G'day and welcome to good
In Australia, we commonly shorten our words. While we all understand what each other are saying, it is difficult for other English speaking visitors, let
The Australian tradition of shortened words is known as
For your education and entertainment,
A
agro: angry
arvo: afternoon
Aussie: Australian (I'm an Aussie.)
ay: a verbal question mark that many Aussies attach to the end of a sentence. Can also be used as truth (It's hot ay!).
B
barbie: a barbecue
beauty: (pronounced
billabong: waterhole in a dry riverbed
billy: a container for boiling tea
bloke: a man
bush: the country. Aussies love to "go bush" (get out of the city).
C
Chrissie: Christmas
crikey: an exclamation like "My gosh". Steve Irwin used this one all the time.
crook: broken or sick, as in "I'm
D
Digger: Australian soldier. Usually used to describe an Aussie soldier from World War I.
Dinkum: as above - true, genuine. Usually used in a question to check if something is true - "Is it dinkum?"
Dummy: a baby pacifier. To spit the dummy is to throw a tantrum, get angry about, or refuse to do something.
Dunny: an outside toilet over a can. Many Aussies call their inside toilet a
F
fair dinkum: really, honestly, genuine.
G
garbo: garbage man
g'day or
gone troppo: moved north in hot tropical Australia, or, become crazy because of the heat. Also used to explain a person who is doing things out of the usual, "They've gone troppo."
jumper: a sweater to keep you warm.
K
Kiwi: a person from New Zealand.
knackered: completely exhausted, very tired or worn out (if something is broken it "is knackered").
L
lollies: candy, sweets
larrikin: A funny person, usually a young boy. Can also describe a boy who is doing naughty things.
M
mate: a buddy, a friend, a person you first meet (G'day mate).
matey: Usually more than a mate or said to children (come here matey).
N
no worries: It's alright, everything is okay, not to worry.
O
ocker: distinctively Australian. Can't get more Australian than something that is
outback: isolated parts of Australia. Even more isolated than the bush.
P
Pom or Pommie: what we call the English. Came from an early saying that meant Passage of Means - the English who came freely to Australia rather than as convicts.
R
ratbag: A rascal or a rogue. Can also be used to describe people who do things that we don't agree with.
ripper: Great, terrific, fantastic (Ripper mate!)
roo: Kangaroo
S
sanger: Sandwich
sheila: A woman (a bloke and a Sheila)
she'll be apples: It will be all right.
skite: Boast, brag (That bloke's a real
snags: Sausages. Aussies love to throw a snag on the Barbie.
station: An outback farm or ranch (sheep or cattle station).
stickybeak: A busybody
sunnies: Sunglasses
swag: a portable bed or sleeping bag ("Grab the swag and let's go camping").
T
ta: thanks
true blue: Genuine. (for a full understanding see the memorial song to Steve Irwin: Hey True Blue).
tucker: Food ("Want some tucker?").
W
walkabout: A period of wandering or disappearing ("He's gone walkabout"). A traditional Aboriginal practice. They used to go walkabout for many reasons.
wowser: A party pooper
Happy Holidays
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