Aussie slang

Aussie Slang

Australians have developed their own version of English, filled with local terms and phrases. Many of these phrases have become iconic to Australians. Some words were brought in by migrants, others are just shortened versions of longer words – either way here’s a crash course in ‘Australianisms’!

Phrase/word	Meaning	Example
Arvo	afternoon	“Drop by this arvo” means: “come and visit this afternoon”.
Barbie	Barbeque	“Cook it on the barbie” means: cook the food on the outdoor barbecue using gas or coals. When invited to a “barbie” it is common practice to ask if you can bring anything.
Bathers	Swimming clothes	“Remember to bring your bathers, we have a pool” means: “Remember to bring your swimming clothes as we have a swimming pool”
Bring a plate	Bring a dish of pre-prepared food to share such as a salad or dessert.
BYO	Bring Your Own drink (usually alcohol, but if you don’t drink alcohol, you can bring a non-alcoholic beverage to drink).	BYO Restaurant means a restaurant where you can bring your own wine (they usually charge a corkage fee i.e. a fee for providing and cleaning the glasses)
Bloke	A man	“You’ll need to speak to that bloke over there” means “you need to speak to the man over there”
Bottle-O	Bottle shop or liquor store	“I’m just popping out to the bottle-o” means “I’m just going to the liquor store to buy alcohol
Chook	Chicken	“We’re having chook for dinner” means we’re eating chicken for dinner. “We have chooks” means “we have hens”
Cuppa	Cup of tea or coffee	“Let’s go out for a cuppa” means: “Let’s go out for a drink of tea or coffee at a cafe”
To be crook	To be sick or ill	“I’m feeling pretty crook today” means: “I’m feeling very unwell today”
Flat out	Very busy	“I’m flat out today” means: “I am very busy today”
“How ya goin’?”	“How are you?” Or “How do you do?”	“How ya goin’ mate?” means: “How are you today?”
“Loo” or “Dunny”	Toilet	“Where’s the loo?” means: “Where’s the toilet?”
Maccas	McDonalds	“We’re having lunch at Maccas” means “We’re going to McDonalds for lunch”
Mate	Term of friendship	“Good on ya, mate” means “good for you my friend”.
“Shout”	To pay for a drink or food	“Shout a round” means to buy everyone a drink. Often, when going out with friends, it’s customary for each person to take a turn buying the drinks. If you don’t drink alcohol, you can let people know you are a ‘teetotaller”. “It’s my shout” means: “I’m paying” (this can be used in the context of buying food or drinks)
Snag	Beef, pork or chicken sausages.	“We’re cooking some snags on the barbie” means: “We’re cooking some sausages on the barbeque”.
Sunnies	Sunglasses	“Where did I leave my sunnies?” means “Where have I left my sunglasses?”
Uni	University	“I go to uni in Sydney” means “I’m attending university in Sydney”

Australia states and territories

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Australian Time Zones

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Aussie Slang

Australia states and territories

Australian Time Zones

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