abso-bloody-lutely adv : an expression of agreement beyond all doubt. 

 

AC/DC n : a famous Australian rock band that as far as this author is concerned put the rock into Rock n’ Roll.

 

AFL n : Australian Football League.

 

ages adj : a period of time considered long in context.

 

any tick of the clock adj phrase : an expression signifying that an occurrence is about to happen. 

 

arse n : ass.

 

arsed v : to be bothered—‘I can’t be arsed!’ or vt : to be dismissed or rejected—‘he got arsed from the squad.’ 

 

arvo n : abbreviation of afternoon. 

 

Aussie n : a person from Australia. 

 

Australia’s Funniest Home Videos n : the truly unfunniest show ever to air Down Under^. 

 

Ayers Rock n : a large sandstone rock formation in Australia’s red centre. Also known by its Aboriginal name Uluru. 

 

bar fridge n : small refrigerator, commonly used for stocking alcohol. 

 

belter, a belter n : an occasion or action of greatness.

 

bloke n : a guy, a man, the male of the human, or any species for that matter. 

 

bluey n : affectionate abbreviation of The Blue Fly. 

 

bodgy adj : something of poor quality. 

 

bogan n : a generally unconscious organism with limited intellect, usually wearing a flannelette shirt, tight jeans, and sporting a mullet haircut, who commonly displays indiscriminate disrespect towards his/her fellow man/woman. The bogan habitually lacks any semblance of sophistication, and is often passionate about heavy metal, cars and/or motorbikes. Oddly, a bogan doesn’t necessarily know that he/she is a bogan. 

 

boot n : trunk of a car.

 

bottle shop n : a licenced alcohol vendor. 

 

box, idiot box n : see telly^.

 

breather n : a short period of respite.

 

brekky n : abbreviation of breakfast.

 

bronzed adj : the tanned skin colour achieved by exposure to the sun. 

 

budgie n : abbreviation of budgerigar—a small broad-tailed parrot native to Australia. In some Aboriginal languages the word translates as good eating. 

 

cactus adj : tired or worn out.

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caned, to cane v : to move fast or achieve something with ease. 

 

canteen n : a private cafeteria. 

 

carrying-on, to carry-on v : acting overly emotional. 

 

chewy n : abbreviation of chewing gum. 

 

chips n : thinly sliced deep-fried potato snack food. Known in the UK as crisps. 

 

Chisel n : see Cold Chisel^.

 

chuck v : to throw. 

 

chunder n : vomit—the word originally derived from the First Fleet, in which cabin mates in the upper bunks would, as they vomited, warn their cabin mates below to ‘watch out under!’ 

 

cockhead n : see dickhead^. 

 

Cold Chisel n : a legendary Australian band popular for their heartfelt brand of working class ballads. 

 

comp n : abbreviation of competition.

 

Coober Pedy n : a desert town in South Australia famous for its residents living underground. The town’s Aboriginal name kupa-piti means ‘white man’s hole’. 

 

cop vt : tolerate or n : police officer. 

 

cop shop n : police station. 

 

cordial n : a flavoured drink that is diluted with water. Known in the UK as juice or squash. 

 

coz conj : abbreviation of because. 

 

crack it, to crack it adj phrase : an expression describing when someone, having tried to withhold their frustration, loses control. 

 

croak v : die. 

 

cut and run adj phrase : to retreat—the expression originally describes when a sailing ship in danger would cut the anchor and run with the wind. 

 

dack n : to have one’s pants removed by another much against their will. 

 

deck v : see snot^.

 

dial n : face. 

 

dickhead n : someone who through their lack of intelligence, or tendency to embarrass themselves, appears to the eye of the beholder as a giant dick. 

 

dill n : a person not overly blessed with intelligence. 

 

dim sim n : a Chinese-inspired meat dumpling, consisting of pork or other meat, cabbage, flavourings, and usually served with soy sauce, popular as a snack food in Australia. The dim sim, or, known colloquially as the dimmy, was first developed in Melbourne by Chinese chef William Wing Young. 

