If your answer to “Wanna swing by the servo, then get Maccas?” was a blank stare, don’t panic—you’re not alone. Australian slang is like a whole new dialect of English, and mastering it is part of the fun when living Down Under. This guide is your pass to understanding Aussie lingo and navigating your upcoming working holiday like a true blue local. Let’s decode the mysteries of Aussie slang, have a few laughs, and get you prepped for your epic Aussie adventure.
1. Ace – Excellent
“That surf was ace.”
2. Arvo – Afternoon (not to be confused with avo = avocado)
“Let’s catch up this arvo.”
3. Avo – Avocado
“Can’t start the day without avo toast.”
4. Barbie – Short for barbecue (BBQ)
“We’re firing up the barbie tonight!” “Let’s chuck it on the barbie.”
5. Bathers / Togs / Cossie – Swimsuit (varies by region)
“Don’t forget your togs for the beach!”
6. Beauty/ You little ripper – Fantastic! Typically used in social or work settings
“You little ripper—we got the job!”
7. Billy – Kettle (especially used while camping)
“Let’s boil the billy for a cuppa.”
8. Bit of a wombat – A little slow
“He’s a bit of a wombat but a good bloke.”
9. Bloke – Man
“Met a good bloke at the pub.” “He’s a top bloke.”
10. Bludger – Lazy person
“Don’t be a bludger—give us a hand!”
11. Bloody oath – Absolutely!
“What a lovely day.” “Bloody oath it is!”
12. Bluey – Redhead (affectionately)
“Bluey’s always the first to arrive.”
13. Bogans – Rough or uncultured folks
“Bit of a bogan but harmless.”
14. Bottle-o – Liquor store
“Pit stop at the bottle-o for beers.”
15. Big smoke – A term for a major city, especially when coming from a rural area.
“Heading to the big smoke for the weekend.”
16. Brekkie – Breakfast
“Brekkie at Macca’s?” “Let’s head out to the beach for brekkie.”
17. Bugger – Mild expletive
“Bugger, left my sunnies at home.” “Bugger! I dropped my phone.”
18. Buggered – Exhausted
“I’m buggered after that hike.”
19. Budgie smugglers – Speedos
“Classic Aussie at the beach in budgie smugglers.” “Check out that guy with the budgie smugglers.”
20. Bush – Rural area
“They live way out in the bush.” “Steven’s headed out to the bush this weekend.”
21. Cactus – Broken
“Phone’s cactus—won’t turn on.”
22. Chockers – Full
“The train was chockers this morning.”
23. Chrissy – Christmas
“Chrissy lunch at Nan’s this year.” “See ya at the Chrissy lunch!”
24. Chuck a sickie – Take a sick day
“Might chuck a sickie tomorrow.”
25. Chuck a u-ey – U-turn
“Mate, we went the wrong way—you’re gonna have to chuck a u-ey.”
26. Chunder – Vomit
“She chundered in a pot plant and kept dancing.”
27. Cobber – Mate
“How ya been, cobber?” “G’day cobber, long time no see!”
28. Cuppa – Tea or coffee
“Pop ‘round for a cuppa?”
29. Cracking – Excellent
“That was a cracking match!” “That’s a cracking idea.”
30. Crikey – Surprise
“Crikey, that’s a massive snake!”
31. Deadset – Seriously
“He’s a deadset legend.”
32. Devo – Devastated
“So devo we missed the gig.”
33. Dunny – Toilet
“Where’s the dunny? I’m busting!”
34. Durry – Cigarette
“Got a spare durry, mate?”
35. Earbashing – Non-stop talking
“Copped an earbashing from the boss.”
36. Esky – Cooler
“Load the esky—we’re off!” “Throw some beers in the esky.”
37. Fair dinkum – Genuine, real
“Fair dinkum Aussie that one.”
38. Fair go – Equal chance
“Everyone deserves a fair go.”
39. Flat out – Super busy
“Flat out like a lizard drinking.” “Been flat out all day.”
40. Flat white – Double espresso coffee with milk
“One flat white to go, thanks.”
