In
most of Australia the language spoken is Australian, which is quite similar to English.
If
you already speak English you'll probably pick it up fairly quickly. There are quite a few words in the Australian language
not found anywhere else in this universe, entire dictionaries have been published but the list below should help you out for
most situations;
Abo: Aborigine, this
word is not politically correct, you should not use it but at least now you know what it means in case you hear it. In a country
full of ambos, avos, garbos, milkos, lilos, journos, biros, musos, servos, salvos, regos, thingos and preggo sheilas, it is
a somewhat understandable abbreviation.
Ambo:
someone who works on an ambulance.
Ankle
biter: small child.
Aussie:
resident of Australia, Australia itself or to describe something as Australian: the
Aussie barbie.
Aussie
salute: waving away flies with your hand.
Avos:
avocados.
A over T: to fall over, from "arse over tits".
Acid: the good
word, the truth, the good acid.
After dark: shark
Amber fluid: beer
Any tic of the clock:
very soon
Apples, she'll be:
everything will be okay or alright.
Arvo: afternoon
Bail
(someone) up: to corner somebody physically
Bananabender:
resident of Queensland.
Barbie:
barbeque.
Barney: an argument or fight
Barrack:
to cheer on (football team etc.) In other countries the equivalent is 'rooting'
for your team, do not say this in Australia or people will think you're
a bit strange, as rooting in Australia
means having sex!
Bathers:
swimming costume.
Beanie:
woollen hat.
Bender:
heavy drinking session.
Biffo:
fight.
Big
bikkies: lots of money .
Big
smoke: the city.
Bikkie:
biscuit.
Billabong:
water hole / pond / small lake.
Billy:
large tin can used to boil water over a campfire for tea.
Bingle:
car accident.
Biro:
pen, ballpoint.
Bities:
biting insects.
Bizzo:
business
Blackfella:
another word for Aborigine, this one is more acceptable to use as the Aborigines themselves often refer to people as blackfellas
and whitefellas.
Blind
mullet: what you find floating in the ocean near a sewerage outfall.
Bloody
oath, mate!: yes, that is correct / yes, I agree with you.
Blotto:
drunk.
Bludger:
lazy person.
Blue:
fight ("they were having a bit of a blue ").
Blue:
make a mistake.
Blue / bluey:
nickname for redheaded male
Boardies:
board shorts (for surfing).
Boatie:
person that likes boating.
Bogan:
scary member of the underclass who wears a black t-shirt, a mullet hairdo and drives a V-8
Bondi
cigar: floating turd, this term dates back from times before Sydney improved its sewerage management.
Bonza:
really good!
Boofhead:
idiot.
Boomer:
kangaroo.
Boong:
If you find yourself in the company of rednecks you may also hear the words 'coon'
or 'boong', these are very derogatory terms, even worse than calling an Afro-American a nigger, and you should definitely
not use them, but at least now you know what they mean now in case you hear them, and you can move on to find better company.
Bored
shitless: very bored.
Boss:
the wife. When an Aussie bloke has to consult his wife before making a decision
he'll say; I'll go and ask the boss.
Bottle
shop: liquor shop.
Bottle-o
-: liquor shop.
B
& S Ball: Ball held for Bachelors and Spinsters, singles crowd,
often held in the bush or remote location and often involving copious amounts of alcohol and sometimes mud!
Breatho:
police set up by roadside to check on drink drivers.
Brekkie:
breakfast.
Brick
shit house: built like a - big strong bloke.
Brickie:
brick layer.
Brissie/Brizzie:
Brisbane, state capital of Queensland,
note Brisbane is pronounced as Brisb'n, not Bris-bane like
plane.
Brumby:
a wild horse.
Buck's
night: stag party, male get together the night before the wedding, often involving copious amounts of alcohol, practical
jokes and strippers.
