Australian Slang Dictionary - Your Guide to Aussie Slang
Our famous Australian Slang Dictionary includes many slang words from the unique version of the English language that is used throughout Australia.
Australian slang has been developed over the last couple of centuries of Australian settlement and is certainly very colourful. Australia's unique version of English is usually referred to as "Australian Slang", "Aussie Slang", or "Australian Strine".
Australian slang is common not only in the outback, but throughout the entire country. So make sure you study our Australian Slang Dictionary before your visit - even if you are already familiar with English!
It is said that visitors and migrants often have quite a struggle with deciphering the colloquialisms that make up every day speech in Australia, so enjoy having a look at our Australian Slang Dictionary below.

A
B
Acca Dacca - AC/DC (a famous Australian band)
Ace - Excellent, very good, really great
Aggro - Annoyed, angry, aggressive
Alco - Alcoholic
Amber Fluid - Beer
Ambo/s - Ambulance, ambulance crew
Ammo - Ammunition
Ankle biter - Child
Arc Up - To lose one's temper
Arse over tit - Fall over
Arvo - Afternoon
Aussie - Australian
Avo - Avocado
Bail - Leave, depart; "Let's Bail!"
Back of Bourke - In the middle of nowhere
Bangers - Sausages
Barbie - Barbeque, BBQ
Barney - Fight, Argue
Barra - Barrumundi
Bathers - Swimming attire
Bean counter - Accountant
Beer O'clock - Time for a beer
Bee's knees - The best, "it's the bee's knees!"
Big smoke - Large city
Bikkie - Biscuit
Billabong - A waterhole
Billy - a lightweight cooking pot in the form of a metal bucket. Commonly used for boiling water / making tea over a campfire
Bingle - Crash
Bingo wings - Flabby upper arms
Bloke - Man
Blood nut - Person with red hair
Blotto - Very drunk, shitfaced, pissed
Blowie - A blowfly
Bludger - A lazy person
Bonzer - Great; excellent, "That show was bonzer!"
Booze - Alcohol, grog
Booze bus - Police vehicle used for alcohol testing of drivers
Bored shitless - extremely bored
C
D
Cabbie - Taxi driver
Cactus - Wrecked, not working
Cakehole - Mouth, "shut your cakehole!"
Call it a day - Finish work
Cancer stick - Cigarette
Carby - Carburettor
Cark it - Die, stop functioning
Cheesed off - Annoyed
Chewy - Chewing gum
Chippy - Carpenter
Chocco - Reserve soldier, a "chocolate soldier"
Coldie - A beer
Chocky - Chocolate
Chrissie - Christmas
Chuck up - Vomit
Chuck a sickie - Pretend you're sick to get a day off work
Chuck a spaz - To lose your temper
Chuck a u-ie - To make a 180 degree turn
Chuck a wobbly - Lose your temper
Chunder - Vomit
Coathanger, the - Sydney Harbour Bridge
Cockie - Cocakatoo, farmer
Come a gutser - Fall over, fall off
Couch potato - Someone who lazes around a lot
Cranky - Irritated, angry
Crash - Go to sleep
Crook - Feel sick, a criminal
Cuppa - Cup of tea or coffee
Dacks - Trousers/Pants
Dead horse - Tomato sauce
Dead ringer - bears a striking resemblance to
Dead set - The truth, fact
Dero - Derelict
Dial - Face
Dick - Penis
Dickhead - An idiot, fool
Digger - Australian soldier
Dill - Idiot
Dimwit - Unintelligent person
Dinky Di - Real!
Doco - A documentary
Dole bludger - Someone who chooses not to work and relies on social welfare
Donger - Penis
Donk - An engine
Doodle - Penis
Doogs - Marbles; or game of marbles
Down Under - Australia
Drongo - A dimwit
Dunny - Toilet
E
F
Ear bashing - Talking non-stop, nagging
Egghead - A bald person
Ekka - The annual Brisbane Show
Elbow grease - Hard Work
Esky - Insulated food/drink container
Esky lid - A bodyboard / boogie board
Every man and his dog - A lot of people, "every man and his dog was there"
Exy - Expensive
Facey - Facebook
Face like a smashed crab - An ugly face
Fair crack of the whip - Equal opportunity
Fair dinkum - Honest, genuine
Fair go - Equal opportunity
Fart in the wind - to disappear suddenly "He left like a fart in the wind"
Fiddlesticks - Not true, nonsense
Flat out - Full speed
Flat out like a lizard drinking - Working hard and fast, busy
Flog - To steal something, or to hit someone
Footy - Australian Rules football, or Rugby League
Full - Drunk
Freo - Fremantle
Full/Full as a boot - Drunk
Furphy - False or unreliable rumour
G
H
G'day - Hello
Gander - Look, "have a gander at that!"
