130 Australian Slang Sayings & Words To Know In 2022

Australian slang is so unique and varied that it deserves an article all of its own. Many of the words or phrases that make up Australian slang have become so common, in fact, that they’ve practically replaced their original words in everyday vocabulary.

If you’re new to Australia, or you’re planning to make a trip (now that international travel is back on the cards) then it’s worth getting clued up on some Australian slang, so you can understand what an Australian actually means when they’re talking to you.

Have a look through this list of well over 100 Australian slang words and phrases. We’ll be sure to continue to add any new ones we hear too, so be sure to check back often.

A Cold One – A beer

Accadacca – How Australians refer to Australian rock band AC/DC

Ambo – Ambulance

Ankle Biter – Child

Arc up – To lose one’s temper

Arvo – Afternoon

Aussie Salute – Wave to scare the flies

Avo – Avocado

Bail – To cancel plans. “Are you going to the party tonight?” “Nah, I’m gonna bail.”

Barbie – Barbecue

Bathers – Swimsuit

Beauty! – Often said as “You Beauty” or “What a beaut.’ To say something is great.

Billabong – A pond in a dry riverbed

Billy – Teapot (In the Outback on the fire)

Blonk – Another word for an idiot

Bloody – Very. Used to extenuate a point

Bloody oath – To say something is true, or to agree with someone. “Did your mate drink an entire carton of beer?” “Bloody oath he did.” You may also hear some Australians exchange the word ‘bloody’ for ‘f***ing’.

Blotto – Very drunk. “Did you have much to drink last night?” “Ah mate, I was blotto.”

Blow in – Someone who is uninvited, or is a new arrival in a town or city.

Bludger – A lazy person, generally also who relies on others. If someone receives government payments, they may be referred to as a “dole bludger.”

Bogan – Used to refer to someone deemed to be unsophisticated, in regard to how they dress, speak and act. Can be compared with the American “Redneck.”

Booze Bus – Police vehicle used to catch drunk drivers

Bottle-O – Somewhere to buy alcohol. Australia doesn’t sell alcohol in supermarkets like some other countries, so has dedicated shops, “Bottle-Os” for all your alcohol needs.

Brasco – Another word for ‘toilet’

Brekky – Breakfast

Brolly – Umbrella

Bruce – An Australian man

Bubbler – A water fountain

Buckley’s Chance – Little chance

Budgie Smugglers – Speedos

Buggered – Exhausted

Bush – Used to describe incredibly rural parts of Australia. Also known as the Outback.

Cab Sav – Cabernet Sauvignon

Cactus – Dead, Broken

Choc A Bloc – Full – “This restaurant is choc a bloc.”

Choccy Biccy – Chocolate Biscuit

Chook – Chicken

Chrissie – Christmas

Chuck us – To ask for something. “Chuck us a towel would ya?”

Ciggy – A cigarette

Clucky – Feeling maternal

Cobber – A very good friend. ‘Alright me ‘ol cobber’.

Coldie – Another version of “a cold one”, to describe a beer.

Coppers – Policemen

Cop shop – Police station

Crack the shits – Getting angry at someone or something

Crikey – An expression of surprise

Crook – Being ill or angry; ‘Don’t go crook on me for getting crook’

C*nt, the “C” word – The “C” word is an interesting one in Australia, as its meaning depends on how it’s said. If used in an aggressive tone, it means the person is insulting you. But, if it’s said in a more lighthearted tone, then it’s another way of saying “mate.”

Dag – Someone who’s a bit of a nerd or geek.

Daks – Trousers. ‘Tracky daks’ – tracksuit pants

Dardy – meaning “cool”, is used amongst South West Australian Aboriginal peoples and has also been adopted by non-indigenous teens.

Deadset – True

Defo – Definitely

Devo – Devastated

Donk – A car engine

Drongo – A Fool, ‘Don’t be a drongo mate’

Dunny – Toilet

Durry – Cigarette

Esky – An insulated container that keeps things cold (usually beers)

Facey – Facebook

Fair Dinkum – Used as an expression of approval. “They were asking a lot for the car, but fair dinkum considering how new it is.”

Fang – Can have multiple uses. Most commonly used in place of ‘throw’ or ‘pass’, “Fang us a chip will ya mate?”. But can also mean driving as fast as you can.

Flannie / Flanno – Flannel shirt

Flat out – Really busy – “I’m so flat out today I haven’t had a chance to see your message”

Footy – Football, usually AFL or NRL.