Buckley's,
Buckley's chance: no chance ("New Zealand
stands Buckley's of beating Australia
at football")
Bugger:
originally used to refer to two men having intercourse and was the B word instead
of the modern day F word. 'Bugger' is now often used as 'bummer' meaning 'what a shame', a few years ago a Toyota TV commercial
drew some criticism from older people for repeating the word 'bugger' about 25 times in half a minute. Something that is broken
can be 'buggered' and someone can tell you to 'bugger off' and a person who has bad luck can be described as 'a poor bugger'.
Bull
bar: strong steel bar or frame fixed to the front of a vehicle to protect
it from the impact of hitting kangaroos. Only bullbars on road trains actually protect against bulls.
Bundy:
short for Bundaberg in Queensland,
and the rum that is made there.
Bunyip:
mythical Australian creature with a piercing cry
Burl:
attempt, try.
Bush
bashing: four wheel driving, off roading, driving where there are no
roads. ( More recently this term has also started to mean critisizing the US
president George W. Bush, which has become internationally popular, and for good reason.)
Bushie:
someone who lives in the bush.
Bushpig:
very unattractive adult female.
Bushranger:
highwayman (eg. Ned Kelly.)
Bush
telegraph: 'grapevine', word-of-mouth.
Bushtucker:
food gathered from nature, in the outback.
Bushwalking:
hiking in the bush.
BYO:
Bring Your Own alcohol.
Baccy: tobacco
Bad case of the trots: diarrhea
Beaut: very good
or excellent, perhaps even desirable. Generally pronounced bewd or bewdie.
Bee's knees: the
absolute best, perfect, the greatest
Beg yours: I beg
your pardon.
Better half: spouse
Bite ya bum: exclamation,
be quiet.
Bloke: an Australian
male. To call someone a "good bloke" is to give them a compliment.
Blowy: windy
Bush: the Australian
country.
Bush pig: an ugly woman
Bushed: exhausted
Bushranger: an
outlaw or highwayman
Buzz off: leave
Billabonk: to make passionate love in or beside a waterhole.
Bludgie: a partner who doesn't work but is kept as a pet.
Bushwanker: a pretentious drongo who reckons he's above average when it comes to handling himself
in the scrub.
Cab Sav: Cabernet Sauvignon wine
Cabbie:
taxi driver
Cackleberry: an egg.
Cancer
stick: a cigarette.
Cark
it: to die, stop functioning.
Cask:
boxed wine in a bladder.
Chinwag:
conversation.
Chippie:
carpenter.
Choof
off: leave, depart.
Chunder:
vomit.
Chook:
chicken.
Chrissie:
Christmas (Chrissy pressies - christmas presents).
Ciggie:
cigarette.
Clayton's:
fake, substitute.
Click:
kilometre - "it's 10 clicks away".
Clucky:
feeling broody or maternal.
Cobber:
friend / mate.
Cockie:
farmer, cockatoo or cockroach.
Cockroach:
a person from New South Wales.
Coldie:
a beer.
Compo:
Workers' Compensation pay.
Cooee:
a call used to find someone lost in the bush, a place can be 'within cooee of..'
Coon:
If you find yourself in the company of rednecks you may hear the words 'coon' or 'boong', these are very derogatory terms,
even worse than calling an Afro-American a nigger, and you should definitely not use them, but at least now you know what
they mean now in case you hear them, and you can move on to find better company. The Coon cheese you see in the shop is named
after an American doctor and has nothing to do with Aborigines.
Corroboree:
an Aboriginal gahtering/dance festival.
Counter
lunch: pub lunch.
Country
cousins: euphemistic term for Aboriginals.
Cozzie:
swimming costume.
Crack
onto (someone): to hit on someone, pursue someone romantically.
Cranky:
in a bad mood, angry, grumpy.
Crash:
Go to sleep, often at someone else's house!
Crim:
criminal.
Croc:
crocodile.
Crook:
can mean criminal ( he is a crook) or indicate someone not feeling well ( I'm
a bit crook, mate).
Croweater:
resident of South Australia.