Garbo/Garbologist - Garbage collector
Give it a burl - To try it
Gob - Mouth
Gobful, give a - To abuse
Gobsmacked - Surprised
Goes like the clappers - Describes something that is very fast
Goldy, the - The Gold Coast
Gongs - Military medals
Good as Gold - Used to describe something that is good
Good oil - Truth
Good onya - Well done
Goog, full as a - Full of food or alcohol
Greenie - Environmentalist
Grog - Alcohol
Grot - A dirty person
Grouse - Excellent, very good
Grumblebum - A grumpy person
Grundies - Underwear
Gutfull of piss, had a - Drunk
Gutless wonder - A coward
Gyno - Gynaecologist
Hair of the Dog - Alcoholic drink taken to ease a hangover
Happy Little Vegemite - A happy person
Hard yakka - Hard work
Harold Holt, to do the - Disappear
Heaps - A lot
Hen's Night - A party for a woman who is going to get married
Hissy Fit - A temper tantrum "he had a hissy fit"
Hooley Dooley - An explanation of surprise
Hoon - Hooligan, irresponsible driver
Hoo roo - Goodbye
I
J
Icy pole - Popsicle
Idiot box - Television
In good nick - In good condition "That car is in good nick"
In like Flynn - On a winner "He was in like Flynn"
In the shit- In trouble
Jack of it - Had enough
Jiffy - A short time, "Back in a jiffy"
Jingoes - Exclamation of surprise, "By jingoes!"
Joe Blake - A snake
Joey - Baby kangaroo
Jumbuck - A sheep
John - Toilet
Journo - Journalist
K
L
Kanga - Kangaroo (pronounced kang-ga)
Kark it - Die
Kip - Nap, "I had a kip"
Kero - Kerosene
Knackered - Tired, Exhausted
Knock - To criticise
Knock back - To refuse
Knocker - A criticising person
Knuckle sandwich - A punch in the mouth
Lag - To dob on someone, "Who lagged on me?"
Lappy - Laptop
Larrikin - A mischievous, but good hearted, person
Laughing gear - Mouth
Leadfoot - Someone who drives fast
Lippy - Lipstick
Lob in - Visit someone
Lobbed up - Arrived unexpectedly
Lollies - Sweets, candy
Longneck - Large bottle of beer (typically 700ml or 750ml)
Loo - Toilet
Lucky country, the - Australia
M
N
Maccas - McDonald's
Mad as a cut snake - Crazy
Make a quid - Earn a dollar
Mallee bull, fit as a - Very fit, strong
Mash - Mashed potatoes
Mate - A friend
Metho - Methylated spirits
Mob - Group of people, group of kangaroos
Mongrel - A despicable person
Moolah - Money
Mozzie - Mosquito
Mug - Someone easily fooled
Muso - Musician
Nappy - Diaper
Nipper - Young child, or young surf lifesaver
Nasho - Someone who has been conscripted into the military (National Service)
Nick - Steal
Nick off - Go away, "Nick off!"
Nitty Gritty - Finer details, fineprint
Noah - A shark
Noggin - Head
No hoper - Someone who will never achieve much
Nong - A fool
Nose, on the - Smelly
O
P
O.S. - Overseas
Ocker - Uncultured, unsophisticated, Australian stereotype
Offsider - An assistant
Off the beaten track - Remote area
Off ya face - Drunk
Old fella - Penis
Oldies - Parents
Ol' cheese - Mother
Ol' man - Father
Ol' lady - Mother
On for young and old - A fight or argument
On the piss - Drinking alcohol
Op shop - Opportunity shop, second hand goods store
Open slather - Anything goes
Outback - Interior of Australia
Out in the sticks - A remote area
Oz - Australia
Pash - Long, passionate kiss
Pav - Pavlova (a type of Australian dessert)
Perv - Look lustfully at the opposite sex
Piece of piss - A simple task
Piss - Alcohol, booze
Piss - Urinate
Pissed - Drunk
Plonk - Cheap alcohol
Pokies - Poker machines
Pozzie - Position, spot
Prezzy - A present, gift
Pub - Hotel, drinking establishment
Q
R
Quack - A doctor, "I gotta go see the quack"
Queensland Safety Boots - Open shoes (thongs, flip flops, jandals)
Quid, make a - Earn a living "To make a quid"
Rack Off - "Get out of here!"
