette party
• Herb – marijuana
• Hicks – people who live in the country
• Hicksville – a remote town. Where the ‘hicks’ live
• High as a kite – high on drugs
• 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
• Hospital pass – a pass you receive in football that might land you in a hospital ward because you’re tackled heavily
• Hottie – a hot water bottle that you place in bed when it’s cold. Also relates to an attractive person (see ‘spunk’)
• Hot under the collar – someone who is angry
• How about a quick bite? – Let’s go and eat now
• How are ya mate? – How are you?
• Hump – to have sex

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
• I smell bacon – I know that the traffic police are around
• Iffy – something that is questionable
• I’m as dry as a dead dingo’s donger – I’m thirsty
• Imbo – imbecile
• I’m so hungry I could eat the arse out of a low flying duck – I’m hungry
• Insta – slang for social media website Instagram
• I’ve got a really bad case of the trots – I have bad diarrhoea. Meaning you’re going to the toilet a lot
• I’ve got a thirst you could photograph – I’m thirsty
• Ivories – teeth

J

• Jarmies – pyjamas
• Jatz Crackers – testicles
• Jesus Bars – those handles located in the car ceiling that you ‘hang on’ to when you’re having a wild ride
• Jimmy Dancer – Cancer
• Joe Blake – rhyming slang for a snake
• Journo – a journalist
• Jug – electric kettle
• Jugs – breasts
• Jumbuck – a sheep
• Jumper – sweater
• Junk Food – fast food that’s very unhealthy

K

• Kangaroos loose in the top paddock – a crazy person
• Kazza – Karen
• Kero – kerosene
• Kezza – Kerry
• Kick the bucket – to pass away
• Kindy – Kindergarten.
• King Brown – a 750 ml bottle of beer (see Tallie)
• Kip – to take a nap
• Knackered – very tired. Also means when testicles are removed from one of your pets
• Knickers – female underwear
• Knob – penis. Also a person who’s an idiot
• Knock back – to refuse something
• Knock something – to criticise it
• Knocked up – pregnant
• Knockers – breasts

L

• Lappy – laptop
• Lark – a joke
• Larrikin – a cheeky person
• Leckie – electric blanket
• Legless – a person who is extremely drunk!
• Lemon – something completely useless. Commonly referred to bad cars
• 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
• Little boys – frankfurts, or cheerios
• 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 a fizzy drink like soda
• Longneck – a 750 ml bottle of beer
• Loo – toilet

• Look see – to have a look at something
• Loose cannon – someone who is completely out of control
• Lug – ears
• Lung lolly – cigarette
• Lurk – an illegal activity

M

• Macca’s – McDonald’s, the fast food chain
• Mad – crazy
• Mad as a cut snake – crazy
• Mad rooter – someone who likes having lots of sex
• Maggie – magpie (a bird)
• Malaka – Greek for wanker. Australia has many people of Greek heritage so this is used a lot
• Manchester – bed sheets/linen
• Mango Madness – really hot
• Map of Tasmania – woman’s pubic area. Probably not that relevant these days if everyone is getting a Brazilian wax
• 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
• Meat hangers – see ‘budgie smugglers’
• Metho – methylated spirits, or pure alcohol
• Mexican – someone from Victoria. Because they all move across the border to Queensland
• Mickey Mouse – can mean both excellent, or crap! You decide!
• Middy – a 285 ml glass of beer in New South Wales
• Mince – hamburger meat
• Mob – a group of people
• Mongrel – an idiot
• Monthly visit from Aunt Flo – a woman’s period
• Moo juice – milk
• Moolah – money
• Mozzie – mosquito
• Mucking around – playing silly games
• Muddy – mud crab, often found in northern Australia, and very tasty seafood
• Mull – marijuana
• Muso – musician
• Munchies – snacks like chips, pies, chocolate bars.
• Munted – really drunk
• Mushies – mushrooms
• Muzza – Murray
• Mystery meat – applied to a range of meat goods where you’re not quite sure what’s in them, including some sausages

