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A

Arvo: Short for afternoon.
Aussie salute: Brushing away flies with the hand.

B

Bail out: Depart, usually angrily.
Bail (somebody) up: To corner somebody physically.
Balls-up: Mistake.
Barbie: Barbecue (noun).
Barney: A fight.
Barrack: To cheer on (football team, etc.).
Battler: Someone working hard and just barely making a living.
Beaut, beauty: Great, fantastic.
Bib and tucker: Best clothing. When you're in your bib and tucker you're "dressed to the nines."
Big-note oneself: Brag, boast.
Bikkie: Biscuit (also "it cost big bikkies" — it was expensive).
Billabong: An oxbow river or watering hole.
Billy: Large tin can used to boil water over a campfire for tea.
Bities: Biting insects.
Bitzer: Mongrel dog (bits of this and bits of that).
Bizzo: Business. ("Mind your own bizzo.")
Black stump, beyond the: A long way away, the back of nowhere.
Bloke: Man, guy.
Bloody: Very (bloody hard yakka).
Bloody oath!: That's certainly true.
Blow-in: Unexpected visitor.
Blow-through: Leaving with a goodbye.
Blowie: Blowfly.
Bludger: Lazy person, layabout, somebody who always relies on other people to do things or lend him things.
Blue: Fight. ("He was having a blue with his wife.")
Blue, make a: Make a mistake.
Bluey: Pack, equipment, traffic ticket, redhead.
Bluey: Blue heeler cattle dog (named after its subtle markings), which is an excellent working dog. Everyone's favorite all-Aussie dog.
Bob's your uncle: When someone explains something that has a logical conclusion, they may end with that phrase. It means they expect you to easily follow the progression and things will work out.
Bodgy: Of inferior quality.
Bog in: Commence eating, to attack food with enthusiasm.
Bollocky: To be in the "bollocky" is to be naked.
Bonzer: Great, ripper.
Boofhead: A dill, or idiot.
Boomer: A large male kangaroo.
Boozer: A pub.
Bottle-o: Liquor shop.
Bottler: Something excellent.
Bottling, his blood's worth: He's an excellent, helpful bloke.
Bourke Street, he doesn't know Christmas from: He's a bit slow in the head. (Bourke Street is a brightly lit Melbourne street.)
Brasco: Toilet.
Brass razoo, he hasn't got a: He's very poor.
Brown-eyed mullet: A turd in the sea (where you're swimming!).
Brumby: A wild horse.
Bull bar: Stout bar fixed to the front of a vehicle to protect against hitting kangaroos.
Bugger off, go to buggery: Get lost.
Bung it on: To pretend, or lay it on thick. Pretentious.
Bushranger: Highwayman, outlaw.
Bush telly: Campfire.

C

Cack: Something unpleasant.
Cacky-hander: Left-handed person.
Cactus: Dead, not functioning. ("This bloody washing machine is cactus.")
Cark: When you die, you "cark it."
Capt. Cook: Look (noun). ("Let's have a Capt. Cook.")
Chewie: Chewing gum.
Chinwag: Conversation.
Choof off: To leave.
Chook: A chicken.
Chuck a sickie: Take the day off sick from work when you're perfectly healthy.
Chunder: To vomit.
Clayton's: Fake, substitute.
Click: Kilometer. ("It's 10 clicks away.")
Clucky: Feeling broody or maternal.
Cobber: A friend or mate.
Codswallop: Nonsense.
Coldie: Can of beer.
Come a gutser: Make a bad mistake, have an accident.
Comic cuts: Your guts.
Cooee, not within: Figuratively a long way away, far off. ("England wasn't within cooee of beating Australia at cricket.")
Corker: If something's great, it's a corker.
Cozzie: Swimming costume.
Crack on to: To woo a member of the opposite sex.
Crash hot: Can mean something great. You can also be feeling "not so crash hot" (buggered).
Crawler: Sycophant.
Crikey/Cripes: Expression of surprise.
Crook: When you're feeling ill, you're "crook."
Crows: "Stone the crows." Expression of disbelief or surprise, similar to crikey, cripes.
Cut snake, mad as a: Very angry.

