Aussie Dictionary

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In the months to come, you may find that much of our vocabulary becomes more and more unrecognizable.  To aid our friends and family on the other side of the learning curve, we have included a little Aussie to English Dictionary that you can use to help more effectively communicate with us.

Essential Australian Vocabulary

The Classics

g'day, mate : good day
no worries : no problem
she'll be right : no probs
she'll be fine : no problem
sheila : woman
mate : friend; common form of address, more common between males
barbie : barbecue
don't come the raw prawn with me, love!: don't try to kid me!
good sport: somebody who is easygoing, nice
Bloody Hell! : Exclamation of surprise, anger, ... I am sure you can get the meaning

 

Vocabulary

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  R  S  T U  V  W  X  Y  Z

aarvo : afternoon
amber fluid : beer
ankle biter : small child or toddler, tyke
aussie : australian
away with the pixies : in another world, day-dreaming
back

B.Y.O.: Bring Your Own; unlicensed restaurants where you are allowed to bring your own wine, beer
back o'Bourke: sort of no man's land
banana bender: resident of Queensland
banger : a sausage
barbie : barbecue
bathers : swimsuit (Victoria)
beaut : great, fantastic
beg yours? : beg your pardon
berko : crazy or extremely angry
bewdy : great, fantastic
bikie : motorcyclist
bikkie : biscuit
billabong : cut off ox-bow bend
billy tea : tea made in a tin container in the bush
bingle : minor car crash
bite your bum : go away! or be quiet!
bloke : guy
bloody : very
bludger : someone who does not contribute their fair share
bluey : red-haired person
bob's your uncle : everything's okay; everything's fine
bogan : one who lacks fashon sense
bonnet : the hood of a car
boofhead : a foolish person
boot : trunk of a car
booze bus : a police vehicle equipped with a breath analyzer test for suspected drunk drivers
brekkie : breakfast
buckely's : no chance
bum : tramp or bottom; rear end
burl : a try ex: "Give it a burl!"
bush : country
back

cadge : mooch or sponge
capsicum :
a bell pepper
car park : a parking lot
change like a wounded bull : set excessively high prices
cheap drunk : someone with a low tolerance for alcohol
chips : french fries
chockers : completely full
chockie : chocolate
chook
: chicken
chuck : to throw
chuck a wobbly : throw a fit
chunder : vomit
click : kilometer
cluely : intelligent, smart
cobber : friend
coldie : a beer
cozzie : swimsuit (New South Wales)
crap-on : to talk excessively
crisps : potato chips
crook : ill
cuppa : cup of tea or coffee
cut lunch : sandwich
back

dag : a tacky or clueless person
daks : trousers
damper : bread made in the bush
dead horse : a word from rhyming slang which means ketchup
dill : a stupid person
dinkum : honest, sincere
dole : unemployment benefits, welfare
doona : duvet
drop kick : loser
dunny : outdoor toilets
back

ear basher : someone who talks too much
esky
: insulated portable box used to carry beer
every bastard and his dog : everyone
back

fair dinkum : genuine, real
fag : cigarette
flash as a rat with a gold tooth : flashy gawdy
footy : football i.e. in this part of the world, rugby
full on : intense
furphy : an unconfirmed rumor
back

galah : an idiot or fool
garbo
: person who collects the garbage
go down the gurgler : go out of business, bankrupt
gob : mouth
good-oh! : expression of satisfaction
good on you : expression of congratulations or approval
goog : egg
grog : alcohool
grouse : great, fantastic
back

happy as a bastard on father's day : unhappy, depressed
hoon : recless
back

I'll be blowed : expression of surpise
in good luck : in good shape
in the family way : pregnant
back

jackaroo : hired hand on a large farm or sheep station
jiggered : broken

joey
: baby kangaroo
jumper : sweater or jacket
back

kangaroos in the top paddock : crazy, insane
kiwi : New Zealander
back

lamington : dessert made of coconut and chocolate
larrikin : mischievous person
lie doggo : hide out or stay hidden
like the clappers : very fast
lollies : sweets
lousey : no good, poor quality
loo : toilets
luck out : out of luck (opposite of American expression)
back

macca's : Mac Donald
mad as a two bob watch : crazy! nuts!
make a quid : earn a living
mate : friend; common form of address, more common between males
milk bar : convenience store
mozzies : mosquitoes
back

nick off : leave, depart
nicked : stolen
ning-nong : idiot
no flies on : smart or intelligent ex. "you can't fool her; there's no flies on that girl"
no worries : okay or sometimes used in lieu of "your welcome"
not backing out in coming forward : pushy
back 

ocker :uncultivated Australian
on a good wicket : to have a good job or position
on ya! : expression of encouragement
ooroo : goodbye
Outback : Australian bush
Oz : Australia
back

panic merchant : one who panics easliy
paralytic : excessively drunk
Pavlova
: dessert made of meringue named after Anna Pavlova
pavers : paving stone
piker : one who doesn't keep his/her word or breaks promises.
piss : alcohol
pissed : drunk
pissed off: angry
plaits : braids
pokies : poker machines
polly : politician
pom , pome , pommy : Prisoner Of Mother England or English person
postie : postman
pot : a glass of beer
back

quid : money
quince : to annoy or irritate ex. "she gets on my quince!"
back

ratbag : a dubous person
ratshit
: lousy
randy : horny
reckon : think
rego : registration
ripper : terrific, great
roo : kangaroo
rough end of the stick : unfair deal
rubber : eraser
back

 

sanger : sandwich
selling tickets on himself/herself  : conceited, boastful
she'll be right : it will be OK
she'll be apples : it will be OK
shocker : something that is distasteful or disliked
shout : to buy a round of drinks
sickie : day off work (not necessarily because of sickness)
skivvie : a turtleneck
slab : a case of beer
smoke-o : tea break
snag : sausage
spew : vomit
spewin' : devastated, unhappy
spit the dummy : to lose one's temper
spitting chips : extremely angry
spunk - spunky : good looking
squiz : a quick look, glance
stickybeak :  one who is nosey or excessively curous
strine : Australian language
stubby : a small bottle of beer
stuffed : can mean tired, worn out or in a hopeless situation
stuff you! : go to hell
sunbake : sunbathe
suss : suspicious
suss out : to find out or investigate
sweets : dessert
back

ta : thank you
tartan : plaid
Tassie : Tasmania
tea : dinner
telly : television
tinnie : can of beer
Top End : north part of Northern Territory
trackie daks : sweat pants
truckie : trucker
tucker : food
two-pot screamer : one with low tolerance for alchol
back

undies : underwear
uni : university
up in the duff : pregnant
ute : utility truck
back

Vegemite : yeast extract spread
vegies : vegetables
back

wanker : crazy of funny person
waffle on : to talk incessantly without making sense
wanker : someone who has a very high opinion of him(her)self
whingle :  a whining complaint
willy-willies : little sand tornados
wouldn't it rot in your socks! : expression of disappointment
back

yobbo : unciltivated Australian
yonks : a long time, ages
back

zonked : extremely tired
back

 

 

Some Expressions that I have heard ...

hatch, match, dispatch : referring to the births, wedding and obituaries published in newspapers
happy little Vegemite : somebody happy in a childish way
going bush : going away
I get the shits : I get angry
he is giving me the shits : he is making me angry