41. Footy – AFL or rugby
“Big footy match on Friday.” “Going to the footy this weekend.”
42. Frog in a sock – Very fast
“That dog took off like a frog in a sock!”
43. G’day – Hello
“G’day mate!”
44. Galah – Fool
“You’re acting like a galah.”
45. Grouse – Great
“That party was grouse!” “That band was grouse!”
46. Good on ya – Well done
“Good on ya for finishing early.”
47. Hard yakka – Hard work
“That shift was pure hard yakka.”
48. Happy as Larry – Super happy
“She’s happy as Larry with the results.” “Mate, that interview went so well—I’m happy as Larry!”
49. Heaps – A lot
“That’s heaps good.”
50. Hoon – Reckless driver
“Bloody hoons tearing up the street again.”
51. How ya going? – How are you?
“G’day! How ya going?”
52. Ice block – Popsicle
“Hot arvo? Grab an ice block.”
53. Knackered – Exhausted
“I’m absolutely knackered.”
54. Larrikin – Lovable troublemaker
“He’s a real larrikin.”
55. Legend – Awesome person
“You brought snacks! Legend!”
56. Loo – Toilet
“I’ll be right back—off to the loo.”
57. Loo roll – Toilet paper
“We’re outta loo roll!”
58. Macca’s – McDonald’s
“Late-night Macca’s run?” “Want brekkie from Macca’s?”
59. Mate – Friend
“Cheers, mate!”
60. Mozzie – Mosquito
“Bloody mozzies everywhere.” “Mozzies are eating me alive!”
61. Nah, yeah – Yes
“Wanna go?” “Nah, yeah!”
62. No worries – No problem
“Thanks for helping!” “No worries, mate!”
63. Not the brightest crayon in the box – Not too smart (can be unkind)
“Nice bloke, but not the brightest crayon in the box.”
64. Nuddy – Naked
“Caught him in the full nuddy!”
65. Old mate – A generic term for someone whose name you’ve forgotten (or are deliberately leaving out).
“Old mate at the servo reckons it’s gonna be 40 degrees today.”
66. Off your face – Drunk
“He was off his face by 10pm.”
67. Ocker – Strong Aussie personality
“He’s proper ocker.”
68. On the piss – Drinking
“We were on the piss all night.”
69. Op shop – Thrift store
“Scored a gem at the op shop.”
70. Pissed – Drunk
“He was pissed after two beers.”
71. Ranga – Redhead
“He’s a proud ranga.”
72. Rapt – Thrilled
“Rapt with the new job!”
73. Reckon – Think
“Reckon we’ll get there by noon?”
74. Rellies – Relatives
“Having the rellies over for Chrissy.”
75. Rip snorter – Fantastic
“Rip snorter of a night, mate!”
76. Rooted – Tired or broken
“I’m rooted—need a nap.”
77. Sanga – Sandwich
“Ham sanga, anyone?”
78. Servo – Gas station
“Quick stop at the servo.”
79. Sheila – Woman (old-school)
“Met a nice sheila at the BBQ.”
80. She’ll be right – It’ll be fine
“Don’t worry about the spilt coffee, she’ll be right.”
81. Sickie – Sick day
“Might take a sickie Monday.”
82. Smoko – Break, usually for a smoke
“Off for a smoko.”
83. Snag – Sausage
“Toss a snag on the barbie.”
84. Spit the dummy – Tantrum
“He spat the dummy over nothing.”
85. Stickybeak – Nosey person
“Don’t be such a stickybeak.”
86. Stoked – Excited
“Stoked for the trip!”
87. Straya – Australia
“Best country ever—Straya!”
88. Strewth – Shock or disbelief
“Strewth! That spider is massive!”
89. Ta – Thank you
“Ta for the lift.” “Ta for the coffee!”
90. Tall poppy syndrome – Criticizing success
“Don’t let tall poppy syndrome get to you.”
91. Thongs – Flip flops (not underwear!)
“Forgot my thongs at the beach.”
92. Trackies – Sweatpants
“Comfy day in trackies.”
93. Tucker – Food
“Time for some bush tucker.”