Cuppa:
cup of tea.
Cushie:
to have it easy, a cushie job.
Cut
lunch: sandwiches.
Call it a day:
finish up and stop work
Catch me, fuck me: derogatory term
for Rugby League from Aussie Rule fans (from huddling
together in the scrums)
Cheesed off: very
annoyed
Dag: a funny person, nerd, goof.
Daks:
trousers.
Damper:
bread made from flour and water.
Deadset:
true, the truth.
Dero:
tramp, hobo, homeless person (from "derelict").
Dickhead:
an idiot.
Digger:
an Australian soldier.
Dill:
an idiot.
Ding:
a wog in Western Australia.
Dinkum,
fair dinkum: true, real, genuine ("I'm a dinkum Aussie"; "is he fair dinkum?").
Dinkie-di:
the real thing, genuine.
Dipstick:
a loser, idiot.
Dig
in, mate!: Bon appetit!
Dingo
girl: Refers to waking up after a drunken night with your arms around
a particularly ugly female and rather than wake her up by pulling your arm out from underneath her you chew your arm off like
trapped dingoes do and quietly disappear.
Dishpig:
person that washes the dishes in a restaurant.
Dob
(somebody) in: inform on somebody.
Docket:
a bill, receipt.
Doco:
documentary.
Dog:
unattractive woman.
Dog's
balls, stands out like: bloody obvious.
Dole:
social security.
Dole
bludger: somebody lazy voluntarily on social security.
Donga:
demountable/transportable building.
Donk:
engine.
Doona:
duvet, quilt.
Down
Under: Australia.
Drink
with the flies: to drink alone.
Drongo:
a dopey, stupid person.
Dropkick:
a dipstick.
Dummy,
spit the: get very angry about something.
Dunny:
outhouse or toilet.
Daks: a man's
trousers or shorts
Dazzler: something
that is excellent
Dead horse: tomato
sauce
Dead set: used
to indicate that something is correct
Dial: face
Dill: someone not too smart
Dingaling, dingbat:
a foolish or irresponsible person.
Dinkum: real,
honest or genuine.
Dirty: to be angry
or annoyed about something or with someone.
Dogs breakfast:
a mess
Donkey's years:
a long time, ages.
Drongo: a stupid.
Duck's guts: the
heart of the matter, the basic information required without the unnecessary waffle.
Dud: useless.
Duds: trousers.
Dodgeridoo: a fake indigenous artefact.
Earbashing: nagging, non-stop chatter.
EFTPOS:
Electronic Funds Transfer at Point Of Sale; pay for goods with your bank card or make cash withdrawals at shops from your
Australian bank account.
Ekka:
the Brisbane Exhibition, an annual show.
Esky:
large insulated food/drink container for picnics, barbecues etc. , also very
handy to sit on.
Exy:
expensive.
Easy on: a request
for someone to calm down in a heated moment.
Fair dinkum:
true, genuine / good quality Aussie wine.
Fair
go: a chance ("give a bloke a fair go").
Fairy
floss: candy floss, cotton candy.
Fantastic
plastic: credit card.
Feral:
a hairy, unclean looking hippie.
Firie:
member of the fire brigade.
Five-finger
discount: act of shoplifting.
Fix
up: to pay someone money you owe them/ to repair something/ a doctor
to heal you.
Flake:
shark meat in fish & chips.
Flat
out as a lizard drinking: very busy.
Flick:
to give something or somebody the flick is to get rid of it/him/her.
Flatypus: a cat which has been run over by a car.
Foodie:
person interested in fine foods.
Footie:
regional term for either Australian Rules Football, or Rugby League or Union!
Fossick:
to prospect, e.g. for gold.
Fortnight: two week period.
Fremantle
Doctor: the cooling afternoon breeze that arrives in Perth from the direction of Freo.
Freo:
Fremantle in Western Australia.
Frog:
resident of France.
Fruit
loop: fool.
Full:
drunk.
