A Guide to Aussie Slang – Part 2

LAST WEEK WE gave you Part 1 of our A Guide to Aussie Slang. There were some rippers in there like ‘drongo’, ‘Banana bender’ and ‘cactus’. This week they get even better! So enjoy the nostalgia and that familiar nasal twang as you remember some of the beaut sayings from back home. Don’t forget to check out next week for Part 3!

Compiled by Rob Flude 

E
Earbashing : nagging, non-stop chatter
Esky : cooler-box for drinks and food

F
Face, off one’s : drunk (“He was off his face by 9pm”)
Fair dinkum : true, genuine
Fair go : a chance (“Give the bloke a fair go”)
Fair suck of : exclamation of wonder, awe, disbelief
Feral : disgusting
FIGJAM : “F*ck I’m Good; Just Ask Me”. Nickname for people who have a high opinion of themselves.
Flake out : drop out of an activity, usually last-minute
Flamin’ galah : fool, silly person. Named after the bird of the same name because of its antics and the noise it makes.
Flick, give the : get rid of it or him/her (“I couldn’t stand his rudeness any longer, so I gave him the flick”)
Footy : Australian Rules football, rugby league, rugby union
Franger : condom
Fremantle Doctor : the cooling afternoon breeze that arrives in Perth from the direction of the satellite town of Fremantle (Freo)
Frog in a sock, going off like a : going crazy, usually with reference to a party (“We went to Oktoberfest and the Hofbrau tent went off like a frog in a sock mate!”)

G
G’Day : hello!
Gabba : Wooloongabba – the Brisbane cricket ground
Get a dog up ya : have a drink
Gobful, give a : to abuse verbally (“Merv Hughes was an intimidating bowler as he used to give batsmen a gobful”)
Good onya : good for you, well done
Goon : boxed wine
Grog : liquor, beer (“Bring your own grog”)
Grouse (adj.) : great, terrific, very good (“David Warner’s innings was grouse”)
Grundies : undies, underwear (from Reg Grundy, a television personality)

H
Heaps : a lot (“thanks heaps” or “Bruce earned heaps of money in Perth” or “that movie was heaps good”)
Hook : to buy a round of drinks (“I’ll get them in lads, it’s my hook”)
Hotel : most pubs are known as or attached to hotels

I
Icy pole, ice block : popsicle, lollipop

J
Jackaroo : a male trainee station manager or station hand (a station is a big farm/grazing property)
Jillaroo : a female trainee station manager or station hand
Joey : baby kangaroo
Journo : journalist
Jumbuck : sheep

K
Kelpie : Australian sheepdog originally bred from Scottish collie
Kindie : kindergarten
Knock : to criticise
Knock back : refuse or reject (“I got knocked back from that job I interviewed for”)

Got any more? Comment below! And remember to have a look next week for Part 3 of our – A Guide to Aussie Slang