Learn Aussie Slang from Down under!
As an international moving company (we move people everywhere from the U.S. to Australia, the United Kingdom and beyond), we make and receive many phone calls a day and we hear the various slang terms all the different nationalities have for common everyday exchanges.
From “G’DAY”, to “Top of the morning”, to the good old USA standard “Have a nice day”, they all mean the same thing but come from various cultures. What we have compiled here is some interesting and humorous Australian slang terms. We will occasionally update the blog with more language jibes from other countries, and we thought we would kick start with our friends from down under…
Also known as Strine, the Australian slang includes words and phrases that are specific to Australia.
A
Ace– very good
Aerial pingpong– Australian rules football 
Ambo– ambulance
Arvo– good afternoon
Aussie– Australian
B
Bangers– sausages
Barbie-barbecue
Barney– argument, fight
Barbie– barbecue
Bathers– swimsuit
Bean counter– accountant
Big smoke– city
Block- someone’s head
Bludger– a lazzy, irresponsible person
Brekkie– breakfast
Bull dust- a lie
Bush– country side
Bushranger– outlaw
C
Cakehole-mouth
Chew the fat-have a conversation with someone
Chokkie– chocolate
Chook– chicken
Coldie– a beer
Cook-someone’s wife
D
Dag– a funny person
Dead horse-tomato sauce
Dill– an idiot
Donk– car or boat engine
E
Earbash– chatter
Exy– expensive
F
Face fungus-beard
Fair dinkum– real, true
Footy– Australian football/rugby
Full as a boot-intoxicated
G
Give it a burl– try it
Got no coin-got no money
Grub– food
H
Have a yarn– talking to someone
Hit your kick– open your wallet
Hotel- pub
Hottie– hot water bottle
K
Knock– criticize
L
Lemon squash– lemonade
Lippy– lipstick
Lollies– sweets
Lob in– to drop by, to visit
Lolly water– soft drink
Loo- toilet
M
Mate– friend, buddy
Mickey Mouse– excellent
O
Ol’ cheese– mother
Ol’ man – father
Oldies– parents
Oz– Australia
P
Pack of Poo tickets– toilet paper
Push bike– bycicle
Q
Quack– doctor
Quid– money
R
Right– O.K.
Roo– kangaroo
Rubbadedub-bar or hotel
Rubbish– to criticize
S
Scrub up– dress up
Sanger– sandwich
Sheila- a woman
Smoko– coffee break
Spunk– good-looking person (male or female)
Stick it in your kick– stick it in your pocket
Stickybeak– nosy person, someone who pries
Strides-pants
Strine– Australian English
Stuffed– tired
Sunnies– sunglasses
T
Tall poppies– successful people
Ta muchly– thank you very much
Tee-up– set up an appointment
Too right– definitely
True blue– honest
Tucker– food
U
Uni– university
Unit– apartment
W
Wally– idiot
Whinge– complain
Y
Yabber-talk
Yakka– work
Yanks-Americans
Yarn- a story
Do you know any additional Australian phrases that you would like to share with us? Please feel free to send us your comments.