Fag: a cigarette.
Faggot: a homosexual
man.
Fanny: vagina
Fire away: used
to tell someone to begin speaking.
Five finger discount:
shoplifting, store theft.
Fella: man, person.
Old fella (old fellow): penis
Footy: short for
Football, it is nearly always pronounced with a 'd'; foody.
Franger: a condom.
Garbo: garbage collector.
G'Day:
hello! universal Australian friendly greeting, as in hello. Pronounced "Gidday",
a shortened form of "Good Day".
Glassie:
the person that walks around the pub to collect empty glasses.
Go
for it: try it / do it / also used instead of the international 'Bon
Appetit' for which Australia has no alternative
of its own, (other than 'Dig in mate!').
Going
off: used of a night spot or party that is a lot of fun - "the place
was really going off". Also "she went off at him" meaning she gave him a good telling off.
Good
oil: useful information, a good idea, the truth.
Good
onya: good for you, well done.
Going
troppo: mental health problems due to excessive heat, common in Darwin in summer time.
Gone
walkabout: traditionally an Aboriginal person going bush for spiritual
reasons, now also used to refer to anyone disappearing for a while.
Green
can: term for VB beer.
Greenie:
environmentally minded person.
Grog:
booze, alcohol.
Grog
shop: licensed outlet selling alcohol.
Grommet:
young surfer.
Grotty:
run-down, dirty.
Grouse:
very good, cool!
Grumblebum:
complainer.
Half your luck:
congratulations!
Handle: beer glass with a handle.
Hard
yakka: hard work.
Hard
yards: hard work, training.
Heart-starter:
first alcoholic drink of the day, sometimes first cigarette.
Heaps:
a lot, e.g. "thanks heaps", "(s)he earned heaps of money" etc.
Heave:
to vomit.
Hit
the frog and toad: let's go / let's depart.
Hit
the grog: Start drinking.
Hit
the piss: Start drinking.
Holy
dooley!: an exclamation of surprise like "Good heavens!", "My goodness!"
or"Good grief!"
Hoon:
someone with fast and careless driving style.
Hooroo:
goodbye.
Hotel:
often just a pub, not necessarily a place to sleep.
Humongous
- ginormous.
Humpie:
temporary home in the bush.
Hang on: wait
a moment
Heaps: lots.
Hoof it: to walk
rather than take transport.
Icy pole, ice
block : popsicle, lollypop.
Idiot
box: television.
If
it's got tits or wheels, sooner or later you're gonna have problems with it.: Confucius
might have supplied the Chinese with lots of ancient eternal wisdoms but the Aussies have created some of their own.
Iffy: used to
indicate that something is a bit suspicious.
I'm easy: not
worried, not concerned.
In the altogether:
in the nude.
Ivories: your
teeth.
Jackaroo : a male station
hand, a (cattle or sheep) station is a big farm/grazing property.
Jaffle:
toasted sandwich.
Jaffle
iron: camping tool, used to make a toasted sandwich.
Jillaroo
: a female station hand.
Jocks:
mens underpants.
Joe
Blow : Mr. Average.
Joey
: baby kangaroo, koala or any marsupial.
Journo
: journalist.
Jumbuck
: sheep.
Jiffy: a very short
time.
Jumper: sweater.
Kelpie : Australian sheepdog
originally bred from Scottish collie.
Kero
: kerosene.
Kindie
: kindergarten, pre-school.
Kiwi
: either a resident of New Zealand or a Chinese gooseberry (nowadays marketed
as kiwi fruit) or a small endangered bird native to New Zealand.
Knock
: to criticise.
Knock
back : refusal (they knocked it back).
Knocked
up : Made pregnant ( he knocked her up).
Knocker
: somebody who criticises a lot.
Knockers
: woman's breasts
.
Knuckle
sandwich : A punch!
Kraut
: resident of Germany.
Kick in, pitch in:
to share, donate or join in.