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. Used in the context of ‘Nigel No Friends’
• Nipper – young surf life saver
• Noggin – head
• No hoper – someone who will never ever do well in life – a loser
• Nosh – food
• No worries – no problems
• Noughts and crosses – tic tac toe
• Nuddy – naked
• Nuff – enough
• Number cruncher – accountant
• Nun’s nasty – very dry
• Nut out – to work something out

O

• Ocker – a person from the country
• Off my face – very drunk
• Offsider – someone who helps you – an assistant
• Off the planet – on drugs
• Off your head – you’re on drugs and they’re making you act out of character
• Old cheese – mother
• Old fella – penis
• Oldies – your parents
• On the nose – very smelly
• On the rags – a woman’s period
• One armed bandit – a slot machine/poker machine

• One for the road – the last drink at the pub before you go home
• One off – something that is one of a kind or unique
• On the piss – drinking lots of alcohol, or ‘having a session’
• Op Shop – Opportunity Shop. Where second hand or pre used goods can be purchased
• Ordinary – this can be used two was – it can mean excellent, or mediocre. As an example it can be  used in an ironic sense, such as when you spot an extremely attractive person – ‘he/she looks ordinary!’
• O.S. – Overseas
• Outback – the vast, dry, and largely unpopulated interior of Australia
• Oxygen thief – someone you don’t like who really doesn’t deserve to be using up all of the earth’s resources
• Oz – Australia

P

• Pack sh$# – to be very scared
• Paralytic – drunk
• Parliament House – the toilet
• Pash – a long, passionate kiss – like French kissing
• Passion Pop – cheap, fizzy alcoholic drink
• Perv – having a long, lustful look at an attractive member of the opposite sex
• Petrol – gasoline, fuel
• Petrol head – someone who loves cars
• Pick the eyes out of it – to choose the best bits
• Pickled – drunk
• Piece of piss – very easy
• Piffed – thrown away into the bin
• Pigs – derogatory term for policement
• 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 bits – vagina
• Pink slip – what you get if you lose your job
• Pint – a large glass of beer, usually 500 ml
• Piss – urine. Also means alcohol
• Piss trough – urinal

• Piss trough lolly – the smell disinfectant thing in the urinal
• Pisshead – alcoholic
• Pissed – drunk
• Pissed off – angry
• 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. Like the stuff found in a goon bag
• Pluggers – cheap rubber thongs
• Point Percy at the Porcelain – a man who needs to go to the toilet
• Polly or pollie – politcian
• Pokies – power machines, known as slot machines in the United States
• Pommy – an English person
• Pommy Bastard – a term of endearment for an English person
• Pommy Shower – not actually using a shower with water – just rubbing deodorant on yourself
• Pong – very bad smell
• Poo farm – sewerage treatment plant
• Poo man – plumber
• Poo tickets – toilet paper
• Pork – have sex
• Porky Pies – telling lies
• Porno – a pornographic movie
• 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
• Prozzie – a prostitute
• Pub crawl – going to a lot of places to drink in one night
• 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
• Quickie – a brief period of sex
• Quid- money. To make a quid

R

• Rack – cocaine. Also means breasts
• Rack off – go away
• Rad – excellent
• Rafferty’s Rules – no rules at all
• Rage – party
• Rage on – partied all night
• Ranga – a red hed
• Randy – horny
• Rapt – extremely happy
• Rat arsed – drunk
• Rat bag – cheeky person or idiot
• Rat sh$% – terrible
• 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

• Roadie – a beer you have on the way home from somewhere
• Rock doctor – a geologist
• Rock up – to turn up somewhere
• Roo – kangaroo
• Root – sex
• Root rat – someone who roots around a lot
• Rooted – tired. Also see Buggered, and Stuffed
• Ropeable – someone who is very angry
• Rollie – a cigarette you’ve rolled up yourself, like durrey
• Rort – defrauding something. What a rort!
• Rotten drunk – very drunk
• Rough nut – hillbilly
• 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

