Australia is well-known for its beautiful beaches and gorgeous sunny weather, but beyond that, it’s also known for having a rather weird take on the English language. Whether you’re planning to visit Down Under soon and want to brush up on your Australian slang, or you’re already here and need a hand understanding the locals, we’ve got you!
At Backpacker Deals, we’ve put in the hard yakka to create the ultimate Aussie slang dictionary so you can talk like a true blue during your travels. Not sure what the heck we just said? Check out our complete list of handy words and phrases below to find out!
55 Aussie Slang Words
If you’re after some funny Australian slang, this dictionary has over 50 words that are sure to inject a little Aussie humour into any conversation. Take a look below and start brushing up on the local lingo today!
1. Ankle Biter
Noun: A young child, generally a toddler
“We’re taking the ankle biters to the theme park this weekend.”
2. Arvo
Noun: Afternoon
“I’ll get it done this arvo.”
3. Barbie
Noun: A barbecue
“It's a beautiful day for a barbie!”
4. Battler
Noun: A resilient, hard-working, often middle-class Aussie persevering in the face of adversity
“He’s a real Aussie battler.”
5. Bingle
Noun: A minor car accident
“Two people got into a bit of a bingle on the motorway this morning.”
6. Bogan
Noun: An unsophisticated or unrefined person
“The guy who lives over the road is lovely, but he’s a real bogan.”
7. Bottle-o
Noun: A liquor store/bottle shop
“I’m heading to the bottle-o, does anyone want anything?”
8. Bruce
Noun: An Australian man
“Bruce is over there manning the barbie and drinking a beer.”
9. Bub/Bubba/Bubby
Noun: A term of endearment, often for a child
“Are you okay, bubba?”
10. Budgie Smugglers
Noun: Small swimming trunks for men
“Dave always wears budgie smugglers when he goes to the beach.”
11. Bush
Noun: The Australian backwoods or hinterlands
“I’m heading out into the bush to go camping this weekend.”
12. Cab Sav
Proper Noun: Cabernet Sauvignon
“Can I get a glass of cab sav, please?”
13. Cactus
Adjective: Broken or not working
“I tried to fix the car but it’s cactus.”
14. Chook
Noun: A chicken
“Can you pick up a hot chook and some bread rolls for dinner?”
15. Corker
Adjective: Smashing, wonderful, or excellent
“The weather is absolutely corker today; we should go out!”
16. Crook
Adjective: Sick or injured
“I can’t come into work today… I’m crook.”
17. Daggy
Adjective: Unfashionable or scruffy
“That old shirt looks a bit daggy.”
18. Derro
Adjective: Dishevelled, untidy, or unkempt
“The house needs a serious clean — it’s so derro.”
19. Dollarydoos
Noun: Australian dollars
“Lunch only cost 20 dollarydoos.”
20. Doona
Noun: A duvet
“I’m gonna need to get my doona on my bed before this cold weather sets in.”
21. Drongo
Noun: A foolish or idiotic person
“That guy you dated was such a drongo.”
22. Dropkick
Noun: A useless or incompetent person
“Stop being such a dropkick and help out!”
23. Dunny
Noun: The toilet
“I need to go to the dunny.”
24. Durries
Noun: Cigarettes
“I’m heading out to the shops for a new pack of durries.”
25. Esky
Noun: A portable cooler or ice box
“Grab a beer out of the esky, mate!”
26. Exy
Adjective: Expensive
“I want to go overseas this year but flights are a bit exy.”
27. Flanno
Noun: A flannel shirt
“Put your flanno on it’s cold outside.”
28. Furphy
Noun: A lie or rumour
“That’s not true, he’s telling a furphy.”
29. Galah
Noun: An idiotic person
“You’re such a galah sometimes.”
Fun fact: a Galah is actually an Aussie bird that's thought to be... well... a bit idiotic, which is how this Australian slang word came into being.
30. Gatho
Noun: A gathering of people
“I’m having a gatho at mine this weekend if you’re free.”
31. Goon
Noun: Wine, typically cheap box wine
“Don’t forget to stock up on goon for the party.”
32. Gumboots
Noun: Wellies or rain boots
“You’ll need to put your gumboots on before you head out in this rain!”
33. Heaps
Adjective: Loads, Lots, Many
“This restaurant has heaps of good options for vegetarians.”
34. Hoon
Noun: A person who drives recklessly, usually for fun
“I wouldn’t get in a car with him… He’s a real hoon on the roads.”
