Recently updated on January 14th, 2020 at 03:04 pm
Roos, shrimps, barbies and brumbies: those Aussies sure know a thing or two about slang. Australian English is a veritable minefield of weird and wonderful words and sayings, from the well known (“g’day”) to the obscure (“hooroo” – goodbye) and from the sublime (“mystery bag” – sausage) to the ridiculous (“come the raw prawn” – to be disagreeable). But humorous though it may be, the richness of Aussie slang is testament to a fascinating history and the meeting of two very different cultures.
Many expressions used in Australia today derive from the original western convict settlers banished there during the 18th and 19th centuries. It’s likely that the Cockney convicts sent to live in Australia were responsible for the traces of rhyming slang in Aussie slang, such as “Captain Cook”, meaning “look”. Other expressions are of unknown origin, such as “fair dinkum” (meaning “true”), while others, often terms referring to local wildlife, are from the native Aboriginal languages. Impressively, there were a whopping 250 different recognized languages in Australia at the time westerners arrived – the result of numerous Aboriginal tribes each having their own dialect. Most of these languages have now died out, except in the occasional traces left in Aussie slang.
Traditional songs have kept alive an extensive vocabulary of Aussie outback slang, even though some of it is no longer in everyday use. Some terms even derive from the 19th century goldrushes – such as “fossick”, meaning to rummage about – and from the First World War, when the use of slang served to foster a sense of national identity amongst troops posted far from home. These days, Aussie slang delights tourists, for whom dictionaries explaining its eclectic phrases make ideal souvenirs of memorable outback adventures.
If you manage to find a cheap flight and you’re about to embark on a tour of Australia you may be feeling slightly daunted at the prospect of understanding such a vast array of colloquialisms, but no worries! You can be “dux” (top of the class) with our handy guide to some of the best Australian slang terms…
| Aussie slang | Translation |
| G’day | Hello |
| Hooroo | Goodbye |
| Coldie | A beer |
| Icy pole | Lollypop |
| Billabong | A small lake |
| Bities | Biting insects |
| Brumby | A wild horse |
| Bush telly | The campfire |
| Bonzer | Great! |
| Good onya! | Well done! |
| As full as a Goog | Drunk |
| Flat out like a lizard drinking | Working very hard |
Do you know any more Aussie slang? Share it below and the best will be tweeted!