Australian Slang

This is one of those categories that shouldn't be taken too seriously.  Australian slang – or Strine, as it's affectionately known – reflects the laid–back, irreverent Australian attitude to life in general, and I'm not sure how universal some of these terms are or how acceptable some of them might be in what passes Down Under as "polite society". (Only joking, mates.)

Banana Bender		Queenslander
Billabong		Watering hole
Bingle		Road accident
Bludger		Lazy person, layabout
Bluey		Nickname for a person with red hair
Bonzer		Very good
Boomer		Kangaroo (large adult male)
Brumby		Wild horse
Buckley's (chance)		Slim chance or no chance
Captain (Cook)		Look
Chalkie		Teacher
Chook		Chicken
Cornstalk		Originally meant anyone born and bred in Australia – a colonial; now often used for a tall, thin person with fair hair
Crook		Unwell or badly made
Digger		Originally the equivalent of the British Tommy – the quintessential Australian soldier. Now just an all–round good Australian type
(Fair) dinkum		Honest, true
Dob		To inform on someone (English 'grass')
Doing a Melba, or a Dame Nellie		Returning to one's profession after retirement, or (for a performer) giving repeated farewell performances
Drongo		A stupid or incompetent person
Dunny		Toilet
Esky		Portable coolbox
Franger		Condom
Galah		See Drongo. After a bird of the parrot family
Goog		Egg ("I'm as full as a goog"). Also see Drongo
Hooroo		Goodbye
Jake		OK
Jumbuck		Sheep
Kylie		Boomerang (or hunting stick)
Matilda		Bedding or sleeping bag
Mozzie		Mosquito
On the wallaby		Looking for work
Pull your head in		Stop making a spectacle of yourself
Ripper		See Bonzer
Saltie		Saltwater crocodile
Sanger		Sandwich
Slab		Large case of beer (usually packed in one layer)
Snag		Sausage
Stickybeak		Nosy person
Strides		Trousers
Thong		Flip–flop
Tinnie		Can of beer
Tube		See Tinnie
Ute		Pick–up truck (utility vehicle)

© Haydn Thompson 2017–21