Kip: a short sleep
Lamington: small square of
sponge cake covered in chocolate icing, and desiccated coconut.
Larrikin: a bloke who is
always behaving silly.
Lay-by
-: store system of paying for goods in instalments.
Lend
of, to have a : to take advantage of somebody's gullibility, to have someone on ("he's having a lend of you").
Lippy / Lippie: lipstick.
Lilo
: Air mattress.
Liquid
lunch : drinking beer at lunchtime.
Longneck
: tall bottle of beer, 750ml or 26oz.
Lucky
Country, The : Australia.
Lead foot: a fast
and reckless driver.
Lead foot: a fast
and reckless driver.
Lingo: language.
Lob: to arrive.
Lolly, lollies:
sweets made with sugar.
Loo: toilet.
Lifejacket demonstrator: flight attendant
Maccas : McDonald's (hamburgers).
Map
of Tassie : vagina, as the patch of pubic hair on a female resembles the shape of Tassie ( Tasmania).
Mate's
rates : cheaper than usual price for a "friend".
Metho
: methylated spirits.
Mexican
: the meaning of this one varies from state to state, in New South Wales it means Victorians
and in Queensland it refers to anyone who lives south of the Queensland border.
Middy
: 285 ml beer glass in New South Wales.
Milk
bar : corner shop that sells takeaway food.
Milko
: milkman.
Missus
: female partner/ wife /girlfriend.
Mob
- group of people.
Mob
: family or group of kangaroos.
Mongrel
: despicable person.
Mozzie
: mosquito.
Mull : grass (the kind you smoke).
Muso
: musician.
Muster
: round up sheep or cattle.
Mateshit: all your flatmate's belongings lying strewn around the floor.
Mate: a general
greeting term and familiar greeting amongst men whether a friend or total stranger.
Moo juice: milk.
Mushie: a mushroom.
Naughty (having
a) : having a root, sexual intercourse.
Never
Never : the Outback, centre of Australia.
Nipper
: young surf lifesaver.
No
worries : typical Aussie attitude that everything will be OK, there will be no problems. Frequently used expression usually
meaning you're welcome, it's OK , don't worry about it, bye bye, basically endless situations where you can use it.
Nuddy,
in the : naked.
Naff: useless,
low quality, ridiculous.
Nappy: diaper.
Nick off: go away.
Ocker : a yobbo, an unsophisticated
person.
Off
her tits : very drunk.
Off
his face : very drunk.
Offsider
: an assistant, helper.
Old
Girl : mother.
Old
Lady : wife.
Old
Man : father.
Oldies:
parents - "I'll have to ask my oldies".
On
the nose : smelly.
Outback
: interior of Australia.
Onya: an expression
of encouragement, short for good on you.
Oz: alternate
spelling of Aus, short for Australia.
Panelvan : A car like a
station wagon but with the rear part being just a bit higher and usually without windows it made it a very practical vehicle
for tradesmen to throw all the tools and stuff in and also became the vehicle of choice for hoons, usually with big V8 engines
and wide tires. As there was plenty of room for a mattress in the back teenagers found the panelvan offered a hundred times
more privacy and comfort than a backseat in a normal car and the panelvan developed a few nick names like 'sinbin' and 'shaggawagon'
and was often decorated with a sticker announcing 'if this van is rockin', don't bother knockin'.
Perve
(noun & verb): looking lustfully at the opposite sex.
Piece
of piss : easy task.
Pig
: police officer.
Pig's
arse! : I don't agree with you, opposite of 'bloody oath mate'!
Pint
: large glass of beer (esp. in South Australia).
Piss
: beer. Hence "hit the piss", "sink some piss”, to order more beer; more piss, Miss!
Piss
artist : someone who drinks a lot of piss.
Pissed
: Americans are pissed when they are angry, in Australia
this word means drunk, when Australians get angry they are "pissed off'.
Pissed
it up the wall : wasted it.