Frothy – Beer

F*ck Me Dead – That’s unfortunate, that surprises me

Furphy – Rumours or stories that are improbable or absurd. Also the brand name of a beer.

G’day – Hello

Galah – An Australian cockatoo with a reputation for not being bright, hence a galah is also used to call someone a fool. But, they’re a loveable fool.

Get a dog up ya – To have a beer

Gnarly – Often used by surfers to describe something as being very good, or very challenging. “That was a gnarly surf today,” or “The waves today are so gnarly, I’m not sure if I’m going to head out.”

Going off – Used to describe somewhere as being busy, or to describe an angry person. “This club is going off tonight,” or “I’d avoid him right now, he’s going off.”

Good On Ya – Good work

Goon – Cheap, boxed wine that is adored by backpackers. Used to play various drinking games, such as “goon of fortune.”

Hard yakka – Hard work

Heaps – Lots, many, very. “It’s raining heaps today,” or “I’ve got heaps of work to do.”

Hoon – Hooligan

Iffy – Bit risky or unreasonable

Knickers – Female underwear

Lappy – Laptop

Larrikin – Someone who’s always up for a laugh

Legless – Someone who is really drunk

Lollies – Sweets

Maccas – McDonald’s

Manchester – Used to refer to homeware items such as sheets or towels. It’s not the English city.

Mongrel – Someone who’s a bit of a dick

Mozzie – Mosquito

Noah’s Ark – Australian rhyming slang for ‘shark’

No Drama – No problem

No Worries – No problem

No Wukkas – Yet another way of saying “no problem,” or “no worries.” No Wukkas is probably the most Australian way, however.

Nuddy – Naked

Old Mate – A replacement for someone’s name when referring to them. “I went to the pub with old mate the other day.”

Outback – The interior of Australia, “The Outback” is more remote than those areas named “the bush”

Pash – to kiss

Pommie – Used to describe someone from the UK

Piece of Piss – Easy

Piss Up – A party or some other social occasion. “Let’s have a piss-up this weekend.”

Pissed Off – Annoyed

Rack Off – The less offensive way to tell someone to ‘Eff off’

Rapt – Very happy

Rat dog – A filthy person

Reckon – For sure. ‘You Reckon?’… ‘I reckon!’

Rellie / Rello – Relatives

Ripper – Something that is good, or excellent. “How was the concert last night?”, “It was bloody ripper mate!”

Root – To have sex

Root Rat – Someone who sleeps around a lot

Rooted – Tired or Broken

Runners – Trainers, Sneakers

Sanger – Sandwich

Savvy B – Sauvignon Blanc

Servo – Service Station / Garage

Shark biscuit – Kids at the beach

Sheila – A woman

She’ll be apples – Everything will be alright

Shoot Through – To leave

Sick – Awesome; “that performance was so sick.”

Sickie – A sick day off work, or ‘to pull a sickie’ would be to take a day off when you aren’t actually sick

Skull – To down a beer

Slab – A carton/case of beers

Smoko – Cigarette break

Snag – Sausage – can be any meat

Stiffy – Erection

Stoked – Happy, Pleased “I’m so stoked for you.”

Straya – Australia

Strewth – An exclamation of surprise

Stubby – A bottle of beer

Stubby Holder – A fabric holder for your beer.

Stuffed – Tired

Sunnies – Sunglasses

Swag – Single bed you can roll up, a bit like a sleeping bag.

Tea – Dinner

Tinny – Tinny can be used to refer to a can of beer or small boat.

Thongs – Flip Flops.

True Blue – Genuinely Australian

Tucker – Food. ‘Bush Tucker’ tends to be food found in the Outback such as witchety grubs.

Two Up – A gambling game that is only legal to play on Anzac day.

U-IE – To take a U-Turn when driving, “Pull a u-ie up here mate.”

Up Yourself – Stuck up

Woop Woop – Middle of nowhere “he lives out woop woop”

Ya – You

Yobbo – A loud, inconsiderate, uncouth person. “That group of lads are leaving trash everywhere.” “Yeah, bloody yobbos.”

You Dog – Hope you get what’s coming to you

Yous – (Youse) plural of you

There you have it, some of the most common Australian slang words you’re practically guaranteed to come across during your time in Australia.

The post 130 Australian Slang Sayings & Words To Know In 2022 appeared first on DMARGE.