94. Two sandwiches short of a picnic – A bit slow (can be unkind)
“Nice enough, but two sandwiches short…”
95. Ute – Pickup truck
“Chuck it in the back of the ute.”
96. Veg out – Relax
“Gonna veg out with Netflix.”
97. Woop Woop – Middle of nowhere
“We’re headed to Woop Woop!”
98. Yeah, nah – No
“Want to clean the house?” “Yeah, nah.” “Wanna go out? Yeah, nah, too tired.”
99. Yakka – Work, especially hard physical labour.
“Building that fence was bloody hard yakka.”
100. Zonked – Super tired
“After that flight, I’m zonked.” “After that surf session, I’m absolutely zonked.”
Sure, Australian slang can be laid-back, even at work. You might hear someone say they’re going for a smoko, or the nurse calling an ambulance, an ambo. Just read the room first—some Aussie lingo might fly at the café but flop in a corporate meeting.
When in doubt? Stick to observing first, then give it a go. Aussies appreciate effort—and humour! Whether you’re learning Aussie slang from coworkers or picking it up on the go, it’s a valuable part of fitting in.
Before you land Down Under, brushing up on Aussie slang isn’t just fun—it’s a must. Aussie slang pops up in everyday chats, and knowing it helps you avoid awkward moments and feel more at home, faster.
Australian slang gives you a peek into the local mindset. Aussies are laid-back, cheeky, and love a good laugh—and their language shows it. Tossing in some Aussie lingo like a “no worries” or “bloody oath” can help you connect and blend in, whether you’re at a BBQ or starting a new job. From quirky sayings to cheeky expressions, learning Australian slang shows that you’re open to embracing the culture and having a laugh, just like a local.
Getting your Aussie lingo right can save you from mix-ups—like confusing “thongs” (flip-flops) with “bathers” (swimsuit). Whether you’re grabbing brekkie, catching the bus, or asking for directions to the “servo,” understanding Australian slang just makes life easier. A few go-to phrases from the Aussie lingo dictionary can help break the ice, get you where you need to go, and avoid funny misunderstandings—like asking someone about their “trackies” or telling someone you’re “stuffed.”
Australian workplaces often have a casual vibe, and using the right australian slang shows that you’re adaptable and socially aware. You don’t need to use every phrase, but knowing when your boss says, “Let’s have a yarn,” that they mean “chat”—not knit—is pretty helpful. Plus, avoiding being labeled a “bogan” (slang for someone uncultured) on your first day? Priceless. You might even earn points by using a bit of Australian slang in the right context—it shows you’re making an effort, and Aussies love that.
Getting familiar with australian slang is one of the easiest ways to feel more confident, connected, and ready to enjoy everything the Aussie lifestyle has to offer. From casual greetings to regional expressions, understanding Aussie lingo is your secret tool for making friends and having fun. Plus, the Aussie lingo helps you feel less like a tourist, and more like part of the crew!
Planning a working holiday in Australia? StepAbroad is your go-to mate—from sorting out your visa to helping you land a job and decode Aussie slang along the way.
Our programs make the whole process easier. Confused by visa forms or curious about what “arvo” means? (It’s slang for afternoon). We’ve got you covered so you can start your adventure with confidence.
We help you find work, understand Aussie workplaces, and pick up essential Australian —like knowing when something’s “heaps good” or when it’s time for some “hard yakka” (hard work). Mastering the slang helps you fit in and feel at ease from day one.
With StepAbroad, you’ll learn Aussie slang by living it. From asking for tomato sauce (not ketchup) to calling your swimsuit a “cossie,” you’ll speak the language of the locals in no time. StepAbroad helps you do more than just visit Australia—you’ll live like a local, lingo and all.
Learning Aussie lingo is one of the best ways to prepare for life in Australia. Understanding even the trickiest bits of Australian slang will make it easier to find work, make friends, and navigate everyday situations.
Whether you’re grabbing a flat white at the local café or getting directions to the nearest “servo,” knowing the Aussie lingo means you’re thriving! Start your journey to living, working, and speaking like a true Aussie. Good on ya!
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