130+ fun Australian slang words, phrases, expressions & insults

Key takeaways

• Australian slang words and meanings: 130+ common terms with definitions and example sentences (e.g., arvo = afternoon, barbie = barbecue, brekkie = breakfast, g'day = hello).
• Many Aussie words are shortened or affectionately altered, so expect forms like brekkie, sanga, tradie, and trackie daks everywhere.
• The article includes funny insults, regional variations, and even banknote nicknames like lobster for $20 and granny smith for $100.
• To sound natural, listen to locals for context, practice common patterns, and avoid slang that could be offensive in the wrong setting.

If you’ve ever heard an Australian speak, you may have thought to yourself, “what on Earth are they saying?!” For any non-Australian who hasn’t spent a considerable amount of time surrounded by Australians, understanding Aussie slang can be a challenge.

And for a good reason, because Aussies have a knack for turning everyday words into colorful expressions that can leave uninitiated scratching their heads in confusion.

If that’s you, this guide will help you crack the code to Australian slang so you can communicate like a local. We’ve gathered over 130 Aussie slang terms to get you started.

 

A complete list of iconic Australian slang terms and phrases

If you’ve ever found yourself casually conversing with an Australian, you may have gotten slightly confused with words like “arvo,” “barbie,” “blue swimmer,” and “a brekkie.”

The good news is, there seems to be a universal rule: when in doubt, shorten it! That’s why instead of “good afternoon,” you’ll hear “arvo, mate,” and instead of “have a good day,” you’ll hear “g’day!”

To help you speak like a local, we’ve compiled a list of the most common terms in Aussie slang with their meaning and an example sentence.

Everyday Australian slang words

If you’re planning a trip to Australia or you’re interacting with Australians on a daily basis, you may find it challenging to understand what they’re saying half of the time.

To help you crack the code and navigate those daily conversations, here’s a list of everyday Australian slang words you may need.

