Australian Slang (just something on interest (maybe))

Discussion in 'Random Thoughts' started by Jes-Wan, Sep 30, 2004.

  1. Jes-Wan

    Jes-Wan Member

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    Thought this might be of some interest :) lol

    Although English is Australia's official language, when Australians speak to each other, they use a lot of made-up words and expressions which are a kind of 'code'. You may have heard some of these before, especially if you have seen Australian movies or television shows. Australian slang is sometimes called 'Strine', which is a what some Australians call each other… it's short for the way a true-blue Aussie pronounces 'Australian'… like 'Aw-strine'!

    Arvo: Afternoon.
    Avos: Avocados.
    Avago You Mug: Shout of encouragement to a sportsman not performing to his best
    Banana bender: A Queenslander.
    Barbie: Barbecue, as in "I'll throw some shrimp and chook on the barbie."
    Bash: Party. Also "fancy turns".
    Bonzer: Pronounced "bonsa" - grouse, great, excellent.
    Bloke: Man, guy.
    Bludger: Lazy person, layabout.
    Bluey: (also known as Blue) Slang for any bloke with red hair, and also known to describe the Australian Cattle Dog.
    Bonnet: Hood of a car.
    Boomer: A large male kangaroo, as Rolf Harris sings, "Six white boomers, snow white boomers on Santa's Australian run...".
    Boot: Trunk of a car.
    Bottle shop: Liquor shop.
    Box of blowflies: Ugly, as in "that's as ugly as a box of blowflies!" And that's pretty ugly!
    Buckley's Chance: No chance at all.
    Bung: To put or place. E.g bung another snag on the barbie
    Bunyip: A mythical bush spirit, Australia's bigfoot. Probably just a hairy surfie!
    Capsicums: Green or red bell peppers.
    Carpetbagger steak: Beef stuffed with oysters.
    Chemist shop: Drug store.
    Chew the Fat: To talk, engage in pleasant conversation, to have a chinwag.
    Chook: Chicken. Often served barbecued at fancy turns. If your hostess is befuddled and/or overcome by trying to do too many things at once, one might say she was "running around like a chook with its head cut-off!"
    Cockie: Farmer.
    Cockroach: Someone from New South Wales
    Crook: Sick, or badly made.
    Crow eater: A South Australian.
    Dag: A funny person, nerd, goof, loser.
    Digger: A soldier.
    Dilly-bag: Food bag.
    Ding bat: Fool.
    Dinky-di: The real thing.
    Donk: Car or boat engine.
    Donkey's years: Ages.
    Drop-in: To steal a surfer's wave. This is a serious crime in Surfer's Paradise.

    Earbash: Non-stop chatter.
    Esky: Portable icebox or cooler - it's always a good idea to have one in the boot stocked with some cold ones just in case the party's bar runs dry.
    Fair Dinkum: Kosher, the real thing - as in "Fair Dinkum Aussie" (true blue Aussie original). Often used by itself as a rhetorical question to express astonishment verging on disbelief ... "Fair Dinkum, mate?" (you've got to be kidding, haven't you?)
    Fair go: A good chance
    Footpath: Sidewalk.
    Footy: Rugby League
    Flyer: female kangaroo
    Galah: Noisy fool, named after the bird of the same name.
    Game: Brave.
    G'arn: Go on, you're kidding!
    G'day: Universal greeting, used anytime day or night, but never as a farewell. Pronounced "gud-eye", usually followed by "mate" (mite) or a typically strung-together "howyagoinallright"(= how are you today, feeling pretty good?)
    Give it a burl: Try it.
    Good as gold: Great!
    Good oil: Useful information, a good idea.
    Good Onya: Omnipresent term of approval, sometimes ironic, offering various degrees of heartfelt congratulations depending on inflection. Indispensible during Aussie smalltalk - substitute "really, oh yeh, aha, etc."
    Grizzle: To complain.
    Grouse: Rhymes with "house" - means outstanding, tremendous. Can be applied
    universally to all things
    social ... "grouse birds (women), grouse band, in fact, grouse bloody gay and hearty (great party!)"
    Have a yarn: To talk to someone.
    Hit your kick: Open your wallet.
    Hooroo: Pronounced "who-ru"... means "see ya later", make sure you don't say g'day when meaning goodbye - it's a dead giveaway you're not a true blue Aussie.
    Hotel: Often just a pub.
    Icy pole: Popsicle.
    Jackaroo: A male ranch hand.
    Jillaroo: A female ranch hand.
    Joey: Baby kangaroo.
    Journo: Journalist.
    Jumbuck: Sheep.
    Jumper: Sweater.
    Knock: To criticise.
    Lemon squash: Lemonade.
    Lob-in: Drop in to see someone.
    Lollies: Sweets.
    Lolly water: Soft drink.
    Never Never: Distant outback.
    No-hoper: A fool, loser

