Australians may well be the laziest
nation in the world when it comes to speaking. Any words containing
more than three syllables are chopped in half and an ‘O’ is added
on the end. For example
Afternoon becomes Arvo, Ambulance becomes Ambo and Bottle Shop becomes
Bottlo. Easy, isn’t
it?
This list should help
you get by in almost any conversation:
aggro.
Aggravation, bother, belligerence, aggressiveness, aggression.
top
ambo. Ambulance.
arvo. Afternoon.
Aussie. Australian.
bangers.
Sausages. top
barbie. Bar-b-q
barney. Argument
beaut.
as in “You beaut.” If something is considered good
big smoke. The
city.
billabong. A
waterhole.
billy. Container
for boiling tea.
bloke.
Man.
blowy. Blow fly
bludger. Lazy
person
blue. A row,
quarrel, fight, as in We had a blue.
Bluey. Nickname
for a redhead. How about that?
Blue bottle.
A blue jelly fish shaped like a bottle.
bonza. Excellent,
attractive, really great.
bottlo, bottle shop.
Liquor store.
box. A crate
of 24 beers. See slab and case
bunyip. A fictitious
rabbit
bush telegraph.
The local gossip network.
bush. Country,
as in the bush (the country) and go bush (leave
the city).
bushed. Extremely
tired.
butt. Buttocks,
bottom, also cigarette.
cadge.
Impose on another's generosity, also borrow without intent to repay.
cadger. One who
cadges. top
case. A crate
of 24 beers. See slab and box
chips. Potato
chips or crisps
chinwag. A chat,
conversation.
chook. Chicken.
cobber. Mate,
friend. .
codger. Bloke,
man, especially elderly and a little odd, as in silly codger.
corker. Something
striking or astonishing, or something very good of its kind.
corroboree. Aboriginal
assembly or gathering of festive, sacred or warlike character.
crook. Sick,
ill, as in He's crook.
Damper.
Camp fire bread cooked in the bush
top
digger. Australian
soldier, especially one who served in World War I.
ding.Dent,A damaged
section of a car, bike, surfboard, etc. There are other meanings.
dinki-di. Also
dinky-di. See fair dinkum
dinkum. True
blue, real, genuine.
Dirty Coathanger.
nickname for the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
drongo. Slow-witted
or stupid person.
dunny. An outside
toilet.
durry. cigaretee
ear basher.
Someone who talks too much
top
fair dinkum.
Really genuine. i.e. he is fair dinkum
top
fang it. This
has a few slang meanings, but usually means either (1) to exert
force so someone will lend or give you something, or (2) to appropriate
what's not yours.
footy. Rugby
league (NSW/QLD) Aussie Rules (VIC,SA,WA,TAS)
furphy. Rumor,
false story.
g'day,
Fairly common daytime (sometimes even nighttime) greeting, as
in G'day mate.
top
gee-gees. Horses,
often applied to horse racing.
go. Chance or
turn, as in Give me a go, or Give the bloke a fair
go, matey. Also way, as This is the go.
good guts. Accurate
information (which could cause someone's downfall).
goodie. Something
nice, as in a bag of goodies.
greenie. An environmentalist.
Sometimes used deprecatingly.
grog. Alcohol.
beer, spirits.
grouse. Very
good, as in grouse shiela.
gum. Eucalypt.
half your
luck. Would you believe it? -- this means "congratulations"
or "best wishes". I think it evolved from the saying "I
wish I had half your luck" or "I'd be happy if I had half
your luck." top
hard yacka. .
Hard work.
Harry
Lime . Time
hassle.
v. Give problems, complications or aggravations, as in Don't
hassle me, mate.
hassles.
n. Problems, complications, aggravations, as in I got
into a lot of hassles, or Spare me the hassles.
homestead. Main
residence on a sheep or cattle station (ranch or farm).
Hot chips. Cooked
potato chips
Joe Blake.
Rhyming slang for snake.
top
john. Toilet.
jumbuck. Sheep.
king brown.
Mulga snake. top
larry.
A hoe with a hole in the centre for mixing cement .
loo. Toilet.
make a good
fist. to do (a task) well.
top
mate. Anyone's
a mate, especially when you're trying to strike some kind of rapport,
as in the greeting G'day mate.
middy.
A middle-sized (285ml) glass, usually of beer. Also see schooner.
mug. A fool,
one easily duped.
nong.
Fool, idiot. top
ocker.
True Australian workingman; boorish, uncouth.
ol' man. Father.
onkus. Bad, unacceptable
open slather.
Free-for-all, anything goes.
Oz. Australia
or Australian
pants.
Trousers
relos Relatives
roo. Kangaroo
servo.
Car service station
top
slab. A crate
of 24 beers. See box and crate
smoko. A break
from work in the morning or afternoon, tea break, smoke break
snag. sausage
soccer.
English football
strewth.
Statement of exclamation
Stubbies.
A brand of workman’s shorts
stubby.
375mL bottle of beer
swagman.
Bushman or nomadic bush traveler
TAB. Betting
shop top
thong.
G-String
thongs.
Sandles or flip-flops
too right.
I agree
Top End.
The Northern Territory
tucker.
Food
union.
Union Rugby
top
ute. Small truck,
short for utility truck.
undies. Underwear
VB.
Victoria Bitter, a great beer.
top
walkabout. a
period of wandering, usually in reference to Aborigines. Also someone
who does so.
Water hole
Pub
XXXX.
(Pronounced fourex.) A Queensland beer.
XXXX is the actual name on the label.
top
yobbo. Loutish,
surly youth.
You right mate.
Are you OK?