 

dink v : to have a passenger on the back of your motorbike or bike, i.e. the rider being the dinker, the passenger being the dinkee. Known in the UK as doubling or pillion and in America as riding bitch. 

 

do his nut, to do his nut adj : see crack it^.

 

dodgy adj : something considered suspicious. 

 

donuts n : a sum total of naught. Or to create circular motorbike tracks by applying the front brake while accelerating. 

 

Down Under n : colloquialism of Australia. 

 

dunno n : slang substitute or common intonation of don’t know—‘quantum physics fascinates me too, Brian, but when it comes to changing car oil, I dunno.’

 

dunny n : a toilet or shithouse^.

 

durry n : see smokes^.

 

early doors adj : at a time before expected. 

 

‘em pron : slang substitute or common intonation of them.

 

empties n : empty beer cans or stubbies^.

 

Essendon n : a northern suburb of Melbourne, and a football team in the AFL^.

 

fair old adj phrase : an expression signifying a large quantity. 

 

fairy floss n : cotton candy. 

 

farck vt, vi, n, adj : slightly gentler version of fuck. 

 

flake n : shark meat, grilled or battered. 

 

flat out adj phrase : an expression signifying busyness—‘I went down the post office to send off that stuff of yours, George, but the buggers were flat out.’

​

footy n : abbreviation of football.

 

galah n : a large pink-breasted parrot with a grey back and wings. The most common cockatoo in Australia. It’s also a backhanded word for a person whose judgement is generally in question. 

 

garbo n : abbreviation of garbologist. Known in America as trash collector and in the UK as dustman.

 

g’arvo, good’arvo interj n : informal abbreviation of good afternoon. 

 

g’day interj n : informal abbreviation of good day. 

 

g’morn interj n : informal abbreviation of good morning. 

 

gig n : a show of music or other entertainment performed in front of a live audience. 

 

glad-eye n : a term describing the approving look from one’s eyes transmitted consciously or unconsciously to another they’re interested in romantically or sexually. 

 

g.o. n : acronym/extension of go. Used to acknowledge the status of a person or thing. ‘Look at the wig on this bloke^! What’s the g.o. with that?’

 

gob n : mouth.

 

good on ya adj : slang substitute or common intonation of good on you. Used both sincerely and sarcastically. 

 

gotta vi : slang substitute or common intonation of got to—‘I really enjoy studying the non-materialistic ways of Buddhism, but I gotta get me an orange robe to match..’ 

 

g-spot n : a faraway imaginary place where Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy spend their days singing Ring Around the Rosie.

 

guesstimate n : marriage of guess and estimate. 

 

gunna contr : slang substitute or common intonation of going to—‘yes, I’ll go to church in the morning, but afterwards I’m gunna go to the races..’ 

 

hack, a hack n : a person attempting a task in which he or she has no certified knowledge. 

 

half-empties n : a half-empty beer can or stubbie⌃. 

 

hammered adj : see pissed^.

 

hanky n : abbreviation of handkerchief. 

 

Head’s up, the head’s up v : to inform. 

 

high street n : see main drag^.

 

icy pole n : a frozen dessert on a stick, made from flavoured liquid. Known in the UK as ice-lollies. (wankers!)

 

info n : abbreviation of information.

 

Jack n : a generic male name which can be used as a friendly substitute for someone’s actual name, or as a temporary surrogate for someone whose name you are not yet informed of. 

 

James Boag n : a popular Australian beer brewed in Launceston, Tasmania. 

 

JB Hi-Fi n : a music shop, originally specialising in hi-fi equipment and vinyl records, established in the Melbourne suburb of East Keilor by John Barbuto in 1974. 

 

jocks n : see undies^. 

 

joey n : a baby kangaroo. 

 

joint, a joint n : any defined area, location, or place in which a person or thing can reside, i.e. city, house, tent—‘this pantry is a terrible joint for ripening these tomatoes!’ or ‘Greece is a top^ joint for getting bronzed^!’ 