D

Dag: A funny person, nerd, goof.
Daks: Trousers.
Damper: Bread made from flour and water.
Dead dingo's donger, as dry as a: Very dry.
Deadset: True, the truth.
Decko: To take a decko means to look.
Digger: A soldier.
Dill: An idiot.
Dingo's breakfast: A yawn, a leak and a good look around (i.e., no breakfast).
Dinkum, fair dinkum: True, real, genuine. ("I'm a dinkum Aussie," or "Is he fair dinkum?")
Dinky-di: The real thing, genuine.
Dob (somebody) in: Inform on somebody. Hence dobber, a tell-tale.
Docket: A bill, receipt.
Doco: Documentary.
Dog's eye: Meat pie (Australian national dish).
Dole bludger: Somebody on social assistance when unjustified.
Doozey: Something very pleasant, significant, large.
Dot: Your bottom.
Drink with the flies: Drink alone.
Drongo: A dope, stupid person.
Drop your bundle: Lose control.
Drum: Information, tip-off. ("I'll give you the drum.")
Duchess: Sideboard.
Duck-shove: Continually moving a problem until it disappears.
Dummy, spit the: Get very upset at something.
Dunny: Outside lavatory.
Dunny budgie: Blow fly.
Dunny rat, cunning as a: Very cunning.
Durry: Cigarette.
Dyke: Toilet.

E

Earbasher (also yakkabox, chatterbox): Person who talks too much.
Eau de Telephone.
Esky: Large insulated food/drink container for picnics, barbecues, etc.
Exy: Expensive.

F

Fair go: A chance. ("Give a bloke a fair go.")
Fair suck of the sav!: Exclamation of wonder, awe, disbelief.
Fairy floss: Candy floss, cotton candy.
Fat as a match: Someone who's actually thin.
Fat ... to chew the fat: To have a discussion, usually about nothing in particular.
Fatties: Wide car tires.
Flake: Shark's flesh (sold in fish and chips shops).
Flaming: A compliment. Someone or something is said to be "flaming, great" when they/it are better than OK.
Flat-chat: When you are working to full capacity you are said to be "working flat-chat."
Flatties: Low-heeled women's shoes.
Flick: To give something or somebody the flick is to get rid of it or him/her.
Flick it on: To sell something, usually for a quick profit, soon after buying it.
Fly wire: Gauze fly-screen covering a window or doorway.
Fossicking: Searching, rummaging. ("Fossicking through the kitchen drawers.")
Freckle: Your bum.
Freddie: Blind Freddie: imaginary person who can see the obvious would happen. So if you aren't suited to the person you are going to marry, but you do anyway, then get divorced, even Blind Freddie could have told you it wouldn't have worked.
Fred Nerk: Mythical person who can be anybody. Like America's John Doe.
Fruit loop: Fool.
Full: Drunk.

G

Galah: Fool, named after the bird of the same name that flies south in the winter — a bloody silly thing to do in the Southern Hemisphere.
Garbo, garbologist: Municipal garbage collector.
G'day: Hello!
Give it a burl: Try it, have a go.
Gobful, give a: To abuse, usually justifiably. ("The neighbors were having a noisy party so I went and gave them a gobful.")
Going off: A night spot or party that is a lot of fun. ("The place was really going off.") .
Good oil: Useful information, a good idea, the truth.
Good onya: Good for you, well done.
Goog, as full as a: Drunk. "Goog" is a variation of the northern English slang word "goggie," meaning an egg.
Greenie: Environmentalist.
Grinning like a shot fox: Very happy, smugly satisfied.
Grog: Liquor, beer. ("Bring your own grog, you bludger.")
Grouse: Great, terrific, very good.

H

Handle: Beer glass with a handle.
Hoon: Hooligan.
Hooroo: Goodbye.
Hotel: Often just a pub.
Hottie: Hot-water bottle.

