Aussie Slang
Australian slang, known as 'Strine', is a way of using certain words and phrases that have become iconic to Australians. You may find that Australians tend to speak quickly and have an unusual way of pronouncing words. Here is a list of commonly used words and phrases — try them out with your Australian friends!
| Phrase/term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ace | great, excellent |
| Ankle-biter | child |
| Arvo | afternoon |
| Barbie | barbeque |
| Barrack | support (a sports team) |
| Bathers (also swimmers, cozzies) | garment you swim in |
| Bogan | uncool person |
| Bottle-o | bottle shop (liquor store) |
| Bloke | male |
| Bludger | lazy person |
| Buggered | tired, broken |
| Call it a day | finish what you are doing |
| Dodgy | not quite right, suspicious |
| Dunny | toilet |
| Fair go | give someone an equal chance |
| Give someone a bell | call someone on the phone |
| Good on ya | good for you (can be sarcastic) |
| Have a blue | have a fight |
| Hot under the collar | get angry |
| Idiot box | television |
| Jumper | sweater |
| Knock something | to criticise something |
| Lamingtons | sponge cakes coated in chocolate and grated coconut |
| Larrakin | a prankster, someone who likes to have a laugh |
| Little Aussie battler | someone bravely overcoming hardship |
| Maccas | McDonalds |
| Mate | term of friendship |
| Mucking around | playing games, being foolish |
| No worries | no problem, reassurance |
| Reckon | to agree, an opinion |
| Rip off | to cheat |
| Rug up | dress warmly |
| Servo | service station |
| She'll be right | it'll be fine, reassurance |
| Shout | to pay for the next round of drinks |
| Show you the ropes | show you how things work |
| Slack | lazy |
| Slab | pack of 24 cans of beer |
| Spewin' | not happy |
| Spud | a potato |
| Spunk | a good looking person of either sex |
| Sucked in | to be conned or tricked into something |
| Sunnies | sunglasses |
| Ta | thank you |
| Take a sickie | have a day off work |
| Tea | the evening meal (dinner) , or a cup of tea |
| Thongs | cheap rubber backless sandals |
| Trackie daks | tracksuit pants |
| True blue | genuinely Australian |
| Uni | university |
| Up yourself | have a high opinion of yourself |
| Vegemite | spread for toast or bread, savoury in flavour |
| Veggies | vegetables |
| Veggo | a vegetarian |
| Wag | skip school, truancy |
| Whinge | complain |
| Wonky | something unstable, unsteady or shaky |
| Wuss | a coward |
| Yobbo | a rowdy/loud/disruptive person |