Pissed
off : Angry, unhappy with something. Can also be used to indicate someone's departure; he has pissed off - he has
left, he's gone. Or to dispose of something or someone.
Pisshead
: someone who drinks a lot of piss.
Pissup
: a gathering where a lot of piss or other alcohol is being consumed.
Playing
sillybuggers : waste time, mess around. Bob Hawke confused the hell out of the translator of a visiting head of state
by using this term.
Plonk - cheap wine.
Pokies
: poker machines, fruit machines, gambling slot machines.
Pollie
: politician.
Pom,
pommy, pommie - an English person.
Pommie
bastard : an English person.
Pommie
shower : spraying a bit of deodorant instead of taking a shower.
Poofter
: homosexual man.
Postie
: postman.
Pot
: 285 ml beer glass in Queensland and Victoria,
also marijuana ( geez, we smoked some good pot, man!)
Possie,
pozzie: position - get a good pozzy at the football stadium. In photography; give us a pozzy!
Prang
: car accident.
Preggo
: pregnant.
Preggers: pregnant.
Prezzie
: present, gift.
Pub
: bar
Pushie
: pushbike, bicycle.
Pash: a long and
enthusiastic kiss.
Queer: homosexual person
or behaviour.
Quid,
make a : earn a living - "are you making a quid?"
Not
the full quid : stupid.
Quack: a doctor, especially
a bad one.
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.
Rats
ass : I couldn't give a rats ass! I don't care!
Raw
prawn, to come the : to bullshit, to be generally disagreeable.
Reckon!
: I reckon! you bet! Absolutely! I reckon that...- I think that...
Reffo
: refugee.
Rego : car registration.
Rellies
: relatives.
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.
Rock
up : to turn up, to arrive - "we rocked up at their house at 8pm".
Rollie
: cigarette you roll yourself.
Roo
: kangaroo.
Root
: sexual intercourse.
Rooted
: sexual intercourse (Bruce rooted Mary), tired (I'm rooted, mate!) , broken (that car's rooted, mate!)
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".
Rotto
: Rottnest Island
in W.A.
R.S.L.
: Returned Services League-Social club, good place to play pool or have a counter lunch, originally only for returned soldiers
but as they gradually all died and no new wars were fought for a while they emptied out to the point that all of the public
was invited to fill the bars again.
Rubbish
(verb) : to criticize.
Salute, Aussie : brushing flies
away.
Salvos,
the : Salvation Army.
Sandgroper
: a person from Western Australia.
Sanger : a sandwich.
Sambo : a sandwich.
Sandgroper
: resident of Western Australia.
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.
Screenie
: someone who likes to watch heaps of movies.
Seppo
: can mean both septic tank or American person (as both are deemed to be full of shit).
Servo
: service station or petrol station.
Shag
: see root.
Shaggawagon
: see panel van.
Shagman: an unemployed male roaming the Australian bush in search of sexual activity.
Sheila
: a common term for an Australian female, usually single and probably good looking.
Shonky
: dubious, underhanded. E.g. a shonky practice, shonky business etc.
Shoot
through : to leave.
Shout
: turn to buy a round of drinks ("it's your shout").
Shout
: buy a round of drinks.
Sinbin : see panel van.
Snag :a sausage or Sensitive
new Age Guy.
Sook
; person or animal who is soft, tame, inoffensive. Hence sooky (adj.)
Spag
bol : spaghetti bolognese
Sparkie
; electrician.
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).
Squiz
: having a look at something, have a squiz at it.
Starkers
- naked.
Station
: a big farm/grazing property.
Stickybeak
; nosy person.
Stoked
; very pleased.
Strewth
; exclamation, mild oath
Strides
; trousers.
Strine
: Australian slang and pronunciation.
Stubby
: bottle of beer, usually 375 ml. but over 2 litres in the Northern Territory.
Stubby
holder : polystyrene insulated holder for a stubby.
Stuffed,
I'm stuffed mate! : I'm tired or exhausted.
Stuffed,
I'll be : expression of surprise.
