Aussie slang translations you NEED to know before exploring Australia

If  you’ve never visited Australia before, there’s a few things you need to know. Number 1 - we basically have our own language, so if you’re looking for the definitions and some context for how these words are used, you’ve come to the right place! Number 2 - it’s safe to say that most Aussies have absolutely NO filter, so if you ask something, it's important to know that they are being 100% honest which can often be brutal. Let’s take a look at the words you should know prior to visiting.

Arvo → Afternoon. “Let's get a few drinks this arvo after work, whaddya think?”

Barbie → Barbeque. “Throw a couple of snags on the barbie, too!”

Bloody oath → Yes/It’s true. “You alright mate? … “Bloody Oath.”

Bludger → A lazy person. “Stop being a bludger, we’re going for a swim.” 

Bogan → Aussie equivalent of a Redneck. “Josh is such a bogan.”

Bottle-o → Bottle shop. “Let’s swing past the bottle-o before heading to the party.”

Budgie smugglers → Speedos. “Gary’s got his budgie smugglers on today.”

Cactus → Dead, tired. “Yeah, my phone’s gone full cactus.”

Chook → Chicken. “Let’s head to woolies and grab a roast chook for lunch.”

Ciggy → Cigarette. “I’m going to grab a pack of ciggies, do you want anything?”

Coppers → Police. “The coppers showed up and broke up the party last night.”

C*nt → In Australia, the C-word is a term of endearment. “Yeah Matty you absolute sick c*nt!”

Frothy → Beer. “I’m heading to the pub for a cold frothy, want to join?”

Goon → Cask wine. “Jess brought a whole box of goon last night and polished it off. She wasn’t feeling too good this morning.”

Legless → Very intoxicated. “Liv was legless at the barbie yesterday. She was hilarious!” 

Piss up → Party. “Josh invited us to his piss up last night but we couldn’t get there until it was late, had to play catch ups.”

Rooted → Tired. “I’m absolutely rooted after that footy game.” 

Skull → To down a drink, often a beer. “Sally started skulling her drink but couldn’t and spat it up pretty quickly.” 

Snag → Sausage. See “Barbie”

Thongs → Rubber flip flops. “Jordan broke his thong today but fixed it with a bread clip - what a handy bloke.”

U-ie → U turn. “Had to chuck a u-ie earlier and almost got T-boned.”

Woolies → Woolworths, a grocery store. “Grabbed a hot chook from Woolies for dinner.”

Woop woop → No where. “We found Katie in the middle of woop woop.”

There you have it, some of the most common Aussie slang phrases which will get you started. Most of the time, words are just shortened and you will find yourself shortening every word possible. You’ll sound like a local in no time.

Top Tip! If you’re really stuck but want to seem as though you’re beginning to learn some of the local Australia language – the lingo if you will, always say hello by saying “G’day” and always add “mate” to the end of every sentence. Good Luck!

Source: Olivia Tartaro