Strine is the language of Australia. It is evident in the words we speak and the way they are pronounced. If you intend on spending time in Australia, it may help to understand some of the local words, so the below list has been assembled to assist you.
This is growing list, so check back regularly for updates.
aerial ping-pong
Australian Rules football, aka the Aussie Rules, or the AFL (Australian Football League).
arvo
– afternoon.
av-a-go-ya-mug
– you should try harder or put some effort in.
back o’ burke
– the Outback
Banana bender
– a Queenslander
barbie
– barbeque, bbq.
battler
– a hard-working person.
bevy
– an alcoholic beverage.
beyond the black stump
– the outback
billy
– traditionally a tin used for boiling tea over an open fire
– tea-pot
bloke
– man
bloody oath
– telling the truth
bogan
– a person who has poor dress sense and takes no pride in their appearance.
bonzer
– very good
bludger
– lazy person
blue
– a fight. To ‘have a blue‘ is to get into a fight or argument.
– mistake, (e.g.’make a blue’)
– a name for someone with red hair.
blueing
– fighting or arguing.
bobs-yer-uncle
– everything is all right.
Brisvegas
– Brisbane
Brisneyland
– Brisbane
burl
– go … as in ‘give it a burl’, which means to ‘have a go’ … in other words, ‘try to do something’.
cactus
– stuffed, broken
cane-toad
– a Queenslander
chuck
– throw
chuck a sickie
– have a day off from work because you are sick.
chunder
– vomit
Clayton’s
– fake, substitute … from the advertisement for a non-alcoholic beverage bottled by Clayton’s which stated it was ‘the drink you have when you are not having a drink’. It has entered common language, e.g. ‘a clayton’s marriage’, ‘clayton’s solution’.
cobber
– friend
cockie
– farmer
cockroach
– someone from New South Wales
cozzie
– swimwear
crack a tinny
– open a can of beer.
crook
– sick
– not right
daks
– shorts, pants
digger
– Australian soldier
dinki-di
– true blue … er … the real thing.
dja-av-a-gooweegen?
– ‘did you have a good weekend?’
drongo
– an idiot
dunny
– toilet
durry
– cigarette
fair dinkum
– genuine
flat chat
– going very fast
flicks
– the movies, a cinema. ‘Let’s go to the flicks tonight’.
full as a goog
– drunk
– eaten to much.
furphy
– a false report; rumor.
Origin: 1910–15; after Furphy carts which were water and rubbish carts manufactured by the Furphy family of Shepparton, Victoria, and used during World War I.
g’day
– good-day
galah
– obnoxious person, idiot.
gammon
– to lie, deceive
– to be false
For example:
‘He said the Cowboys won the game, but he was just gammon.’
go for it
– do it.
gob
– mouth
good onya … or just onya
– congratulations, or ‘you’ve done well‘
grouse
– great, fantastic
grub
– food.
hard yakka
– hard work
knackered
– exhausted.
larrikin
– good-natured rascal, mischievous person, prankster
lingo
– language.
Mexicans
– anyone from south of the Queensland border, particularly Victorians.
missus
– wife
mob
– a group of people
– family
motza
– a large amount of money, especially a sum won in gambling.
mozzie
– mosquito
muddy
– mud-crab
ocker
– Austalian
ol’ mate
– usually in reference to some complete stranger whose name you don’t know … or a good friend whose name you do know …. or a good friend whose name you know but you’ve forgotten because you’re plastered.
Outback
– remote areas of Australia, usually west of the Great Dividing Range and away from metropolitan areas.
‘ow-yer-goin?
– how are you?
parmie
– parmigiana, a recipe with chicken or steak covered in tomato paste and cheese.
Pig’s bum … or … pig’s arse
– not the truth
– incorrect
– not going to happen
Pom
– someone from Britain.
rack off
– get out of here.
ranga
– someone with red hair.
rat-bag
– a larrikin, good-natured rascal or mischievous person.
ridgie-didge
– genuine.
righto
– that’s acceptable
righty-o
– similar to ‘righto’: something is acceptable, satisfactory, ok.
sand-groper
– someone from Western Australia
sanger
– sandwich
she’ll be right
– everything will be all right.
she’s apples
– everything is all right.
shout
– each person in a group taking turns at buying the beers (e.g. ‘it’s your shout‘)
slab
– a carton of beer
snag
– sausage
spag bol
– spaghetti bolognaise
sticky-beak
– a nosy person
stoked
– very happy
Straya
– official Australian pronunciation of ‘Australia’
strewth
– an exclamation of surprise (shortened from ‘God’s truth‘)
strine
– The language of Australia.
stubby
– a bottle of beer
stuft (or stuffed)
– broken
– tired, exhausted.
Texas
– Queensland.
tinny
– can of beer
– small, aluminium boat
togs
– swimwear
trackies
– track-suit
trackie-daks
– track-suit pants
true blue
– genuine, patriotic.
turn it up
– telling someone that you don’t believe what they are saying.
uggies
– ugg boots (very warm boots made from sheep-skin and wool)
whinge
– complain
whinger
– one who complains
woop woop
– the Outback
yakka
– work
yobbo
– slobbish person
you-bewdy
– ‘that’s fantastic’
you little ripper
– ‘that’s fantastic’