Sunbake
: sunbathe.
Sunnies
: sunglasses.
Surfies
: people who go surfing - usually more often than they go to work!
Stubbies
: brand of shorts worn by man, often as workwear. Also a beerbottle as described below.
Swag
: Green canvas bedroll, previously carried by bushmen but now often seen tied on the back of utes.
Sand shoes: sneakers.
She'll be apples, she'll be right, she'll be sweet: everything will be OK, there is no need to worry.
Sickie: a day
off work, although often the reasons for taking a sickie have nothing to do with sickness or health but rather with recreation
and enjoyment. On a very hot day, it is amazing the number of people who take a sickie.
Smoko: originally
a 10-15 minute break from work for a cigarette, it now means a break for a cup of tea/coffee, even non-smokers have smoko
Spot on: perfect
or exact.
Sus: suspicious.
Shornbag: a particularly attractive naked sheep.
T.A.B .: Totalisator Agency Board - betting shop, mainly for horse racing.
Tall
poppies: successful people.
Tall
poppy syndrome: the habit of criticizing successful people.
Tart
yourself up: to go and apply your make-up.
Tasmaniac: resident of Tassie.
Tassie:
Tasmania.
Tee-up:
to set up (an appointment).
Thingo:
Wadjamacallit, thingummy, whatsit.
Thongs: not underwear like in the U.S. but rubber footwear (rubber sandals)also known as flip-flops.
You need to know this as some bars have signs "No Thongs" on the door, there is no need to remove your undies before entering
the bar.
Tinny:
either a can of beer or an aluminium fishing boat.
Togs:
swim suit.
Too
right!: definitely!
Toorak
tractor: refers to four wheel drive vehicles that never leave the city,
Toorak is an expensive suburb in Melbourne where pricey Range
Rovers are commonly used to do super market shopping.
Top
End: far north of Australia.
Trackie
daks/dacks: tracksuit pants.
Trackies:
track suit.
Troopy:
Toyota Troopcarrier, model of four wheel drive that seats
at least eight people.
Truckie:
truck driver.
True
blue: patriotic.
Tucker:
food.
Tucker-bag:
food bag.
Tuck
shop: canteen where students buy food at school.
Turps:
turpentine, alcoholic drink.
Turps,
hit the -: go on a drinking binge.
Two
up: gambling game played by spinning two coins simultaneously.
Ta: thank you.
Tea: the evening
meal and usually the main meal of the day.
Telly: television.
Thunder box: toilet.
Toot: toilet.
To barrack for: to support a sports team.
Twit: a idiot
or fool.
Technicolour lawn: the front yard after a rave party.
U-ie: U-turn.
Uni:
university.
Unit: flat, apartment.
Up
himself / herself: have a high opinion of yourself /"he's really up himself".
Up
shit creek without a paddle: having a problem, being stuck.
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.
Ute: car with open back, like a pick-up truck in the U.S.
Undies: underpants.
Vegies: vegetables.
Vee dub: Volkswagen.
Veg out: relax in front of the TV.
Vego:
vegetarian.
Vinnie's:
St. Vincent De Paul's (charity thrift stores
and hostels).
Waggin' school:
not attending school.
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.
Wedgie:
yanking someone's underpants upwards to force their underwear to bunch
up in their bum-crack. Amusing for the perpetrator but not for the victim. Some poorly designed underwear does this spontaneously.
Whacker,
whacka : Idiot/ somebody who talks drivel/ somebody with whom you have little patience/ a dickhead.
Wharfie:
dock-worker.
Whinge
: complain, especially English people have a reputation for this, hence the often heard expression 'whingeing Pom'.
White
pointers: topless (female) sunbathers.
White
ant: refers to termites that like to eat houses but a biologist can tell you
termites and ants are in no way related and are completely different animals.
Wing
nut: person with prominent ears.
Within
cooee: within shouting distance.