Slang word/phrase	Meaning	Example sentence
Arvo	Afternoon	I'll see you this arvo.
Aussie salute	Brushing away flies	He's doing the Aussie salute to keep the flies off.
Barbie	Barbecue	Let's have a barbie this weekend.
Bathers	Swimsuit	Don't forget your bathers if we're going to the pool.
Bikkie	Biscuit	Would you like a bikkie with your tea?
Bloody oath	Absolutely true	Did you hear about the new job? Bloody oath!
Bludger	Someone who is lazy	I chucked a sickie because I’m a bludger.
Bogan	Unsophisticated person	He's a bit of a bogan, but he's alright.
Bogged	Stuck in mud or sand	The car got bogged in the sand at the beach.
Bonza	Excellent	That's a bonza idea!
Bottle-o	Bottle shop (liquor store)	I'll swing by the bottle-o on the way home.
Brah	Brother/friend/mate	How’s it going, brah?
Brekkie	Breakfast	I'm hungry. Let's grab some brekkie.
Brekky run	A trip to get breakfast	I'm going on a brekky run. Do you want anything?
Bundy	Bundaberg Rum	Let's have some Bundy and coke.
Bung	Broken or malfunctioning	The computer's bung again.
Bush	Rural area	They live out in the bush.
Cark it	To die	My old car finally carked it.
Chock-a-block	Completely full	The parking lot was chock-a-block with cars.
Chockers	Full	The cinema was chockers last night.
Chook	Chicken	Let's roast a chook for dinner.
Chrissie	Christmas	We're having a big lunch on Chrissie Day.
Chrissie pressie	Christmas present	Did you get any good Chrissie pressies this year?
Chuck a sickie	Take a day off pretending to be sick	I don't feel like going to work today. I might chuck a sickie.
Chuck a U-ey	Make a U-turn	I missed the turn. I'll have to chuck a U-ey.
Cobber	Mate or friend	He's my old cobber from school.
Dag	Silly person	He's a bit of a dag, but he's fun.
Daggy	Unfashionable or eccentric	I know my outfit is a bit daggy, but it's comfortable.
Daks	Trousers	I need to buy some new daks for work.
Dead horse	Tomato sauce	Pass the dead horse, please.
Deadset	Absolutely true	Are you deadset about going to the concert?
Dero	Short for derelict	I feel a bit dero today because I’m hungover.
Dunny	Toilet	Where's the dunny in this place?
Dunny budgie	Blowfly	There's a dunny budgie buzzing around in here.
Esky	Portable cooler	Grab some drinks from the esky before we go.
Fair dinkum	Genuine	Are you fair dinkum about moving to the Outback?
Fairy floss	Cotton candy	Let's get some fairy floss at the fair.
Feral	Wild or untamed	Those feral kids are always causing trouble.
Flick	To dismiss or get rid of	I had to flick my old phone, it was broken.
Footy	Football (Australian Rules)	Are you going to watch the footy this weekend?
Full as a goog	Having, eaten too much, or very drunk	He was full as a goog after the party.
G'day	Hello	G'day mate, how's it going?
Garbo	Garbage collector	The garbo comes every Tuesday to pick up the trash.
Go walkabout	Wander off, disappear	Have you seen the cat? It's gone walkabout again.
Good onya	Well done	You finished the project early? Good onya!
Goon bag	Cheap wine in a bag	We drank a whole goon bag last night.
Grog	Alcohol	Let's grab some grog for the party.
Hoon	Reckless driver or troublemaker	Those hoons were speeding down the street.
Loo	Toilet	I need to use the loo.
Macca's	McDonald's	Let's grab some Macca's for dinner.
Maccas run	A trip to McDonald's	Anyone up for a late-night Maccas run?
Mates rates	Discount for friends	He gave me mates rates on the repair job.
Middy	A type of beer glass	I'll have a middy of beer, thanks.
Moolah	Money	That car cost a lot of moolah.
Paddock	Field or meadow	The cows are out in the paddock.
Pash	A passionate kiss	They had a pash behind the school.
Pommy	English person	He's a Pommy, just moved here from England.
Ratbag	Troublemaker	He's a bit of a ratbag, always causing trouble.
Reckon	Think or believe	Do you reckon it'll rain tomorrow?
Ridgy-didge	Genuine/authentic	He's a ridgy-didge Aussie bloke.
Rip snorter	Excellent	That was a rip snorter of a party!
Ripper	Excellent	That's a ripper of a catch!
Robbo	Robert	I'm meeting Robbo for lunch.
Rock up	Arrive	What time did you rock up to the party?
Roo	Kangaroo	Watch out for roos on the road at night.
Roo bar	Bull bar on a vehicle	The kangaroo hit the roo bar and bounced off.
Roughie	Longshot in betting	I'm putting a bet on the roughie in the next race.
Sanga	Sandwich	I'll make myself a sanga for lunch.
Sanger	Sandwich	I'll grab a sanger for lunch.
Servo	Gas station	I need to fill up at the servo.
She'll be right	Everything will be okay	I forgot to bring my umbrella, but she'll be right.
Sheila	Woman	She's a good sheila, always fun to be around.
Sickie	A day off due to pretended illness	I'm taking a sickie tomorrow to go fishing.
Smoko	Smoke break	I'll meet you outside for a smoko.
Snag	Sausage	Throw another snag on the barbie.
Sook	A person who complains a lot	Stop being such a sook and get on with it.
Spit the dummy	Have a tantrum	He spat the dummy when he lost the game.
Spunk	Attractive person	He's a bit of a spunk, isn't he?
Strewth	Expression of surprise or dismay	Strewth, did you see the size of that spider?
Stubbie	Short, squat beer bottle	I'll grab a six-pack of stubbies for the party.
Stubby holder	Insulated holder for a beer can or bottle	Grab a stubby holder to keep your beer cold.
Swag	Sleeping bag and bedding for camping	We rolled out our swags and slept under the stars.
Thongs	Flip-flops	I'm wearing my thongs to the beach.
Tinny	Can of beer / a small boat	Let's crack open a tinny. / Let’s take the tinny out this arvo, it’s a cracker!
Togs	Swimsuit	Don't forget your togs if we're going to the beach.
Trackie daks	Tracksuit pants	I'm just going to lounge around in my trackie daks.
Tradie	Tradesperson	The tradie fixed our plumbing yesterday.
Ute	Utility vehicle	He's got all his tools in the back of his ute.
Woop Woop	Remote or faraway place	He lives out in Woop Woop, miles from anywhere.
Yabber	Talk incessantly	He can yabber on for hours about nothing.
Yobbo	Uncouth or unruly person	Those yobbos were causing trouble at the pub.