• Saffa – a South African
• Saltie – saltwater crocodile
• S’arvo – this afternoon
• Sand Groper – someone from Western Australia
• Sanger – a sandwich
• Sav Blanc -Sauvignon Blanc wine
• Schoolies – school graduates who have just finished school who then spend a week relaxing and celebrating the end of their studies
• Schooner – a 425 ml glass of beer
• Scone – head
• Screamer – someone who becomes drunk on not much alcohol
• Scrubber  – a promiscuous woman
• Scumbag – a used condom
• See a man about a dog – to urinate
• Seppo – short rhyming slang for an American. Yank rhymes with ‘septic tank’
• Servo – petrol/gas station
• Shag – to have sex
• Shagger – someone who shags
• Shark biscuit – a surfer that’s just starting out

• Shazza – Sharon
• Sheep shagger – a New Zealander
• She’ll be apples – it will be all good
• She’ll be right – like above – everything will be right (or Hunky Dory)
• Sheila – woman
• Shindig – a party
• Sh%$box – a very old car
• Sh%$faced – very drunk
• Sh&% house – something that’s really bad or poor quality. Also means toilet
• Sh$%kicker – someone who does an unpleasant job no one else wants to do
• Sh%&scared – very scared
• Sh&% sandwich – a raw deal
• Shonky – an item that’s not of very good quality. There is a consumer magazine called ‘Choice’ which has an annual ‘Shonky Awards’ which is a dubious honour roll of dodgy products and services
• Shoot through – to leave somewhere/someone
• Show pony – someone who likes showing off a lot, such as man dressing up to try and impress everyone by behaving like a peacock
• Show the ropes – show how things work around here
• Sickie – to take a day of work without being sick
• Silver pillow – what you sleep on after you’ve drunk the goon (wine) out of it and blow it up with your mouth
• Sit on a beer – to drink a beer slowly
• Six pack – a pack of six bottles of beer
• Skint – see broke – no money
• Skite – to brag or boast about something
• Slag – a promiscuous person
• Sloshed – drunk
• Spine bashing – resting
• Strides – trousers
• Strine – Australian Slang
• Skewiff – askew
• Skimpy – a scantily clad barmaid. Mainly used in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
• Skull – to drink a beer very fast
• Slab – 24 cans of beer
• Slack – lazy
• Smart arse – someone who knows everything
• Smoko – coffee break
• Snag – sausage
• Snag bag – sausage roll (mystery meat encased in pastry)
• Sook – to sulk
• Spaced out – high on drugs
• Sparrow’s fart – dawn
• Speedo – the speedometer on a car
• Spread – a large collection of different types of food
• Sprog – sperm
• Sprogs – children
• Spewing – really disappointed
• Spit the dummy – an over reaction
• Spruiker – someone who’s trying to sell you something
• Sprung – when you are caught doing something you shouldn’t be doing. Similar to busted
• 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’
• Standover man – usually involved with criminal gangs, and this is a large guy who threatens someone with physical violence to get his way
• Starkers – naked, ie stark naked
• Steak and Kidney – Sydney

• Stickybeak – someone who is a nosy person
• Stiffy – when a man has an erection
• 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
• Strine – Australian Slang!
• Stinger –  jellyfish
• Stroppy – someone who is in an irritable mood. See ‘Cranky’
• 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
• Swifie – to trick someone, i.e. pull a swiftie

T

• Ta – thank you
• Tart fuel – pre mix drinks often drunk by women
• Tacker – child
• Taddie – a tadpole
• Take a slash – to urinate
• Take the piss – to make fun of something or someone
• Tallie – a 750 ml bottle of beer
• Tall poppies – successful people
• Tanked – really drunk
• Tap – faucet
• Tasweigan – someone from Tasmania
• Tea – Dinner
• Technicolour yawn – to vomit or spew
• Tell him he’s dreaming – quote from ‘The Castle’ movie, meaning unrealistic expectations
• Tenner – a $10 note. Also known as a ‘Pavarotti’ (you know, a tenor…)
• Tenpin bowling – United States like bowling
• Tezza – Terry
• That one didn’t even touch the sides – when you are so thirsty, you swallow a drink in one gulp
• The lot – everything
• The Mrs – someones wife
• Thingo / Thingamajig – a thing or item
• Thongs – flip flops
• Throw down – a very small bottle of beer you can ‘throw down’ your throat quickly. Also known as ‘grenades’
• Thunder box – toilet
• Tickets, on yourself – to have a high opinion of yourself
• Tight arse – stingy person – someone who is very tight with their money
• 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. Also means penis
• Too right – I definitely agree
• Top End – Northern Territory

