Sorry mum

My daughter Briony took me on a little trip away on the weekend and we had a lot of fun even in the 37 degree temperatures. I'll tell you more about that when I get her to send me the photos.

In the meantime, over at Rhymes With Plague, I mentioned that when my most ocker Aussie incarnation surfaces I can be unintelligible to anyone who isn't  an Aussie themselves so Robert  requested a post on Australian slang.

Let me start by saying that although "cobber" is often quoted as slang for a friend or mate, Australian's don't actually say it. They might have once upon a time but even the oldest people I  know don't use "cobber"

Let me also say that while we like to think we use rhyming slang, we mostly don't. There might be more rhyming slang used in very male dominated professions but it's not really standard language.

The rhyming slang that might make it into my vocabulary is limited:

Billy lids = kids
Butchers hook = look eg. Let's have a butchers at that cut foot
Reg Grundy's = Undies (underwear)



Regular slang that I use or wouldn't feel stupid using:

Accadacca – How Aussies refer to Australian band ACDC
Arvo – Afternoon S’Arvo – this afternoon!
Avo – Avocado
Bail – To cancel plans. ‘Bruce bailed’ = Bruce isn’t going to turn up.
Barbie – Barbecue
Bathers – Swimsuit
Beauty! – Great! Most often exclaimed as “You Beauty”
Bloody – Very. Used to extenuate a point 

Bludger – Someone who’s lazy, generally also who relies on others

Bogan –  rednecks. 

Booze Bus – Police vehicle used to catch drunk drivers

Bottle-O – Bottle Shop, a place to buy alcohol

Budgie Smugglers – Speedos

Bush – “Out in the bush” – “he’s gone bush” In the countryside away from civilisation

Cactus – Dead, Broken

Choc A Bloc – Full

Chook – Chicken

Chrissie – Christmas

Ciggy – a Cigarette

Clucky – feeling maternal
Coppers – Policemen

Crook – Being ill or angry; ‘Don’t go crook on me for getting crook

Dag – Someone who’s a bit of a nerd or geek.

Daks – Trousers. ‘Tracky daks’ = sweatpants (tracksuit pants)

Deadset – True

Defo – Definitely

Dunny – Toilet

Durry – Cigarette

Esky – An insulated container that keeps things cold 

Facey – Facebook

Fair Dinkum – genuine

Flannie / Flanno – flannelette shirt

Flat out – Really busy 

F*ck Me Dead – that’s unfortunate, that surprises me

Furphy – rumours or stories that are improbable or absurd

G’day – Hello

Going off – busy, lots of people / angry person “he’s going off”

Good On Ya – well done

Hard yakka – Hard work

Heaps – loads, lots, many

Iffy – bit risky or unreasonable

Knickers – female underwear

Larrikin – Someone who’s always up for a laugh, bit of a harmless prankster

Legless – really drunk

Lollies – Sweets

Mongrel – Someone who’s a bit of a dick

Mozzie – Mosquito

No Drama – you're welcome

Nuddy – Naked

Outback – The interior of Australia, “The Outback” is more remote than those areas named “the bush”

Pash – to kiss

Piece of Piss – easy

Piss Off – go away, get lost

Piss Up – a party, a get together and in Australia – most social occasions

Piss – (To Piss) to urinate

Pissed – Intoxicated, Drunk

Pissed Off – Annoyed

Rack Off – The less offensive way to tell someone to ‘F Off’!

Rapt – Very happy

Rellie / Rello – Relatives

Ripper – ‘You little ripper’ = That’s fantastic mate!

Rooted / buggered / shattered –  very tired

Runners – Trainers, Sneakers

Skull – To down a drink

Slab – A carton of beers

Snag – Sausage

Stiffy – Erection

Stoked – Happy, Pleased

Stubby – a bottle of beer

Stuffed – Tired

Sunnies – Sunglasses

Swag – Single bed you can roll up, a bit like a sleeping bag.

Tea – Dinner

Tinny – Can of beer or small boat

Thongs – Flip Flops. Do not be alarmed if your new found Australian friend asks you to wear thongs to the beach. They are most likely expressing their concern of the hot sand on your delicate feet.

Tucker – Food. 
U-IE – to take a U-Turn when driving

Woop Woop – middle of nowhere “he lives out woop woop” or the back of woop woop

Ya – You

Yous – (youse) plural of you!

Here's a couple of blokes to explain in the correct accent. Enjoy.