Australian slang guide

Why would anyone need an Australian slang guide? Well, Australians ostensibly speak English, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to understand what they’re saying. UK English and US English have significant differences, and the same applies to Australian English. The Australian version of the English language has a rich tapestry of slang and colloquialisms. The following guide is a work in progress to covering Australian slang. Click through on the links for more detailed explanations.

Australian slang guide: Translations

4WD: Four wheel drive vehicle or road.

Acknowledgement of Country: A statement or short speech acknowledging the traditional owners of a certain area.

Anzac: Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The term is used more broadly to cover those who served in World War I and World War II.

Avo: Avocado.

Big Things: Giant, kitsch roadside attractions made of concrete or fibre glass.

Bogan: An unrefined or uncultured person, who is usually proud of this lack of refinement.

Bottle-o: Bottle shop. See below.

Bottle shop: Where you go to buy alcoholic drinks to take away. Similar to a liquor store in the US or off-licence in the UK. Major chains include Thirsty Camel, BWS and Liquorland.

Budgie-smugglers: Tight-fitting male swimwear, usually Speedos.

BYO: Bring Your Own – ie. take your own bottle of wine to a restaurant, rather than pay over the odds for the restaurant’s wine.

CBD: Central Business District, or city centre.

Cellar door: A tasting room at a winery.

Cork hats: Hats with corks dangling down, ostensibly to keep flies away from the face. No Australians actually wear cork hats.

Drop bear: A vicious creature that looks like a koala but falls out of trees and attacks people.

Flake: A euphemism for shark, commonly used in fish and chips.

Galah: A pink-breasted type of cockatoo. Sometimes used as an insult equating to idiot or clown.

Goon: Cheap boxed wine.

Goyder’s Line: An imaginary line dividing arable land from outback in South Australia.

Hoon: A showy, noisy, reckless driver doing stunts for attention.

Manchester: Bedding.

Moreton Bay bug: An edible crustacean, also known as the flathead lobster.

Paperbark tree: A melaleuca tree with easily-peelable bark.

Pademelon: A small marsupial with a shorter, thicker tail than a wallaby.

Parma: Chicken parmigiana – a pub food classic.

Pom: English person.

Pommy: Variant on Pom. See above.

Qantas: Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Ltd.

Ranga: Redhead.

Roadhouse: Petrol station meets basic accommodation in the middle of nowhere.

Root: Sex – equivalent to shag in the UK.

Sausage sizzle: A rudimentary barbecue, where sausages in slices of white bread are served up, usually as a community fundraiser.

Schooner: Beer measurement/ glass. South Australians have a different idea about how big this should be to the rest of the country.

Singlet: A vest worn as the sole piece of clothing on the top half. Usually blue.

State Barrier Fence: A 1,170km fence keeping pests away from agricultural land in Western Australia.

SUV: Sports utility vehicle.

Sydneysider: A person from Sydney, or who lives in Sydney.

TAFE: Technical and further education. A vocational alternative to university.