Australian Phrases You Should Know
Traveling to Australia or New Zealand? Besides the fact you will have an amazing trip, you should probably get to know some common slang words and phrases used in Australia and New Zealand.
The term for Aussie slang is strine, characterized by making words as short as possible. So if you plan to visit Australia, this list of some of the most commonly used slang expressions is for you.
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- Arvo:afternoon
- Barbie:barbeque
- Bogan:redneck, an uncultured person.
- Bottle-O:bottle shop, liquor store
- Chockers:very full
- Esky:cooler, insulated food and drink container
- Fair Dinkum:true, real, genuine
- Grommet:young surfer
- Mozzie:mosquito
- Pash:a long passionate kiss. A pash rash is red irritated skin as the result of a heavy make-out session with someone with a beard.
- Ripper:really great
- Roo:kangaroo. A baby roo, still in the pouch, is known as a Joey
- Root:sexual intercourse. This one can get really get foreigners in trouble. There are numerous stories about Americans coming to Australia telling people how they love to “root for their team.” If you come to Australia, you would want to use the word “barrack” instead. On the same note, a “wombat” is someone who eats roots and leaves.
- Servo:gas station. In Australia, a gas station is called a petrol station. If you ask for gas, don’t be surprised if someone farts.
- She’ll be right:everything will be all right
- Sickie:sick day. If you take a day off work when you are not actually sick it’s called chucking a sickie.
- Slab:24-pack of beer
- Sook:to sulk. If someone calls you a sook, it is because they think you are whinging
- Stubbie holder:koozie or cooler. A stubbie holder is a polystyrene insulated holder for a stubbie, which is a 375ml bottle of beer.
- Sweet as:sweet, awesome. Aussies will often put ‘as’ at the end of adjectives to give it emphasis. Other examples include lazy as, lovely as, fast as and common as.
- Ta:thank you
- Togs:swim suit
- Tradie:a tradesman. Most of the tradies have nicknames too, including brickie (bricklayer), truckie (truckdriver), sparky (electrician), garbo (garbage collector) and chippie (carpenter).
- Ute:Utility vehicle, pickup truck
- Whinge:whine
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New Zealand Phrases You Should Know
New Zealand slang can be quite hard to understand. This slang can be found just about anywhere, even in the likes of fancy restaurants and hotels. Here’s a complete guide on New Zealand slang and how to use it! Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy as bro.
- Kia Ora
Means ‘Hello’ in Maori
- Choice, bro!
Choice is one of those words that means anything from, Okay, cool, I agree, I understand, it was good…..and can mean many other things but it is always positive.
- Fush and chups
Means fish and chips which is a favorite food here.
- Hangi
A traditional Maori meal cooked over the course of the day in pits in the earth resulting in a very fresh, moist and tasty style of food.5. Pakeha
Coined initially by early Maori to describe European settlers, which has stuck to this day.6. Chilly bin
An integral part of any summer holiday, sporting event or student gathering, used to keep your beer cool as well as a top seat to sit on.7. Jandals
A phrase unique to New Zealand referring to what we Aussies like to call thongs… and no, we don’t mean the underwear – the footwear!8. Bach (“batch”)
A holiday home at the beach. Usually small and a bit shabby but it’s likely no one will mind you traipsing some sand inside.9. Tiki tour
A roundabout way to get somewhere – taking the scenic route10. Stubbies
Very short shorts. Usually worn by males and not leaving much to the imagination – they were big the 80s but some still enjoy donning a pair and standing around the bbq with a beer in hand.
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- Yeah nah – “Do you want a vanilla ice cream? “Yeah nah, I’ll be right.”
Kiwis say this when they are a little indecisive on what the heck they are trying to say.
- Bugger – *Something goes wrong* “Bugger!”
You can use bugger when something goes wrong. It’s mostly heard on a farm. It’s basically a NZ curse word.
- The wops – “He lives out in the wops”
A place in the middle of nowhere or far from anything.
- Sus – “He looks a bit sus” or “That’s a bit sus”
When a situation or someone is practically suspicious.
- Bloody – “That was a bloody great night out, wasn’t it?”
Kiwis use this word all the time. Bloody is put into any old sentence.
Now you are prepared to blend in with the locals!
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