35. Hooroo
Noun: Goodbye
“Hooroo! See you all tomorrow!”
36. Legless
Adjective: Very drunk
“I got absolutely legless last night at the pub.”
37. Lollies
Noun: Any sweets or candies, not just lollipops
“I bought a bag of lollies with my pocket money.”
38. Manchester
Noun: Bedding
“We need to buy some new manchester for the bed after the dog tore up the last lot.”
39. Misso
Noun: A girlfriend, fiancee, or wife
“I’ve got a date with the misso this evening.”
40. Pom/Pommy/Pommie
Noun: An English person
“He’s a pom so he’s probably not used to such high temperatures.”
41. Sanga
Noun: A sandwich
“I made a sanga for lunch today.”
42. Servo
Noun: A petrol/gas/service station
“I’m just heading to the servo to fill up the car and get a snack.”
43. Sheila
Noun: An Australian woman
“I saw the Sheila who runs the local pub when I was at the shops earlier.”
44. Skull
Verb: To drink something fast
“They wouldn’t let us into the venue with our drinks so I had to skull it.”
45. Slab
Noun: A box full of beers
“He brought an entire slab to the last gatho we had.”
46. Smoko
Noun: A smoke break at work
“I’m just going out back for a quick smoko.”
47. Snag
Noun: A sausage, typically served between a slice of bread
“Could I get some onions on this snag, please?”
48. Sook
Noun: A crybaby or whinger
“Stop being such a sook and get over it.”
Verb: To cry or whinge
“Don’t sook about it; it’s not that bad.”
49. Sparkie
Noun: An electrician
“You’re gonna need to get a sparkie in to rewire that, mate.”
50. Thongs
Noun: Sandals/flip-flops
“Thongs are the only shoes I can wear during summer.”
51. Tinny
Noun: A can of beer
“Could you pass me a tinny out of the fridge, please?”
Noun: A small tin boat
“We’re gonna take the tinny out to do some fishing on the weekend.”
52. Togs
Noun: Bathers/swimsuit
“I was going to go swimming but I forgot my togs.”
53. Tracky Dacks
Noun: Tracksuit pants/sweatpants
“I was just relaxing at home in my tracky dacks.”
54. Ute
Noun: A pick-up truck/utility vehicle
“I just bought a new ute to keep all my tools in.”
55. Yonks
Noun: A long period of time
“I’m catching up with my old work friend tomorrow. It’s been yonks since I last saw him!”
30 Australian Slang Phrases
So now you know some of the best Australian slang words, what about some classic Aussie phrases? Whether you want to learn how to talk like a true blue native, or you just want to know what the heck your Aussie mates are talking about, we’ve got you covered!
1. A Bit How Ya Goin’
Meaning: Something is questionable, suss, or not right
“He wanted to sell it to me without a warranty which is a bit how ya goin’.”
2. Absolutely Spewin’
Meaning: Really annoyed
“The dog stole an entire steak straight off the barbie last weekend. I was absolutely spewin’.”
3. A Few Sandwiches Short of a Picnic
Meaning: Clueless, unintelligent, or foolish
“He’s a nice lad but he’s a few sandwiches short of a picnic if you know what I mean.”
4. Out Beyond the Black Stump
Meaning: In the middle of nowhere
“I live in the city now but I still like to go camping out beyond the black stump when I can.”
5. Carrying on Like a Pork Chop
Meaning: Behaving in a silly or unreasonable manner
“They banned him from the pub and I saw him outside with the bouncer carrying on like a pork chop.”
6. Cracked It
Meaning: Lost one’s temper
“Mum cracked it last night when she found out I’d cheated on my exams.”
7. Crossing the Ditch
Meaning: Flying from Australia to New Zealand
“We’re crossing the ditch in July to go skiing in Queenstown.”
8. Don’t Come the Raw Prawn with Me
Meaning: Don’t treat me like a fool
“Hey, don’t come the raw prawn with me! Just be honest about it.”
9. Face Like a Dropped Pie
Meaning: A disappointed or sullen expression
“He had a face like a dropped pie when he realised his team wasn’t gonna win.”
10. Fair Dinkum
Meaning: Honest or genuine
“Dave is a fair dinkum bloke. I’d trust him with anything”
Meaning: Oh really/fair enough/alright
“Did Australians really start a war with the Emus and then lose? Fair dinkum!”