Funny & quirky Australian slang phrases and insults

Australian English has a lot in common with British English. First of all, the Australian accent can be easily confused for British to the untrained ear. Secondly, some common British slang words and phrases are also present in Australian lingo.

And thirdly - and funnily enough - both Australian and British slang often use somewhat unfiltered phrases to describe people or situations that can often be perceived as vulgar and offensive by non-Australian or non-British speakers.

Here are 40 Australian slang insults, that may simply be just a way of speaking. Be warned, they may make you laugh or feel offended.

Slang word/phrase	Meaning	Example sentence
All over the shop	Disorganised, chaotic	His presentation was all over the shop, he couldn't focus.
As useful as an ashtray on a motorbike	Completely useless	That idea is about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike.
Bonkers	Going beyond what is normal or conventional, very enthusiastic	After hearing his plan, I thought he was bonkers.
Brassed off	Fed up, annoyed	I'm brassed off with all this rain ruining my plans.
Cactus	Broken, not working properly	My old computer is cactus, time for a new one.
Cheese and kisses	One’s wife or girlfriend, slang for rhyming with “missus”	Is it boy's night only or shall we invite the cheese and kisses?
Chuck a wobbly	To throw a tantrum	He chucked a wobbly when he lost the game.
Chunder	To vomit	You look like you’re going to chunder after that rollercoaster ride!
Cocky as a rooster	Overconfident	He's as cocky as a rooster, thinks he knows everything.
Couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery	Very disorganised	He couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery, even if he tried.
Dodgy	Suspicious, unreliable	I don't trust that guy, he seems a bit dodgy.
Dog's breakfast	A mess, chaotic situation	The party was a dog's breakfast, nothing went right.
Face like a dropped pie	Unhappy or disappointed	He came back from the meeting with a face like a dropped pie.
Flat out like a lizard drinking	Very busy	I've been flat out like a lizard drinking all day.
Flat out like a lizard drinking on a rock	Very busy	I've been flat out like a lizard drinking on a rock all day.
Fruit loop	Eccentric person	He's a bit of a fruit loop, always talking to himself.
Full as a goog	Very drunk	He was full as a goog after the party.
Full of beans	Energetic, lively	The kids were full of beans after the party.
Go spare	Become very angry	If he finds out, he'll go spare.
Gone troppo	Become angrily irrational	Living in isolation for so long, he's gone troppo.
Happy as Larry	Extremely happy	He was happy as Larry when he won the lottery.
Hard yakka	Hard work	It’s hard yakka raising children!
Hit the frog and toad	To begin a journey on the road	It’s nearly dinnertime. Let’s hit the frog and toad!
Knackered	Exhausted, very tired	After the long hike, I was absolutely knackered.
Mad as a cut snake	Extremely angry	He was mad as a cut snake when he found out.
Not the brightest crayon in the box	Not very smart	Let's face it, he's not the brightest crayon in the box.
Not the full picnic	Not very intelligent or rational	He's not the full picnic if he thinks that'll work.
Not the full quid	Not very intelligent or clueless	He's not the full quid if he thinks that'll work.
Not the sharpest tool in the shed	Not very smart	Let's face it, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed.
Pull the other one	I don't believe you	"I found a hundred-dollar bill on the ground." "Pull the other one."
Spit the dummy	Have a tantrum	He spat the dummy when he lost the game.
Spitting chips	Extremely angry or frustrated	He was spitting chips after losing the game.
Stickybeak	Nosy person	Stop being such a stickybeak and mind your own business.
Stink-eye	A disapproving or angry look	She gave him the stink-eye when he arrived late.
Sucked in	Fooled or tricked	He thought he won, but he was sucked in.
Tin arse	Someone who is lucky	He's got a tin arse, always winning competitions.
Two sandwiches short of a picnic	Not very smart	He's two sandwiches short of a picnic if he believes that.
Up a gumtree	In trouble or difficulty	Since he lost his job, he's been up a gumtree.
Wombat's picnic	A very unsuccessful event or outing	The camping trip turned into a wombat's picnic.
Wonky	Unsteady or shaky	The table leg is wonky, it needs fixing.

 

Aussie slang for banknotes

The Australians love to create funny slang for everything - from the avocado they eat for breakfast (the avo for brekkie) to the dollar bills. For any non-Australian, creating slang words for banknotes based on their color is something pretty bizarre.