 

jumper n : sweater or pullover. 

 

Kiwi n : a person from New Zealand. 

 

kookaburra n : a native Australian bird known for its call sounding like human laughter. 

 

knackered adj : exhausted. Or vt : to have suffered an injury to the knackers^. 

 

knackers n : testicles. 

 

knick v : steal. 

 

knick off adj phrase : to depart, or to be given orders by someone to do so.

 

knockabout adj : blasé.

 

laughing gear n : see gob^.

 

local n : affectionate abbreviation of your local pub. 

 

lollies n : sweets and candy. 

 

lotto ticket n : abbreviation of lottery ticket. 

 

Mad Max n : a 1979 Australian apocalyptic action thriller starring the then-unknown Mel Gibson. 

 

main drag n : a chief street where a town’s main stores are located. Known in the UK as a high street. 

 

me adj : slang substitute of my—‘I sometimes hate life, but I always love me dog!’ 

 

Melbourne Bitter n : a popular Australian beer brewed by Carlton & United Breweries. 

 

mic n : abbreviation of microphone. 

 

Midnight Oil n : a legendary Australian band popular not only for its powerhouse anthemic rock but for its lyrical content being focused on environmental and political issues. 

 

Mildura n : a river town in northwest Victoria, Australia. It’s on the Victorian side of the Murray River. The bar at the Mildura Working Man’s Club is noted in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest bar in the world. 

 

milk bar n : a small convenience store usually located on a street corner.

 

mincing v : a style of walk that employs a noticeable degree of arrogance. 

 

Mondee n : colloquialism of Monday. 

 

mozzie n : abbreviation of mosquito. 

 

Murray River n : Australia’s longest river, over 2,500 kilometres. It forms much of the state border between Victoria and New South Wales. 

 

Myer n : a department store chain founded in 1900 in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. 

 

nappy n : diaper. 

 

neck, to neck vti : to drink or eat quickly. 

 

newsagent n : news agency. 

 

not much chop adj phrase : an expression signifying that something is of poor quality. 

 

nup, nah interj : slang substitute or common intonation of no—‘I’ll think about it, Gary, I really will.. actually, nah I’m not interested.’

 

nut n : see scone^.

 

nuts n : see knackers^.

 

off its chops adj phrase : an expression signifying that something is crazy. 

 

old boy n : father. 

 

old girl n : mother. 

 

olds n : parents. 

 

outta prep : slang substitute or common intonation of out of—‘Henry, there’s no air freshener in the bathroom, we gotta^ get outta here!’

 

Oz n : see Down Under^.

 

panel van n : a motor vehicle without rear side windows, in which promiscuous activities commonly occur. 

 

petrol bowser n : gas pump. 

 

pickle, a pickle v : bind or spot of bother. 

 

ping v : to make a romantic or sexual advance. 

 

pissed adj : intoxicated. 

 

plonk v : to place something down without restraint.

 

pohm n : a person from England. Acronym for Prisoner Of Her Majesty. 

 

preaching to the choir adj phrase : an expression describing when someone, presuming to be informative, is stating a view already shared or understood by their peers. 

 

pushy n : abbreviation of pushbike. 

 

ralph n : see technicolour yawn^.

 

reckon v : to think, conclude, or consider. 

 

reef, to reef v : to pull with force. 

 

relos n : abbreviation of relatives. 

 

Richie Benaud n : an extremely respected former Australian cricketer and famous cricket commentator.

 

Ricky Ponting n : captain of the Australian cricket team between 2002 and 2011.

 

righto adj : elongation of right. 

 

ripper, a ripper adj : a term expressing disbelief, whether approving or disapproving, towards a person or thing. 

 

rissoles n : fried meatballs made of minced meat and onions, great condiments for a bowl of tomato sauce^.

 

rooted adj : exhausted. Or n : sexual intercourse. 

 

run-in n : argument.

 

scone n : head. 

 

service road n : a personal access road parallel to a main road. 