(In case you’re wondering, yes, Australians really did start a war with the Emus and then lose…)
11. G’Day, Mate
Meaning: Hello
“G’day, mate! How are you?”
(Yes, Aussies do say this, and they say it a lot — it’s no misleading stereotype!)
12. Hard Yakka
Meaning: Hard work
“I put in the hard yakka at work last week and did so much overtime.”
13. Have a Good One
Meaning: Enjoy the rest of your day
“See you later, mate! Have a good one!”
14. Hit the Frog and Toad
Meaning: Leave or “hit the road”
“Right, I’m gonna hit the frog and toad before it gets any later.”
15. How’s the Serenity?
Meaning: Isn’t this a wonderful place?
“Wow. Get a load of that view. How’s the serenity?”
This particular Australian slang phrase was coined from the 1997 film The Castle, which is a cult classic. If you want to better understand Aussie culture (or you just want to enjoy a great movie), we'd highly recommend giving it a watch.
16. I Wouldn’t Know Him/Her/Them From a Bar of Soap
Meaning: He/she/they are a complete stranger to me
“Some big movie star is filming in our city right now and everyone is so excited but I wouldn’t know him from a bar of soap.”
17. I’m Flat Out
Meaning: I’m very busy
“I’m flat out right now. I can’t remember the last time I had a break.”
18. It’s Chockers
Meaning: It’s full
“Wow, it’s chockers in here. I can barely move!”
19. Maccas Run
Meaning: A trip to MacDonald’s, typically via the drive-through
“Dave’s taking us on a Maccas run, are you coming?”
20. Nah Yeah/Yeah Nah
Meaning (Nah Yeah): Yes
“Nah yeah, that should be fine.”
Meaning (Yeah Nah): No
“Yeah nah, I can’t today sorry.”
21. No Wuckas
Meaning: No worries/You’re welcome
“No wuckas, mate. If you ever need a hand with anything else, just let me know.”
22. Not Happy, Jan
Meaning: I’m upset at your/someone else’s incompetence
“I can’t believe you forgot to take the meat out of the freezer for tonight. Not happy, Jan!”
First used in a Yellow Pages commercial in 2000, “Not happy, Jan!” quickly became one of the most popular Australian slang phrases ever and is still used today by unimpressed Aussies everywhere. The Yellow Pages may now be obsolete, but its legacy lives on through Jan…
23. Onya, Mate
Meaning: Well done/Good for you
“I heard you got that job you really wanted. Onya, mate! That’s great news!”
24. She’ll Be Right
Meaning: It will be fine
“Yeah we had to cancel that tour we booked through Backpacker Deals but she’ll be right. We paid for a refundable booking so we’ll get our money back.”
(Want to protect your booking when you purchase a tour through Backpacker Deals? Check out our refund policy for more information. It’s fair dinkum!)
25. Sticky Beak
Meaning: Nosey (verb or adjective)
“I heard two people having an argument outside yesterday so you know I had to sticky beak over the fence to see what was going on.” (verb)
“She’s always prying into other people’s business. She can be a real sticky beak at times.” (adjective)
26. Strewth
Meaning: Wow/oh my goodness
“Strewth, this place is filthy!”
27. Tell Him He’s Dreamin’
Meaning: Their expectations are way too high
“$450 for jousting sticks?! Tell him he’s dreamin’!”
“He expects me to get all this work done before 5 pm today? Tell him he’s dreamin’!”
This is another classic Australian slang phrase from The Castle. If you use this one in conversation with your Aussie mates, they’ll dub you a true blue Aussie right there and then. Speaking of which…
28. True Blue Aussie
Meaning: A genuine Australian, often one who adheres to stereotypes
“Steve Irwin was a true blue Aussie. You can’t get much more Australian than him.”
29. Up the Creek Without a Paddle
Meaning: A difficult situation
“My car broke down in the middle of nowhere last weekend and I couldn’t even get a signal on my phone. I was really up the creek without a paddle.”
30. You Ripper
Meaning: You legend/that’s great
“You ripper! Thanks so much for your help!”
Discover Even More Aussie Culture With Backpacker Deals!
Ready to put your Australian slang skills to the test? Backpacker Deals can help! Browse our vast range of things to do in Australia and start planning your dream trip Down Under with our team today! Alternatively, you can learn even more about the Aussie way of life by checking out our complete list of Australian blogs for the very best destination guides, travel tips, and more.
