If you’ve been reading here for a while now, you’ll know I love to belt out weekly recaps of The Real Housewives of Melbourne. (You can catch up on all the RHOM goss right here.)
Writing those posts has meant that quite a few people from the good old US of A have started reading this blog and when Gina and Jackie started throwing some of my favourite Australian slang words and phrases around in Episode 8 such as “Oh I’m just taking the piss, love” and my personal favourite, “You just need a good root!” well, I had a bit of explaining to do!
Once I’d explained to our US readers what those Australian slang phrases meant, a couple of them emailed me and asked if I could write a post with some more of our everyday slang words so that they could freak their co-workers out by using them.
I’m nothing if not up for a little co-worker freaking out, so here we go with some of my favourite Aussie slang words and phrases. Enjoy!
Say what you will about us Aussies, but we excel at shortening words and replacing the last few letters with an O:
Servo (service station = gas station)
Arvo = afternoon
Reno = renovation
Bottleo (bottle shop = liquor store)
Davo (David), Deano (Dean), Scotto (Scott) Ok, so technically those names haven’t actually been shortened but if you put it all into a sentence it totally makes sense.
“Davo, grab your keys to the car would ya? Deano and Scotto need to get to the servo to fill her up this arvo. Can you stop at the bottleo on your way home and pick up a 6 pack while you’re at it? I’m stuffed from all this reno work. Cheers!”
Cheers = thanks. It’s also something you do when you’re having a drink with mates. “Cheers mate!” while clinking your glasses/beer bottles together
Mates = friends Other words we use for friends also include: cobber, bloke, love, darl.
Old mate = random old man who is usually doing something a bit odd “Geez, look at old mate over there. He looks half cut. Somebody go and get him a water.
Half cut = drunk. Other Aussie slang terms for drunk also include pissed, hammered, tipsy, loose, off your face, smashed and words we use for alcohol include booze, grog, fizz, amber ale (beer), piss (as in ‘let’s get on the piss’)
We also love to add the letter A to a lot of our words and friend’s names:
Maccas = McDonalds
Shazza = Sharon
Dazza = David and/or Darren
“Anyone want to do a Macca’s run with me? We can pick Shazza up along the way!”
Macca’s run = drive to McDonalds
We’re also experts at replacing everyday items with random words and EVERYBODY knows exactly what you mean:
“It’s time to hit the frog and toad” = “It’s time to hit the road” = “It’s time to leave”
“Pass the Harold Holt” = “Pass the salt” (Harold Holt was the 17th Prime Minister of Australia who died swimming in the ocean in 1967. Ocean = salt water = salt)
“The ball got him fair in the jatz crackers!” = “The ball got him fair in the testicles!” (Jatz Crackers are a savoury biscuit here in Australia, which rhymes with the word ‘knackers’ which is another slang word for ‘testicles’)
“He’s having a Barry Crocker” = “He’s having a shocker” = “He’s having a really bad day”
And then there’s the phrases only an Aussie would know:
“She’s as mad as a cut snake” = she’s a bit nuts
“Fair suck of the sav, mate!” = used in a variety of contexts. Can mean anything from ‘that’s a bit unfair’ to ‘Wow! Really?!’
“I’m as dry as a dead dingo’s donger!” = I’m really thirsty
“I’m flat out like a lizard drinking” = I’ve been working really hard
If something is true then it’s
Fair Dinkum!
Dead Set!
Dinky Di!
If someone asks you to do something for them and you’re happy to do it, you’d answer with:
No worries!
No dramas!
Too easy!
If you know someone who is a bit thick then they’re what we call a Drongo. On the other hand, if you know someone who is a bit cheeky we’d call them a larrikin or a galah. If they’re a bit rough, then we’d call them a bogan or a yobbo.
If someone is having a tantrum, we’d call that a dummy spit.
It’s Summer in the USA at the moment and as luck would have it, we’ve got a lot of Aussie Slang Words and Phrases for what we wear to the beach!
Boardies = board shorts
Budgie Smugglers = speedos (Please, for the love of god, do not, under any circumstances google Tony Abbott Budgie Smugglers!)
Cossie, togs, swimmers, bathers = one piece worn by girls/women
And there we have it! Some of my favourite Australian slang words and phrases. Special thanks has to go to everyone who contributed to this post via the call out I put up on the blog’s Facebook page last week. I had so many replies to the question of ‘what’s your favourite slang word?’ and I couldn’t have done this post without you all!
Have you got a favourite Australian slang word or phrase? Feel free to add in the comment section. I’d love to read it (and I know the US readers would to!)
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