    Offsider: An assistant.
    O.S.: Overseas, as in "she's gone O.S."
    Oz: Australia; God's country
    Pines: Pineapples.
    Pommie or pom: An Englishman.
    Rafferty's rules: Chaos, disorder.
    Reckon: Think, as in "Your shout or mine? What' ya reckon?".
    Ridgy-didge: Original, genuine.
    Right: Okay, as in "she'll be right, mate."
    Ring, tingle: Phone someone up, as in "I'll give him a ring."
    Ripper: Pronounced "rippa" means beaut, tippy-tops, grouse
    Rubbish: To knock something.
    Sandgroper: A Western Australian.
    Shark biscuit: New surfers, grommets on boogie boards. Tres uncool!
    Sheila: A woman
    She'll be right: No problem, don't worry, mate.
    Shootin' through: Leave, take off.
    Smoko: Smoke or coffee break.
    Snag: A sausage.
    Sook: Someone who complains a lot
    Spit The Dummie: A "dummie" is Australian for a child's pacifier. Lose your cool
    Stickybeak: Nosy person.
    Stone the crows: An exclamation of surprise.
    Strewth: Pronounced "sta-ruth" ... general exclamation of disbelief or shock.
    Strine: Australian slang, from "Aus-strine", the way Aussies say Australian.
    Swagman: Itinerant farm worker, tramp
    Taswegian: A resident of Tasmania.
    Tee-up: To set up an appointment.
    Tomato sauce: Ketchup.
    Too right: Definitely!
    True blue: Honest, straight.
    The Lucky Country: Why, Australia, of course.
    Tucker: Food.
    Vegemite: A dark brown, gooey, salty vegetable yeast extract. It's what makes Aussies strong.
    Wally: Idiot
    Whinge: Rhymes with "hinge" as in door! Means to complain incessantly
    Woopwoop: in the boonies, nowhere.
    Wowser: Straight-laced person, prude, puritan, spoilsport.
    Yabber: Talk.
    Yobbo: An uncouth person
     
  2. wiccan_witch

    wiccan_witch Senior Member

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    New Zealand slang is SO much better.
     
  3. RetroGroove_Grrl

    RetroGroove_Grrl I'm a big girl now

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    I nevver would have thought of "Tomato Sauce" as being slang, but there ya go
     
  4. Jes-Wan

    Jes-Wan Member

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    i thought the same thing so i guess im more aussie than i thought.. but i didn't know a lot of them (british upbringing)
     
  5. Agent MoNkEy 0017

    Agent MoNkEy 0017 Member

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    i like "smoko"
     
  6. juicy_redgirl

    juicy_redgirl Daphney

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    I am going to go suck on an Icy pole...
     
  7. Jes-Wan

    Jes-Wan Member

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    i just don't get this one "OIL" !
     
  8. juicy_redgirl

    juicy_redgirl Daphney

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    a car doesn't work without some good oil in it....
     
  9. Jes-Wan

    Jes-Wan Member

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    hmmm i thinking im getting the reference now makes a lil more sense
     

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