I

Icy pole, ice block: Popsicle, lollipop.

J

Jackaroo: A male station hand (a station is a big farm/ranch).
Jillaroo: A female station hand.
Joey: Baby kangaroo.
Journo: Journalist.
Jumbuck: Sheep.

K

Kangaroos loose in the top paddock: Intellectually inadequate. ("He's got kangaroos loose in the top paddock.")
Kelpie: Australian sheepdog originally bred from Scottish collie.
Kero: Kerosene.
Kindie: Kindergarten.
Knock: To criticize.
Knock back: Refusal (noun), refuse (transitive verb).
Knocker: Somebody who criticizes.

L

Lair A flashily dressed young man of brash and vulgar behavior, to dress up in flashy clothes, to renovate or dress up something in bad taste.
Lair it up: To behave in a brash and vulgar manner.
Larrikin: A bloke who is always enjoying himself, harmless prankster.
Lend of, to have a: To take advantage of somebody's gullibility, to have someone on. ("He's having a lend of you.")
Lippy: Lipstick.
Liquid laugh: Vomit.
Lizard drinking, flat out like a: Flat out, busy.
Lob, lob in: Drop in to see someone. ("The rellies have lobbed.")
Lollies: Sweets, candy.
London to a brick: Absolute certainty. ("It's London to a brick that taxes won't go down.")
Loo: Toilet.
Lucky Country, the: Australia, where else?
Lurk: Illegal or underhanded racket.

M

Mallee bull, as fit as a: Very fit and strong. The Mallee is very arid beef country in New South Wales/South Australia.
Mate: Buddy, friend.
Mate's rate, mate's discount: Cheaper than usual for a "friend."
Mickey Mouse: Excellent, very good. Beware, though — in some parts of Australia it means inconsequential, frivolous or not very good!
Middy: 285-ml beer glass in New South Wales.
Milk bar: Corner shop that sells takeaway food.
Milko: Milkman.
Mongrel: Despicable person.
Mozzie: Mosquito.
Muddy: Mud crab (a great delicacy).
Mug: Friendly insult ("Have a go, yer mug!"), gullible person.
Muster: Round up sheep or cattle.

N

Never Never: The Outback, center of Australia.
Nipper: Young surf lifeguard.
No-hoper: Somebody who'll never do well.
Not the full quid: Not bright intellectually.
No worries!: Expression of forgiveness or reassurance. ("No problem," "Forget about it," "I can do it," or "Yes, I'll do it.")
Nuddy, in the: Naked.

O

Ocker: An unsophisticated person.
Offsider: An assistant, helper.
Oldies: Parents. ("I'll have to ask my oldies.")
O.S.: Overseas. ("He's gone O.S.")
Outback: Interior of Australia.
Oz: Australia!

P

Pash: A long passionate kiss; hence "pashing on."
Piece of piss: Easy task.
Pig's arse!: I don't agree with you.
Piker: Someone who doesn't want to fit in with others socially, leaves parties early.
Piss: Beer. Hence "hit the piss," "sink some piss."
Plonk: Cheap wine.
Pokies: Poker machines, fruit machines.
Polly: Politician.
Pom, pommy: An Englishman.
Pommy's towel, as dry as a: Very dry — based on the canard that Poms bathe about once a month.
Port: Suitcase (portmanteau).
Postie: Postman, mailman.
Pot: 285-ml beer glass in Queensland.
Pozzy: Position. ("Get a good pozzy at the football stadium.")
Prezzy: Present, gift.

Q

Quid, make a: Earn a living. ("Are you making a quid?")
Quid, not the full: Of low IQ.