 

shat n : past tense of shit—‘you’re shitting me today, Fred, and to be frank, you rather shat me yesterday.’

 

shite n : slightly gentler version of shit. 

 

shithouse adj : a word signifying that something or someone’s competence in a particular task or skill is beneath the satisfactory standard—‘these apples are shithouse!’ or ‘look at the shithouse job Harold did on his lawns!’ or n : an outdoor toilet. 

 

shit-yeah adj : an expression of high endorsement. 

 

shonky, shonk adj : untrustworthy, unsafe.

 

shoot through v : depart. 

 

showbag n : a themed bag of merchandise sold at carnivals. 

 

Skippy the Bush Kangaroo n : a popular Australian children’s television show about the adventures of an eastern grey kangaroo. 

 

smokes n : cigarettes. 

 

smoko n : a short morning break accommodating the time required to smoke a cigarette or drink a cup of coffee. Usually taking place around 10:30 a.m. 

 

snot v : hit. 

 

sook, to sook vi : to complain in a whiny manner. Or n : somebody who has a tendency to do so.

 

sport n : see Jack^.

 

s’pose v : abbreviation of suppose.

 

squiz v : look. 

 

Stackhat n : a sturdy bright orange bicycle helmet made from plastic. Extremely popular in Australia in the 1980s. 

 

star, a star, little star n : affectionate nickname directed towards a person or living thing. 

 

stubbie n : a 375 ml bottle of beer. 

 

sunnies n : abbreviation of sunglasses. 

 

sunniesless adj : without sunglasses. 

 

taking the piss adj phrase : an expression meaning to make fun at the expense of others, or to be excessive or irrational. 

 

tanked adj : a word by which one’s capacity for alcohol is measured, i.e. their tank is full.

 

technicolour yawn n : vomit. 

​

telly n : abbreviation of television. 

 

terry towelling n : a fabric with loops that can absorb large amounts of water, that, although unfashionable in the rest of the universe, has in Australia remained popular for barbeque and poolside attire: such as hats, shorts, headbands and wristbands. 

 

that’s it adj : see shit-yeah^.

 

tinny n : a 375 ml can of beer. 

 

tomato sauce n : ketchup. 

 

tops, top adj : a descriptor for the highest quality. Or n : any article of clothing worn on the trunk. 

 

tosser n : see wanker^. 

 

true blue adj : patriotically Australian. 

 

turf, to turf vt : to throw. 

 

turps n : traditionally, an abbreviation of turpentine, but more commonly used as an informal word for alcohol.

 

two-bob n : two shillings or a 20 cent coin.

 

undies n : abbreviation of underwear. 

 

unfangable adj : a word signifying that a vehicle is unable to be driven. 

 

unreal adj : weird or unbelievably good. 

 

Vegemite n : a dark savoury yeast extract that’s eaten as a spread. It’s considered a rite-of-passage to Australians, and you’ll sooner find a white peacock than a non-Aussie that doesn’t grimace at the taste. 

 

Victa n : a popular Australian lawn mower invented in 1952 in Sydney by Mervyn Victor Richardson.

 

Wagon Wheel n : a circular-shaped biscuit with a marshmallow centre and chocolate coating. 

 

wanker n : someone whose opinion of themselves far outweighs their aptitude—‘look at this wanker mincing^ over to tell us about his latest accolade!’ Or someone who performs the act of making self-love. 

 

wanna vt : slang substitute or common intonation of want to—‘I would, I truly would, Ted, but come to think of it, I don’t wanna.’

 

whinging v : the act of incessantly complaining while failing to do anything to change one’s circumstance. 

 

wombat n : Australia’s fattest marsupial. 

 

ya pron : slang substitute or common intonation of you—‘what a great party! Harry is here! Larry is here! Ah, Barry! How are ya?’

 

yeah-nah adv : an expression unconsciously employed to buy a second’s time while searching for a suitable answer or response to something or someone. 

 

young and old, on for young and old adj phrase : an expression signifying that a situation is chaotic. 

 

youse pron : slang plural of you.

​