Slang

NEW!!    Learn Aussie Slang!

A unique part of Australian culture is our use of slang words and phrases.  We may speak English, but if you're not a local, I guarantee you that you'll be stumped by some of the stuff you hear.  To help you out, I'll be posting a slang word/phrase of the week, along with its definition and how to use it in a sentence.  You might want to take some notes before your next trip to Australia, so that you're not left out of the loop!

• Go Crook
• To become angry
• Dad's going to go crook when he finds out you threw up in the back of his car.  Note:  not to be confused with 'feeling crook'.  Stay tuned for this definition.
• Ripper
• Excellent, splendid, admirable thing or person
• His new car's a ripper!  Note:  not to be confused with 'ripping out a fart'.  Stay tuned for this definition.
• Cactus
• Dead, not functioning
• This bloody washing machine is cactus!
• Give it a burl
• Try it, have a go
• I've never tried bungee jumping, but I reckon I'd give it a burl!
• Ropeable
• Very angry, furious
• After seeing that his car had been nicked (stolen), my mate was ropeable!
• Stickybeak
• Nosy person
• My neighbour is such a stickybeak, she knows all my visitors by name!
• Knackered
• Tired, exhausted
• After a day of walking around the zoo in the sun, I was totally knackered!
• Yakka
• Work (noun)
• Digging ditches in the summer is bloody hard yakka!
• Shout
• To treat someone (usually to a drink); to pay for someone else
• Barry got the last round, so this one's my shout
• Come a gutser
• To have an accident, make a bad mistake
• Davo (David) come a gutser on his pushbike (bicycle) because he didn't see the big pothole in the road.
• Barrack
• To cheer on, to support
• I'm going to barrack for the Aussie swim teams during the Olympics!
• Cark It
• To die, to cease functioning
• My old car picked rush hour on the freeway to cark it!
• Click
• Kilometre
• The pub's about 10 clicks down this road, on the right.
• Bonza
• Excellent, awesome, great
• I thought Crocodile Dundee was a bonza movie.
• Chook
• Chicken
• Davo (David) is so busy, he's been running around all day like a headless chook.
• Togs*
• Swimming suit, bathing costume
• I was in such a rush to go swimming at the beach that I already had my togs on!  *Note:  can also use the term Cozzie.
• Arvo
• Afternoon
• I'll be 'round your place later this arvo for a cuppa and a chinwag.*            *Note:  stay tuned for this definition.
• Chinwag
• Chat, gossip
• Every Friday arvo, I stop at my mate's place for a cuppa and chinwag.
• Bludger
• Lazy person, someone who always relies on other people
• When the boss caught everyone in the breakroom, he yelled "get back to work, you bludgers!"
• Feeling crook
• Sick, unwell
• After a night on the grog with his mates, Bazza was feeling crook.
• Drongo
• Unintelligent person, a dope (a friendly insult)
• Davo is such a drongo, he locked his keys in his truck again!
• Galah
• Fool, silly person.  (Named after the bird of the same name because of its antics and the noise it makes)
• Geoff is acting like a big galah in that crazy hat he's wearing!
• Esky
• Cooler, a large insulated container for food/drinks
• Bazza, the drongo, left the esky full of beers on the beach when he and his mates went fishing.
• Brekkie
• Breakfast
• A big, hot brekkie is a bonza way to start the day!
• Fair Dinkum
• True, genuine
• Our mate Simmo is a fair dinkum Aussie, right down to his singlet and thongs!  (Can also be used by itself as a question, meaning "Is that so?")
• Chockers or Chock-a-block
• Full, crowded
• I left all my Christmas shopping until the last minute, but the car park was chock-a-block and I couldn't find a place to par!