You can also substitute for “None of your beeswax”. BiccieĪ biscuit (or cookie), commonly used in the phrase “tea and biccies”, a hangover of Australia’s colonial days. Swimsuit – but only in some parts of the country. Except they’re not called shrimp here, they’re prawns. You would have probably heard this used in the popular slang phrase of ‘throw another shrimp on the barbie!’. “The dinner was boring, so Steven decided to bail.” Barbieīarbecue. To leave, or not turn up in the first place. Everyone turns up in their vehicles, there’s a raging party and they sleep/pass out in their swags, alone or if the night has worked out well, with company. Basically stands for a ‘Bastards & Spinsters Ball’ and they used to be a way for young singles to meet in country towns. This Australian slang phrase is not as common as it once was. I’ve tried to limit this list to words I’ve heard others use recently and I’ve eliminated almost all the racial slang, because there’s no place for it anywhere.Īlso, some of these Australian slang words and phrases are only used in certain states – which makes sense. Slang in ‘Straya (Australia) is traditionally known as ‘Strine. This Australian slang dictionary will have you speaking the local lingo in no time at all! Bogans would wear these Ugg boots to keep warm in winter. We also have an extensive list of general travel tips and road trip tips, to help you with your trip planning. Discover the best time to visit Australia and top places to visit, especially on a road trip. This post forms part of my guide to visiting Australia for the first time. Drop these into conversation with an Aussie and they’ll definitely know what you mean. The funny thing about Australia is that our slang isn’t just used by ‘bogans’ (read on to find out more) – it’s part of the lexicon of all Australians, no matter what their class or level of education.Īs an Australian local, I use many of these words and phrases in my day-to-day life. Others sprung forth from our many Indigenous languages, or our extremely varied culture.Īnd admittedly, some were coined out of sheer laziness, which is why so many Australian slang words are just the shorted version of many ‘normal’ words. Linguistically, the origins of many of these slang words and phrases are British. For the uninitiated though, our local slang can seem really confusing. Of all the English-speaking countries, Australian slang words are probably the most interesting. What is a bogan and why doesn’t anyone like them?Īnd is goon of fortune truly the greatest drinking game known to man? If you’re travelling to Oz, you’ll need it. It’ll make sense soon – you’ll be right, mate! Here’s an introduction to some Australian slang words. Bogan, bludger, ocker – what on earth do they mean? Read on for an introduction to Australian phrases. There are some downright weird Australian slang words.

British slang pommie