R

Rack off: Push off! Get lost! Get out of here! Also, "Rack off, hairy legs!"
Raw prawn, to come the: To put one on, to be generally disagreeable.
Reckon!: You bet! Absolutely!
Rego: Vehicle registration.
Rellie: Family relative.
Ridgy-didge: Original, genuine.
Right: OK. ("She'll be right, mate.")
Ripper: Great, fantastic. ("It was a ripper party.")
Rip snorter: Great, fantastic. ("It was a rip snorter of a party.")
Rollie: A cigarette that you roll yourself.
Roo: Kangaroo.
Ropeable: Very angry.
Rort: Cheating, fiddling, defrauding (expenses, the system etc.). Usually used of politicians.
Rotten: Drunk. ("I went out last night and got rotten.")
Rubbish (verb): To criticize.

S

Salvos, the: Salvation Army, bless them.
Sanger: A sandwich.
Schooner: Large beer glass in Queensland; small beer glass in South Australia.
Scratchy: Instant lottery ticket.
Servo: Petrol station.
Shark biscuit: Somebody new to surfing.
Sheila: A woman.
She'll be right: It'll turn out OK.
Shonky: Dubious, underhanded — a shonky practice, shonky business, etc.
Shoot through: To leave.
Shout: Turn to buy — a round of drinks usually. ("It's your shout.")
Skite: Boast, brag.
Slab: A carton of 24 bottles or cans of beer.
Sleepout: House verandah converted to a bedroom.
Smoko: Smoke or coffee break.
Sook: Person or animal who is soft, tame, inoffensive. Hence sooky (adj.).
Snag: A sausage.
Spewin': Very angry.
Spit the dummy: Get very upset at something.
Sprung: Caught doing something wrong.
Spunk: A good-looking person (of either sex).
Squizz (noun): Look. ("Take a squizz at this.")
Station: A big farm/ranch.
Stickybeak: Nosy person.
Strewth: Exclamation, mild oath. ("Strewth, that Chris is a bonzer bloke.")
Strides: Trousers.
Strine: Australian slang and pronunciation.
Stubby: A 375-ml beer bottle.
Stubby holder: Polystyrene insulated holder for a stubby.
Stuffed, I'll be: Expression of surprise.
Stuffed, I feel: I'm tired.
Sunnies: Sunglasses.
Surfies: People who go surfing — usually more often than they go to work!
Swag: Rolled-up bedding, etc., carried by a swagman.

T

Tall poppies: Successful people.
Technicolor yawn: Vomit.
Tee-up: To set up (an appointment).
Thingo: Wadjamacallit, thingummy, whatsit.
Tickets, to have on oneself: To have a high opinion of oneself.
Tinny: Can of beer, small aluminum boat.
Togs: Swimsuit.
Too right!: Definitely!
Top End: Far north of Australia.
Trackies: Track suit.
Truckie: Truck driver.
Tucker: Food.
Tucker-bag: Food bag.
Turps: Turpentine, alcoholic drink.
Turps, hit the: Go on a drinking binge.

U

Uni: University.
Unit: Flat, apartment.
Up oneself: Have a high opinion of oneself. ("He's really up himself.")
Up somebody, get: To rebuke somebody. ("The boss got up me for being late.")
Useless as an ashtray on a motorbike: Incompetent or unhelpful person or thing.
Ute Utility vehicle.

V

Vedgies: Vegetables.
Vejjo: Vegetarian.

W

Waggin' school: Playing truant.
Walkabout, it's gone: It's lost, can't be found.
Whinge: Complain.
Whiteant To criticize something to deter somebody from buying it. A car dealer might whiteant another dealer's cars or a real estate salesman might whiteant another agent's property.
Wobbly: Excitable behavior. ("I complained about the food and the waiter threw a wobbly.")
Wog: Flu or trivial illness.
Woop Woop: Invented name for any small unimportant town. ("He lives in Woop Woop.")
Wowser: Straight-laced person, prude, puritan, spoilsport.

X

XXXX: Pronounced Four X, brand of beer made in Queensland.

Y

Yabber: Talk (a lot).
Yakka: Work (noun).
Yewy: U-turn in traffic. ("Chuck a yewy at the next traffic lights.")
Yobbo: An uncouth person.
Youse: You.

Z

Zack: Sixpence (5 cents). ("It isn't worth a zack.")

 

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