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)![](a5.gif)
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-note oneself : brag, boast
Bikkie : biscuit (also "it cost big bikkies"
- it was expensive)
Billabong : an ox-bow river or watering hole
Billy : large tin can used to boil water over a campfire for tea
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 breathalyzer 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.
Bodgy : of inferior quality
Bog in : commence eating, to attack food with enthusiasm
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
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)
Brass razoo, he hasn't got a : he's very poor
Brekkie : breakfast
Brick shit house, built like a : big strong bloke
Brickie : bricklayer
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")
Bull bar : stout bar fixed to the front of a vehicle to protect
it against hitting kangaroos
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 oyster : nasal mucus
Bush telly : campfire
Bushie : someone who lives in the Bush
Bushranger : highwayman, outlaw
BYO : unlicensed restaurant where you have to Bring
Your Own
grog, also similar party or barbecue
C
Cactus : dead, not functioning ("this bloody washing machine
is cactus")
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![](a3.gif)
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, some
say, a woman's crotch.
Clayton's : fake, substitute
Click : kilometre - "it's 10 clicks away"
Clucky : feeling broody or maternal
Cobber : friend
Cockie : farmer. Also a cockatoo
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
Cook (noun) : One's wife
Corroboree : an aboriginal dance festival
Counter lunch : pub lunch
Cozzie : swimming costume
Crack a fat : get an erection
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
Cut lunch : sandwiches
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")
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
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
Dole bludger : Somebody on social assistance when
unjustified
Donger : penis
Doodle : penis
Down Under : Australia and New Zealand
Drink with the flies : to drink alone
Drongo : a dope, stupid person
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 : 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 (n.) : a hippie
Figjam : "F*ck I'm
good; just
ask me".
Nickname for people who have a high opinion of themselves.
Fisho : fishmonger
Flake : shark's flesh (sold in fish & chips shops)
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
Fossicking : searching, rummaging ("fossicking
through the kitchen drawers")
Franger : condom
Freckle : anus
Frog in a sock, as cross as a : sounding angry - a person
or your hard drive!
Fruit loop : fool
Full : drunk
G
G'Day : hello!
Galah : fool, named after the bird of the same
name which flies south in the winter - a bloody silly
thing to do in the Southern Hemisphere
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")
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
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 station hand (a station is a
big farm/grazing property)
Jillaroo : a female station hand
Joey : baby kangaroo
Journo : journalist
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)![](a2.gif)
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")
Loo : toilet
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)
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
N
Nasho : National Service (compulsory military
service)
Naughty, have a : have sex
Never Never : the Outback, centre of Australia
Nipper : young surf lifesaver
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
O
O.S. : overseas ("he's gone O.S.")
Ocker : an unsophisticated person
Offsider : an assistant, helper![](a11.gif)
Oldies : parents - "I'll have to ask
my oldies"
Outback : interior of Australia
Oz : Australia!
P
Pash : a long passionate kiss; hence
"pashing on"
Pav : Pavlova - a rich, creamy Australian
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
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 : an Englishman
Pommy bastard : an Englishman
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
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![](a8.gif)
Rellie : family relative![](a8.gif)
Ridgy-didge : original, genuine
Right : okay ("she'll be right,
mate")
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
Rock up : to turn up, to arrive -
"we rocked up at their house at 8pm"
Rollie : a cigarette that you roll
yourself
Roo : kangaroo
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.
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;
small 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
Shark biscuit : somebody new to surfing
She'll be right : it'll turn out okay
Sheila : a woman
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
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
Spit the dummy : get very upset at
something
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
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![](a2.gif)
Tall poppies : successful people
Tall poppy syndrome : the tendency to
criticize successful people
Taswegian : a person from Tasmania
Technicolor yawn : vomit
Tee-up : to set up (an appointment)
Thingo : Wadjamacallit, thingummy,
whatsit
Thongs : cheap rubber backless sandals
Tickets, to have on oneself : to have a
high opinion of oneself
Tinny : can of beer
Tinny : lucky
Tinny : small aluminium boat
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
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)![](a5.gif)
Vejjo : vegetarian
W
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
Whinge : complain
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)
Yakka : work (noun)
Yewy : u-turn in traffic ("chuck a
yewy at the next traffic lights")
Yobbo : an uncouth person
Youse : you (plural)
Z
Zack : sixpence (5 cents) - "it
isn't worth a zack", "he hasn't got a
zack"
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