From the Land Down Under: Top 100 Terms
From the Land Down Under: Top 100 Terms
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You don’t really know a language until you’ve learned its slang . And when it comes to English, many people agree that Australian slang is the richest, liveliest and funniest slang you could learn. Sure, there’s always British English, but the Brits don’t call their barbecue “barbie”. And that’s a missed opportunity. Wouldn’t you agree? How can you have just a plain, dull barbecue when you could have a “barbie”? The Aussie slang is the best slang.
Top 10 Popular Australian Slang Terms & Words
Let’s start with the basics: core Australian slang vocabulary. Here’s a list of popular Australian slang terms you probably heard before but didn’t know what they meant.
1.Ta – Thank you
You can also use “thanks heaps” when you are really grateful to someone for doing something for you or “cheers” to combine both “thank you” and “goodbye” in a single word. For example, “cheers” is a perfect choice for leaving the shop after the barista gives you your coffee.
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2.Brekkie – Breakfast
Although it sounds like breakfast for kids, brekkie is the Australian meal everyone has in the morning.
“So… what did you have for brekkie today?”
3.Barbie – Barbecue
Well, I don’t mind if you call me a “barbie girl” now.
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4.Crikey! – An Exclamation of Surprise
Famously used by Steve Irwin. It’s similar to the British English slang “blimey!”.
5.Cake Hole – Mouth
There’s no better replacement for the word “mouth”. Why isn’t everybody using this?
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6.Ankle-Biter – A Small or Young Child
It can also refer to a small, aggressive dog like a chihuahua.
Greeting Card Builder7.Bogan – An Uncultured or Unsophisticated Person
A “bogan” is an uncouth or unrefined person regarded as being of low social status. The term is usually pejorative, but it can also be regarded as a joke between friends.
8.Bush Telly – What You Watch at Night When You Are Camping
You heard “telly” before, but “bush telly”? That’s a new one. Basically, when you are camping, you can’t watch traditional television, so you watch the “bush telly”: the campfire, the stars or just… the bush.
9.Bikkie – Biscuit
You’ll ask for a “bikkie” just to hear yourself say it.
There’s also the very cute expression “to cost big bikkies”, meaning that something is very expensive.
10.Mate – Friend
Oi, mate! This one’s a classic. You ought to use it. Additionally, you can also say “cobber”.
Australian slang
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Australian Slang Phrases Only Local Aussies Know
Search:
| Australian slang | Translation |
|---|---|
| ace! | excellent, very good |
| agro | aggressive |
| arvo | afternoon |
| Aussie salute | brushing away flies with your hand |
| avo | avocado |
| bathers/cozzies/togs | swimsuit |
| billabong | a pond in a dry riverbend |
| billy | teapot |
| bities | biting insects |
| bizzo | business |
| bloke | man or guy |
| bloody | very |
| bludger | a lazy person |
| bonzer | great, awesome, first-rate |
| booze bus | police car used for catching drunk drivers |
| bottle-o | liquor shop |
| bouncy mouse | kangaroo |
| brolly | umbrella |
| Bruce | an Australian bloke |
| Buckley’s chance | no hope |
| bush | forest |
| cabbie | taxi driver |
| cactus | beaten, dead, finished, not working |
| chewie | chewing gum |
| chokkie | chocolate |
| Chrissie | Christmas |
| chuck a darkie | get angry |
| cobber | friend |
| coldie | beer |
| convo | conversation |
| crikey mikey | snake |
| dag | a funny and likeable person |
| daks | trousers or pants |
| defo | definitely |
| devo | devastated |
| dingo’s breakfast | no breakfast |
| dinkum | unquestionably good or genuine |
| dog’s breakfast | complete chaos, mess |
| esky | portable cooler |
| exy | expensive |
| fanny | vagina |
| footy | football |
| furphy | erroneous or improbable story |
| g’day! | good day! |
| grog | alcohol |
| hard yakka | hard work |
| in the nuddy | naked |
| joey | baby kangaroo |
| kindie | kindergarten |
| lappy | laptop |
| lippie | lipstick |
| liquid laugh | vomit |
| lollies | sweets |
| Maccas | McDonald’s |
| mad as a cut snake | very angry |
| mozzie | mosquito |
| mushie | mushroom |
| nowt | nothing |
| oldies | parents |
| outback | the vast (usually arid) interior and rural part of Australia |
| pash | a passionate kiss |
| polly | politician |
| pressie | present |
| rightio | right, ok |
| roadie | a beer you buy to take away with you |
| roo | kangaroo |
| servo | gas station |
| she’ll be right | it’ll be alright |
| sheila | woman or female |
| sickie | sick day |
| sky gator | airplane |
| smoko | cigarette break |
| snag | sausage |
| sparkie | electrician |
| Straya | Australia |
| Strewth! | exclamation meaning God’s truth |
| sunbake | sunbathe |
| sunnies | sunglasses |
| tallie | 750ml bottle of beer |
| tea | dinner |
| thongs | flip-flops |
| truckie | truck driver |
| tucker | food |
| u-ey (pronounced “u-ee”) | u-turn |
| woop woop | the middle of nowhere |
| ya | you |
| yonks | a long time |
| you beauty! | fantastic, great |
Aussie slang
Funny Australian Slang Phrases
If it weren’t for this list, you’d need an Australian slang translator when you hear these Australian slang phrases! Use them in your day-to-day conversations and Aussies might think you’re one of their own.
