AUSTRALIAN SLANG
From arvo to hard yakka
Everyday abbreviations, classic expressions and modern Australian slang—clearly explained.
A friend or a common form of address whose tone can be friendly or confrontational.
The Australian women's national soccer team.
A small savoury pie, strongly associated with Australian takeaway food and sport.
Melbourne.
A wife, female partner or sometimes a woman generally.
A mosquito.
Badly damaged, intoxicated or in a terrible condition.
A conversational response usually meaning yes, despite starting with no.
Newcastle, New South Wales.
It is fine, you are welcome or there is no problem.
A stereotypically broad-accented and uncultured Australian.
A vague way to refer to a person whose name is unknown, forgotten or deliberately not used.
Parents or older people, depending on context.
Remote inland Australia, especially sparsely populated country away from major cities.
Chicken parmigiana, especially the Victorian name for the pub meal.
Chicken parmigiana, especially the meal served in pubs; the name varies by state.
An excellent example, performance or idea.
A plumbing tradesperson; in Australia the standard word may be shortened casually to plumbie.
Poker machines or electronic gaming machines.
A politician.
A lie or untrue story, from telling porkies.
A postal worker or mail carrier.
A child in the first year of primary school, especially in Queensland and Victoria.
A person from Queensland, also an emphatic supporter cry during State of Origin.
A playful nickname for Adelaide.
A mischievous, troublesome or disreputable person.
Think, suppose or believe; common in southern and rural American speech as well as elsewhere.
Vehicle registration, or the fee and process associated with it.
Relatives or family members.
Okay, understood or a signal to move on.
Excellent, impressive or a very good example of something.
Rockhampton in Queensland.
A kangaroo.
Broken, exhausted or in serious trouble; can also have an adult meaning in Australia.
A set of drinks bought for a group, with people often taking turns.
The rugby code especially popular in Queensland and New South Wales, often called league.