• Torch – flashlight
• Tracky dacks – a tracksuit
• Tradie – tradesman, like a plumber, carpenter
• Trannie – transvestite, or transistor radio
• Tree hugger – environmentalist. See ‘Greenie’
• Trolley – shopping cart
• Trolleyed – very drunk
• Truckie – truck driver
• True blue – patriotic, genuine
• Tucker/tucka – food
• Turps – turpentine. Also means alcoholic drink (ie. on the turps!)
• Two Up – gambling game played on Anzac Day

U

• Ugg Boots – sheep skin lined boots that keep your feet warm in winter. Also known as ‘Uggies’
• Under the weather – hungover
• Uni – university
• Unit – an apartment. Also means flat
• Up the duff – pregnant
• Up sh%$ creek –  in trouble
• Up yourself/himself/herself – someone who has an extremely high opinion of themselves. These people usually have delusions of grandeur. Context – ‘he was so up himself that he was coming out the other end’
• Uterus – utility wagon/car

V

• Vee dub – a Volkswagen car
• Veggo – a vegetarian
• Vegies – vegetables
• Verandah – balcony

W

• Wagging school – skipping school for the day
• Walk of shame – wearing the same clothes in the morning that you’ve worn out after the big night before. Also, when you’re leaving someone’s place where you’ve just slept with them. Like my crazy mate did after he had amorous liaisons with a lady on a cricket oval…
• Wally – a fool or idiot
• Wanker – someone who masturbates. An idiot
• Wanted to chew my arm off – you feel like doing that when you’ve just slept with someone you didn’t really want to
• Water the horses – to urinate
• Wax head – a surfer
• Weak as piss – weak
• Weaker than a sunburned snowflake – very weak
• Wearing the brown underpants – you need these when you’re really, really scared!
• 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
• Whiteant – to criticise someone
• White Pointers – Great white sharks. Also means topless females at the beach
• Wife beater – a dark blue blue singlet
• Wino – an alcoholic who drinks a lot of cheap wine, or plonk
• Wog – a flu or virus of some description. Also a person of Mediterranean origin, e.g. Italian, Greek
• Wombat – someone who eats, roots and leaves..
• Wonky – something that is very unsteady
• Woop woop – an isolated location, like the outback.
• Wouldn’t piss on them even if they were on fire – you don’t care about someone
• Wowser – a very boring, extremely conservative person
• Wristy – to  masturbate
• Wuss – weak spirited person

X

• XXXX – pronounced ‘Fourex’. A beer produced in Brisbane, Queensland

Y

• Yabber/Yabba – to talk a lot
• Yabby – a freshwater crayfish (crustacean) you can eat
• Yak – to throw up
• Yank – an American
• Yeah Nah – um
• Yobbo – uncouth, unintelligent person. Usually male
• 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
• Zed – how to say the letter ‘Z’
• Zilch / Zilcho – nothing
• Zit – pimple
• Zonked – tired

There you go, there’s a bit more time for you to waste on the internet! But hey, I’m sure it was at least an entertaining waste of time!

I’ll probably say a lot of these silly Australian Slang expressions to you on the road one day. If I do and you stare back at me with a blank face, I know you don’t understand a single word that I’m saying and I will provide a translation for you! Then you’ll be living in Australia too long…

What’s your favourite Australian Slang word or expression?

Leave a comment below and let all of us know. Even better if you can suggest other terms that aren’t on this list!

But apart from Australian Slang, there’s..

For more language lessons, check out my silly list of British Slang, Irish Slang, Kiwi Slang, Russian Swear Words, Italian Swear Words, Spanish Swear Words, French Swear Words, and German Swear Words!

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