1. What’s the John Dory?
What’s going on?
John Dory is an edible fish found on the coasts of Africa, Southeast Asia, New Zealand, and – of course – Australia. There’s no secret story to it apart from the fact that it just rhymes with ‘story’. So, instead of asking,“what’s the story?” , in Australian slang, you ask_“what’s the John Dory?”_ .
2. Chuck a sickie
Call in sick without actually being sick.
If you ever took a day off work pretending to be sick, you’re guilty of chucking a sickie.“I’m chucking a sickie to go to the beach. Wanna join?”
3. Fair dinkum
Honest, true or genuine.
Popular Australian exclamation often used to emphasize or seek confirmation (if used with the proper intonation) of the genuineness or truth of something.“This pork barbie is fair dinkum!”
4. Wrap your laughing gear ‘round that
Eat that.
What’s your laughing gear? Your mouth, of course. So, when you wrap your laughing gear ‘round something, you… eat it. It can be used in either a friendly or threatening way.
5. Carrying on like a pork chop
To behave foolishly.
Let me get my Australian slang translator for this one. 😅
It seems that this phrase has had a lot of variations:
- Carrying on like a pork chop in Jerusalem on a Saturday.
- Carrying on like a pork chop at a Jewish wedding.
- Carrying on like a pork chop in a synagogue.
While the original message referred to an object that is out of place, the modern meaning has slightly shifted. So, when you hear someone using this Australian slang phrase, know that they are referring to someone who behaves foolishly, makes a fuss, complains, or rants.
6. Dog’s breakfast
Complete chaos, mess.
You can think of it this way: what does a dog’s breakfast consist of? Leftovers. Chicken bones or maybe a half-eaten pizza from last night. So, if something is really messy or disordered, then it looks like a dog’s breakfast.
7. Do the Harry
Disappear.
The complete phrase is known as “to do a Harold Holt”, which is rhyming slang for “bolt”. The story behind this Australian slang phrase is related to Harold Holt, the 17th prime minister of Australia. In 1967, Mr. Holt disappeared, presumably by drowning, while swimming along Victoria’s coast.
Some say he “did the bolt” from his responsibilities as a prime minister.
8. No worries, mate, she’ll be apples
Everything will be fine.
Also known as “she’ll be right”, these positive expressions reflect the Australian way of looking at unfortunate events. There’s no point in worrying about anything, as it will all be alright in the end.
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What’s your favorite Australian slang term?
brekkie (breakfast) brekkie (breakfast)47 (20.43 %)
barbie (barbecue) barbie (barbecue)54 (23.48 %)
Maccas (McDonald’s) Maccas (McDonald’s)55 (23.91 %)
cake hole (mouth) cake hole (mouth)74 (32.17 %)
Australian slang
What You Need to Know About Aussie Slang
Whether you want to move to the Australian paradise, spend a holiday there to visit the Irwin family’s Australia Zoo, or just learn the Australian slang because you feel like spicing up your English vocabulary, there are a few things you need to remember:
- the term for Aussie slang and pronunciation is “strine”;
- Australian slang is often characterized by making words as short as possible but also as cute and as funny as possible!
- if you want to sound like a true Aussie, you should speak through clenched teeth to stop blowflies from getting into your mouth. It sure sounds funny, but you know perfectly well that this is not entirely excluded while in Australia;
- you should avoid using Australian slang in business or formal contexts because it could do more harm than good. Aussie slang is only for good friends and informal gatherings.
Before you go, let’s answer some frequently asked questions.
What does ‘Aussie’ mean?
Aussie means Australian, also known as a person from Australia. Remember that “Aussie” is an informal word and you should use it accordingly.
What is the most common Australian slang?
The most common Australian slang words are ‘arvo’ (afternoon), ‘Maccas’ (McDonald’s), ‘sheila’ (woman or female), ‘brekkie’ (breakfast), ‘barbie’ (barbecue), ‘mate’ (friend), ‘avo’ (avocado), ‘bikkie’ (biscuit), ‘cobber’ (friend) and many other more.
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- Title: From the Land Down Under: Top 100 Terms
- Author: Christopher
- Created at : 2024-07-29 06:48:09
- Updated at : 2024-07-30 06:48:09
- Link: https://mondly-stories.techidaily.com/from-the-land-down-under-top-100-terms/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.