Rego - Vehicle registration
Reno - Short for renovation
Ridgy Didge - Genuine, the original
Right, she'll be - Everything will be alright
Ripper - Great
Rip Snorter - Great, sensational, "it was a rip snorter of an event"
Rock Up - To turn up or arrive
Rooted - Ruined, broken
Ropeable - Extremely angry, furious
Rotten - Drunk, "Rotten Drunk"
S
T
Sanger / Sambo - Sandwich
S'arvo - This afternoon
Schmick - Stylish
Sec - Short for a second "I'll be back in a sec"
Seedy - Hungover
Servo - A petrol/service station
She'll be Apples - It'll be alright
Sheep Shagger - A New Zealander
Shindig - A lively party
Shoot Through - To leave
Sickie - Have a day off work
Sinking Piss - Drinking alcohol
Smoko - Cigarette or coffee break
Snag - Sausage
Sook - A whinger, an inoffensive person
Spag Bol - Spaghetti Bolognese
Sparky - Electrician
Sparrow's Fart - Very early in the morning
Spewin' - Very upset or angry
Spit the Dummy - Get very upset at something
Sprung - Caught doing something wrong
Spunk - An attractive person
Strewth - Exclamation
Strides - Trousers/Pants
Stoked - Very pleased
Stubbie - A short bottle of beer (normally 375ml)
Stoked - Attractive woman, "she's a stunner"
Swagman - A hobo or itinerant worker, walks from farm to farm for work
Tall Poppy - A successful person
Tall Poppy Syndrome - A tendency to criticise successful people
Tallie - A 750ml bottle of beer
Technicolour yawn - Vomit
Tellie - Television
Thongs - Flipflops, jandles (NZ), plakkies (SA)
Tickets, to have on oneself - To have a high opinion of oneself
Tinny - Can of beer
Togs - Swim suit
Top End - Northern Australia
Trackie dacks - Tracksuit pants
Trackies - Tracksuit
Truckie - Truck driver
Turps - Turpentine
Turps, hit the - Drinking binge
Twit - A fool
Tub, have a - Have a bath
Tucker bag - A traditional food or dinner storage bag used in the Australian outback.
U
V
Ugg Boots - Australian sheepskin boots
U-ie - To do a u-turn when driving
Uni - University
Up the Duff - Pregnant
Useless as Tits on a Bull - Incompetent person or object
Ute / Uterus - Utility vehicle, passenger vehicle with a cargo tray, pickup truck
Veggies - Vegetables
Vee Dub - Vokswagen
Veggo - Vegetarian
Veg out - Laze about
Vic - Victoria
W
X
Wag - Not go to school (truancy)
Wanker - An idiot
Watering hole - Pub
Whinge - Complain
Wholly snappin' duck shit - An exclamation of surprise
Woolies - Woolworths (a large supermarket chain)
Wuss - A coward / nervous person
XXXX - A Queensland brand of beer ("Four X")
Y
Z
Ya - You, "what are ya doin?"
Yack - Talk, "to have a yack"
Yakka - Work, "hard yakka"
Yank - An American, to pull ("yank on something")
Yobbo - Loutish person
Yonks - A long time "That was yonks ago"
Comments
If you have any suggestions to add to our Australian Slang Dictionary please let us know via our Contact Page. We are constantly adding new words and phrases to our Australian Slang Dictionary to ensure that it is as comprehensive and up to date as possible. We would really appreciate your input!
Resources
If you've enjoyed our Australian Slang Dictionary you may be interested in checking out some other slang dictionaries from around the world. We recommend the following sites as good references:
Lexilogos - Words and wonders of the world
Omniglot - The online encyclopedia of writing systems and languages