Australian slang can be tricky to wrap your laughin’ gear around. But strewth, mate; learning this complete list of bonzer terms and phrases will endear you every true blue Aussie. You little ripper!
Also see:
Australian slang dictionary (A-F)
Australian slang dictionary (G-Q)
[R]
Rack off : push off! get lost! get out of here!
Rapt : pleased, delighted
Rego : vehicle registration
Rellie (also: rello) : family relative
Right, that’d be : accepting bad news as inevitable (“I went fishing but caught nothing” “Yeah, that’d be right”)
Righto: used to express cheerful concurrence, assent, or understanding (“Righto mate, head this way”)
Rip-snorter : great, fantastic (“it was a rip-snorter of a party”)
Ripper : great, fantastic (“it was a ripper party”)
Ripper, you little : exclamation of delight or as a reaction to good news
Roadie : a beer you buy to take away with you for the car/train/general journey
Roo : kangaroo
Roo bar : stout bar fixed to the front of a vehicle to protect it when hitting kangaroos
Root (verb and noun) : synonym for ‘fuck’ in nearly all its senses: “I feel rooted”; “this washing machine is rooted”; “(s)he’s a good root”
Ropeable : very angry
Rort (verb or noun) : cheating, fiddling, defrauding (eg. expenses, the system). Usually used to describe politicians’ actions
Rotten : drunk (“I went out last night and got rotten”)
[S]
Salvos, the : Salvation Army, bless them
Sandgroper : a person from Western Australia
Sanga: a sandwich (also known as a ‘sando’)
Sav : sausage (see: ‘fair suck’ of the)
Schooner : large beer glass in Queensland/NSW; medium beer glass in South Australia
Scratchy : instant lottery ticket
Screamer : party lover; somebody who gets drunk on very little alcohol (“he’s a two pot screamer”)
Seppo : an American (rhyming slang for ‘Septic tank’ = ‘Yank’)
Servo : petrol station
She’ll be right : it’ll turn out okay
Sheepshagger : a New Zealander
Sheila : a woman
Shit house (adj.) : of poor quality, not enjoyable (“This car is shit house”, “The movie was shit house”)
Shit house (noun) : toilet, lavatory
Shout : responsibility to pay, usually for a round of drinks (“it’s your shout”)
Show pony : someone who tries hard, by his dress or behaviour, to impress those around him.
Sickie (chuck a): constitutionally legislated (maybe) right to take a day off sick from work, especially if perfectly healthy
Skull : to drink a beer in a single draught without taking a breath
Slab : a carton of 24 bottles or cans of beer
Snag : a sausage
Sook : someone who is soft, tame, inoffensive. Also means to sulk. (“I lost his phone, and he’s having a sook”)
Spag bol : spaghetti Bolognese
Spew : vomit
Spewin’ : very angry
Spit the dummy : get very upset at something
Sprung : caught doing something wrong
Square Bear : Bundaberg rum
Stickybeak : very inquisitive (“have a stickybeak”, or “Don’t be such a bloody stickybeak”)
Stoked : very pleased (also Michael Clarke’s favourite word)
‘Straya : The great island continent nation of Australia, the world’s most awesome country
‘Strayan : Australian slang and pronunciation. Also a person who holds Australia citizenship
Strewth : exclamation, mild oath (“Strewth, that Chris is a bonzer bloke”)
Strides : trousers
Strine : see ‘Strayan
Stubby : a 375ml beer bottle (or plural ie stubbies – a pair of footy shorts)
Stubby holder : polystyrene insulated holder for a stubby
Sunnies : sunglasses
Swag : rolled up bedding (usually made of canvas with a mattress inside)
[T]
Tackle box : a gentleman’s nether region
Taswegian : a person from Tasmania
Tea : supper
Tee-up : to set up (an appointment)
Thangamajig: See ‘Whatchamacallit’
Thingy : You know, a thingy! (also: ‘thingo’)
Thongs : cheap rubber backless sandals (known elsewhere as jandals or flip flops)
Tinny : can of beer
Toey : horny, desperate for action (“Kevin’s as toey as a Roman sandal”)
Togs : swim suit
Too right! : definitely!
Top End : far north of Australia
Trackie dacks : tracksuit pants
Trackies : track suit
Truckie : truck driver
True blue : patriotically Australian
Tucker : food
Turn it up! : expression of disbelief
Turps : turpentine, alcoholic drink
Turps, hit the : go on a drinking binge
[U]
U-bolt: to perform a 180 degree turn around (also U-banger)
Uni : university
Unit : flat, apartment
Up oneself : have a high opinion of oneself. (“He’s really up himself”)
Up somebody, get : to rebuke somebody. (“The boss got up me for being late”)
Ute : utility vehicle, pickup truck. Best if powered by a V8 engine and with a kelpie in the back
[V]
Veg out : relax in front of the TV (like a vegetable)
Vegie: Vegetable. Also Vegemite (Australia’s favourite spread)
Vego : vegetarian (pronounced ‘vejjo’)
[W]
Walkabout : a journey of discovery without a stated destination, to go missing (“it’s/he’s gone walkabout”)
Whatchamacallit: See ‘Thingy’
Whoozywhats : Someone you don’t know the name of and you don’t quite want to ascribe the title ‘mate’ to yet
White pointers : topless (female) sunbathers
Wobbly, chuck a : tantrum, excitable behaviour (“I complained about the food and the waiter chucked a wobbly”)
[X]
XXXX : pronounced ‘Fourex’, brand of beer made in Queensland
[Y]
Yabber : talk (a lot)
Yabby : tasty inland freshwater crayfish
Yakka : work (noun)
Yarn : story told, often employing great poetic licence. Also to engage in conversation
Yewy : see ‘u-turn’ (“Chuck a yewy at the next traffic lights”)
Yobbo : an uncouth person
[Z]
Zonked: exhausted, tired
By Rob Flude with Bryce Lowry
