Every guide to “strine” (that’s “Australian slang” in Australian slang) will tell you “G’day mate” means “Hello.” But we’ll bet you didn’t know “Goodbye” is “Hooroo,” or sometimes more appropriately, “Rack off!” (“Get lost!”). So forget putting shrimp on the “barbie,” have a “Captain Cook” (a look) at our A to Z list of unique slang from the Land of Oz.
Aussie Slang: Translation
A: When you give someone “the big A” you dismiss him or her. “When I saw my boyfriend in women’s clothing on Jerry Springer, I gave him the big A.”
Blue: Fight; also, “barney.” As in, “I overheard Tom and Nicole having quite a blue in their publicist’s office the other day.”
Bodgy: Of inferior quality. “They say the new Warren Beatty movie is pretty bodgy.”
Boozer: Bar.
Brasco: Toilet; also “dyke,” “dunny” (outside toilet).
Cadger: Moocher.
Coldie: Can of beer; also “tinny.” As in, “Grab me a coldie out of the fridge, willya, mate?”
Doozey: Very good, significant, satisfying.
Drongo: Doofus; also “dill,” “boofhead” “fruit loop” “galah.”
Earbasher: One who talks too much. “I refuse to watch that earbasher Joan Rivers interview stars on the red carpet.”
Flaming: Compliment. “Freddy Got Fingered–what a flaming great movie!”
Give a gobful: To tell someone off.
Hit the turps: Go on a drinking binge.
Happy as Larry: Like, really, really happy. As in, “The creator of Survivor must be happy as Larry with the show’s success.”
Hoon: Thug. “Do you think Eminem is a hoon or a right bloke?”
Innit: Isn’t it? (“Freddy Got Fingered–innit a flaming great movie?”)
Johnny Horner: Street corner
Kangaroos loose in the top paddock: Not all there. “That Tom Green, he’s got kangaroos loose in the top paddock!”
Knock: To criticize; a “knocker” is one who criticizes.
Larrikin: Joker, prankster; also “dag.”
Make a good fist: To do something really well.
No-hoper: Loser. As in, “I hope Robert Downey Jr. gets help and doesn’t end up a no-hoper.”
Ocker: Coarse, unrefined person.
Piker: Stick in the mud; also, “wowser.”
Plonk: Cheap wine.
Quid: Money. “Julia Roberts is making a doozey quid for her movies these days!”
Ripper: Fantastic.
Rollie: Cigarette you roll yourself.
Rotten: Drunk. “I was rotten at Leo DiCaprio’s last night. What a ripper party!”
Shonky: Shady, dubious.
Smoko: Smoke break “I took a smoko and had a rollie at 3 o’clock.”
Stickybeak: Nosy person.
Tall poppies: Derogative term for prosperous people. “There were more tall poppies than I could count at the Governors Ball after the Oscars.”
Unit: Apartment.
Up oneself: Hold oneself in exceedingly high regard. “Jennifer Lopez sure is up herself.”
VB: Victoria Bitter, a brand of beer.
Whinge: Complain.
X out: To cancel.
Yack: Gossip. “We had a good yack about who’ll win Survivor this time.”
Zonked: Dead tired.