What
size donk you got mate?: When you have engine trouble the outback mechanic
might ask you for the size of your car engine (donk), not to be confused with dong.
Wobbly:
excitable explosive behaviour ("He threw a wobbly").
Woftam:
Waste Of F#*%ing Time And Money
Wog:
derogatory term for immigrant from Italy or Greece but also used to vaguely describe sickness (in bed with a wog- probably
flue or cold).
Work:
something you do so you can pay for your beers when it's all finished.
Woop
Woop: non existing place used to describe a very remote place, made
even more famous in the movie 'Welcome to Woop Woop'.
Wowser:
straight-laced person, prude, puritan, spoilsport.
Wuss:
coward/ nervous person or animal.
White or black?:
referring to tea and coffee.
Wrapped: extremely
happy.
XXXX: Pronounced as Four-Ex this is Queensland's
favourite beer.
Yabbie: small freshwater
crayfish.
Yakka:
work, that's hard yakka mate
Yewy: u-turn in traffic
("chuck a yewy at the next traffic lights").
Yank: American person.
Yank
tank: Large American car.
Yobbo:
Male person who is usually dressed in blue singlet, pair of stubbies, thongs (if not barefoot) and spends most of his time
drinking, fishing, being loud- and foulmouthed, watching the footy and usually drives an old ute or V8 panel van too fast
with swag in the back and beercans on the floor.
Youse:
plural of you. Pronounced the same as "ewes". instead of 'have you guys got any
beers cold' say 'hey, youse got any beer cold'?
Yowie:
Aussie version of the mythical Bigfoot, the teribble snowman etc.
Yonks: a long
time, ages.
Yabble: the unintelligible language of Australian freshwater crustaceans.
Zeds: Sleep;
Zilch: nothing.
Zillions:
lots and lots, where millions could not express it
Zonked:
exhausted.
-------------------------*-*-*-*--------------------------
A final word of advice
In certain situations and areas it may be helpful to include the infamous F#*#! word at
least once or twice in every sentence and also to finish at least half your sentences with 'mate' at the end so people understand
you better. It will make communication easier in for example; outback pubs, barbeques and parties where you see lots of blue
singlets around you. It is up to you to judge when to do this.
In major cities this is not necessary and, at for instance
Sydney cocktail parties, it is definitely not a good idea
to do this.
Computer terminology adopted from Australian language:
Most people are unaware how many Australian words are used in other languages, below is a list of
words that have been in use in Australia for centuries and that are nowadays adopted by computer users all over the world;
Log On - Make the barbecue hotter
Log Off - The barbecue is too hot
Monitor - Keeping an eye on the barbecue
Download - Get the firewood off the ute
Hard drive - Trip back home without any cold tinnies
Floppy Disc - What you get lifting too much firewood at once
Keyboard - Where you hang the ute and bike keys
Window - What you shut when it's cold
Screen - What you shut in the mosquito season
Byte - What mosquitoes do
Bit - What mosquitoes did
Mega Byte - What Northern Territory
mosquitoes do
Chip - A bar snack
Micro Chip - What's left in the bag after you have eaten the chips
Modem - What you did to the lawns
Dot Matrix - Old Dan Matrix's wife
Laptop - Where the cat sleeps
Software - Plastic knives and forks you get at Big Rooster
Hardware - Real stainless steel knives and forks from K Mart
Mouse - What eats the grain in the shed
Mainframe - What holds the shed up
Web - What spiders make
Web Site - The shed or under the verandah
Cursor - The old bloke who swears a lot
Search Engine - What you do when the ute won't go
Yahoo - What you say when the ute does go
Upgrade - A steep hill
Server - The person at the pub who brings out the counter lunch
Mail Server - The bloke at the pub that brings out the counter lunch
User - The neighbour who keeps borrowing things
Network - When you have to repair your fishing net
Internet - Complicated fish net repair method
Netscape - When fish manoeuvres out of reach of net
Online - When you get the laundry hung out
Offline - When the pegs don't hold the washing up