Oz Language

How and why 'stralian is what it is, and what the hell it actually means.

Australian language has a global reputation for is individuality, phonetics and humour value. It has been brought about by the need for expressions for things that have never needed expressing before, so improvisation was usually used. Add 200 years of abbreviating to that and you are speaking Australian. Here are a few examples of the Australian language.....

Word or Phrase Meaning

A bit strong A hurtful remark or action

Aerial Pingpong AFL (Australian Football League)

Apeshit Stark, raving mad

Barbie A barbeque

Battler Someone who has lived a hard life

Blowie A blowfly

Bludger Layabout

Bodgy Of questionable quality or reliability

Bulldust A lie or fib

Cadge Beg, borrow or steal (friendly)

Chunder Vomit

Cocky Rural property manager

Come-a-gutsa To have an accident / fall off something

Dero Derilect, bum

Dinky Di True blue, the absolute truth

Dog and Bone Telephone

Duff Cattle theft

Dunny Toilet

Fair Dinkum Fair go / really / the truth / good

Footy Football (oval ball, not round ball)

Furphy A lie

Galah Idiot

Greenie Weekend environmentalist

Grouse Good / great

Hoon Revhead, car enthusiast

Humpy A bark hut

Jumbuck A sheep, specifically a ram

Kiwi New Zealander

Knockers Breasts

Larrikin Mischief maker

Moggy Cat

Mulga Scrub / bush (outback)

Nipper Small child

Ocker Average Australian male

Oldie Anyone over 20 years old

Pearler Something that has happened superbly

Piss Beer

Pom Person from England

Pub Bar / hotel

Ringer The fastest shearer in the shed

Rural Rural fire fighter

Salvo Salvation Army Officer

Sanger / Snag Sandwich / sausage

Sheila Australian female

Sickie Day off work due to invented illness

Smoko Break from work

Starkers Naked

Stubby Small bottle of beer

Tinny Can of beer

Troppo Crazy

Ute Utility vehicle

Wanker Someone with an ego problem

Wharfie Waterside / dockyard worker

Woop Woop Middle of nowhere

Yank American

Yarn Long conversation / story

Youze You (singular or plural)

Zambuck A first aider present at a sporting event

Aussies are also good at expressions which are the "unabbreviations" (much longer than their meanings). The point of these is to emphasise a particular aspect being discussed. Some of the more interesting expressions you might encounter are (beware of rude words kiddies):

"A stubbie short of a six pack" - To be not quite with it, lacking presence of mind.
"As useful as tits on a bull" - Not very useful.
"Rare as rocking horse shit" - Very rare.
"Standing around like a stale bottle of piss" - In the way, not being useful.
"Sticks out like dogs balls" - Conspicuous.
"Couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery" - Someone who cannot get themselves organised.
"Like a scalded cat" - Something done at great speed.
"Looks like a dog's breakfast" - Messy.

If you want to know more about the Australian language, there is a biannual publication called Ozwords, which you can subscribe to for free by sending an email to:

ozwords@oup.com.au