After all, who would think that in Australia, a lobster isn’t only the big red crab you eat in a fancy restaurant but also a $20 note? Here are some common Aussie slang terms for each banknote.

Banknote	Color	Slang
$5 note	Pink	Prawn Pink lady A fiver
$10 note	Blue	Blue swimmer Bluey A tenner
$20 note	Red	Lobster A twenny
$50 note	Yellow	Pineapple A fitty
$100 note	Green	Granny Smith Jolly green giant A hunji

 

Regional variations of Aussie slang

As in any other country, the slang varies from region to region. Although Australia’s regional variations aren’t as pronounced as the regional variants of British slang across the UK, there are still some words and expressions that vary depending on which part of Australia you’re in.

Australia is divided into 7 main regions:

• Western Australia (Perth, Fremantle, Broome)
• Northern Territory (Darwin, Alice Springs)
• South Australia (Adelaide)
• Queensland (Brisbane, Gold Coast)
• New South Wales (Sydney, New Castle, Wollongong)
• Victoria (Melbourne, Geelong)
• Tasmania (Hobart)

In each region, the slang expressions change slightly. Here are some examples:

• A swimsuit is “togs” in Queensland, “cossies” in New South Wales, and “bathers” in Victoria.
• What’s called a “corner shop” in Victoria is called a “deli” in Western Australia and a “milkbar” in Queensland.
• The afternoon in the eastern region (i.e., Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland) is “arvo,” but in South Australia, it’s “aftie.”

 

How to speak Australian slang

So, you’re keen to speak like a true Aussie. No worries, brah! First off, Aussie slang can be a bit like learning a new language (even if you’re a native English speaker), but don’t chuck a wobbly if you don’t get it right away.

The fastest way to learn is to listen to how locals use different slang words in conversation and try to suss out the meaning from context. For example, if someone mentions grabbing a “tinny” on a scorching hot day, you’ll know right away they aren’t talking about a can of tune but a cold beer.

Another trick to learning how to speak Aussie slang faster is to pick up on common usage patterns. For instance, Aussies love shortening words whenever they can. Brekkie for breakfast, barbie for barbecue, arvo for afternoon - you get the idea.

The most important thing, however, is to always be culturally sensitive and respectful when using Aussie slang. It’s all good to use it, but remember that some words might have different meanings or connotations in different contexts. So, make sure to ask if you don’t understand something or aren’t sure when to use a particular slang word. Better safe than sorry!

 

Famous personalities you didn’t know were Australian

You’ve surely heard that unmistakable Australian accent somewhere before. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of Crocodile Dundee, have chuckled along with Kath & Kim, or found yourself tapping your foot to Men at Work’s tunes, Aussie slang has found a way to sneak into your consciousness.

Here are some famous people you may not have known were Australian:

1. Hugh Jackman - From Sydney, New South Wales. You may know him as Wolverine in the X-Men.
2. Nicole Kidman - Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, but raised in Sydney, Australia. We don’t need to tell you who she is!
3. Chris Hemsworth - From Melbourne, Victoria. God bless Australian men!
4. Margot Robbie - From Dalby, Queensland. You might have seen her portraying Harley Quinn in the Suicide Squad or Barbie in Barbie.
5. Rebel Wilson - From Sydney, New South Wales. You know her from comedies like Pitch Perfect, Isn’t It Romantic, and How to Be Single (great rom-coms!).

These iconic characters and personalities have made Aussie lingo as famous as Vegemite on toast, spreading it across popular films, TV shows, and programs.

Here’s Margot Robbie teaching you some Australian slang words:

Barbie's Margot Robbie Teaches You Australian Slang | Vanity Fair

And here’s Chris Hemsworth talking about using his natural Australian accent in Ghostbusters:

Chris Hemsworth on using his Aussie accent in Ghostbusters

 

Cheers, mate!

Although this article won’t make you speak like a true Aussie in the matter of however many minutes you spent reading it, it should give you a pretty good idea of Australian lingo and phrases. From arvo and barbie to brekkie and tinny, we’ve covered it all (we tried to)!

But remember, mastering Aussie slang isn’t just about sounding like a local. It’s also about mastering the laid-back, easygoing Aussie spirit. So, go ahead and have fun with it! After all, Aussie slang is full of funny and quirky expressions that are sure to put a smile on your face.

And if you’d like to explore other English slang, check out our article on British slang or the one on the differences between British English and American English