Is Australian English different from “Classic” English? It is very important, but if you know the correct code, the box of successful communication simply opens.
And the universal code is a living, local, real language, which means that you cannot do without slang. Slang… There are so many misunderstandings, understatements and prejudices in this word. However, do not immediately stigmatize him, thinking that slang = obscene vocabulary. Yes, it happens, but here we will consider quite decent instances, such typically Australian phrases that it is quite appropriate to use safely.
A Cold One – Beer – beer
Arvo – Afternoon – time in the afternoon, but until the evening
Aussie Salute – a special ironic name for the gesture “waving off mosquitoes”
Avo – Avocado
Bail – cancel plans or just “merge”
Bananas – extravagance, something incomprehensible
Barbie – Barbecue – BBQ
Bathers – swimsuit / swimming trunks
Beauty (you beauty) – wonderful (well done)
Billy – kettle for use on a fire, in nature
Bloody oath – I swear by my mom!
Bludger – a quitter
Bogan – representative of the workers ‘and peasants’ system
Bonza – super
Booze Bus – a police car used to catch drunk drivers
Bottle-O – liquor store
Brekky – Breakfast
Brolly – Umbrella
Budgie Smugglers – Skinny Bottoms
Bush – “Out in the bush” – wilderness, far from civilization
Choc-A-Bloc – full, abundant
Cuppa – a cup of tea / coffee
Bikky (Bickie) – Biscuit – cookies
Chew the fat – chatting with someone
Chook – Chicken
Chrissie – Christmas
Coldie – Beer
Coppers – Police Officer
Crikey – Wow!
Crook – to get sick, well, or a criminal (English has many faces, baby)
Dag – nerd
Daks – pants
Deadset is true (I can’t leave this place)
Defo – Definitely
Devo – Devastated, Shocked
Drongo is a fool ‘Don’t be a drongo mate’
Dunny – Toilet
Durry – cigarette
Esky – a portable container that keeps things cold
Facey – Facebook
Fair Dinkum – Truth
Flannie / Flanno – flannelette shirt – flannel shirt
Flat out – Really busy – very busy
Footy – Football (AFL / Aussie Rules) – Australian football
G’day – hello
Galah is a stupid man
Giddy – in high spirits
Gnarly – awesome, gorgeous
Gobsmacked – dazed
Going off – crowded
Good On Ya – well done
Goon – Wine in a box
Hard yakka – hard work
Heaps – mountains (heaps, tons and wagons)
Hoon – Hooligan – bully or very bad driver
Hooroo – goodbye
How’s it hanging? – How are you?
Iffy – Risky or Unwise
Lappy – Laptop
Larrikin is a bully, a bully, but a kind person inside
Lollies – candy
Maccas – McDonalds
Manchester – bed linen
Mate is a friend, just a typical address, as in the USSR “comrade”
Mates’ rates – discounts for friends
Mozzie – Mosquito
No Drama – no problem, everything is fine
No Worries – Don’t Worry
No Wucka’s – also “don’t worry”, but with Australianness squared
Outback – completely wilderness, even deeper than bush
Pash – kiss
Rellie / Rello – Relatives – relatives
Ripper – ‘You little ripper’ = That’s fantastic! – cool, good fellow!
Rooted – Tired or Broken – tired or broken
Runners – sneakers
Sanger – Sandwich
Servo – service station
She’ll be right – everything will be fine
She’ll be apples – everything will be fine too
Sheila – woman
Sickie – Sick
Slab – crate of beer
Smoko – smoke break
Snag – sausage
Spot on – well done, that’s right
Stoked – happy, contented
Straya – Australia
Strife is a mess (here you are, boy, hit)
Stubby – A bottle of beer
Stuffed – tired
Sunnies – Sunglasses
Tight ass – greedy
Tingle – call (I’ll give you a tingle – I’ll call you)
Tinny – Can of beer or small boat
Thongs – flip flops
True Blue – truly Australian
Uie – U-turn on the road
Undies – Underwear
What’s the go? – What’s happening?
Woop Woop – at the devil’s place
This is certainly not a complete list of Australian slang words and phrases. Language is mobile matter that grows and develops over time. A lot of new things have come into use with the covid (aka The Vid, The Rona) over the past couple of years, teenagers generally have their own language.