Australia, the land of kangaroos, koalas, beaches and bloody ripper Australians. We love it, and love to show it off to visitors.
We're proud of our country and everything about it, and yes, sometimes it's difficult to be a universally-loved Aussie person, the adoration is a bit much at times but hey, we're resilient and can cope with it.
You may have noted that I didn't add deadly snakes and spiders, box jelly fish, sharks, crocodiles, blue ring octopus and deadly sunburn to the list above? That was on purpose. We want you to come down here and visit so simply gloss over the small details like stuff that can kill you.
Just forget I mentioned it ok?
Anyway, with that bastard virus going around lately I thought it would be good to get in early and to invite you buggers to Australia...After the virus finishes of course...So, consider that the invite. src
To get you ready for your trip to Australia I thought it would be good to prepare you guys for the language barrier you're sure to face...It's not us, it's you and your inability to understand us, so...This post is all about your Australian slang survival guide...
The essential guide to Aussie slang.
I could never list and define every piece of slang we use in our day to day communications but I thought I'd start off with a few basic essentials for you. These little gems will get you sounding exactly like a local and prevent any miscommunication and embarrassment on your part. Yes, we will take the piss if you fuck it up!
The list below should enable you to navigate your way through any city or town in this great big land of ours and would be considered completely normal everyday communication for people to engage in.
Let's get started.
G'day: Hello, hi, hey, good morning, good afternoon etc. (An informal greeting.)
Mate: Your friend, someone you just met. (pretty much anyone can be referred to as mate.)
Big smoke: Large city or town. Small town that is bigger than the town you're in already. (Not confusing at all right?)
Barbie: A BBQ or grill or a BBQ event.
Blowie: Blow fly of a large variety.
Bonza: A great or good thing.
Chuck a sickie: Call in sick at work for either being sick or having something better to do than work like fishing, daytime TV, sleeping in etc.
Mad as a cut snake: Angry
Cunning as a dunny rat: Very cunning.
Dunny: Toilet.
Exy: Expensive
Cobber: See mate.
Grog: Liquor, alcohol.
Turps: Alcohol.
Bevvy: Alcohol.
Piss: Alcohol.
Pissed: Drunk
Piss: To urinate.
Take the piss: Have a joke at someone else's expense
Piece of piss: Easy.
Shit easy: Very easy.
Kangaroo's loose in the top paddock: Intellectually inadequate.
Mob: Group of people.
Nut out: Figure out, determine.
Porky (or a porky): Lie (a lie)
Root: Coitus (Fucking)
Shark biscuit: Somebody new to surfing.
Strewth: A mild oath or exclamation.
Wombat: Someone who eats, roots and leaves (think about it, maybe refer to 3 slangs back up the list)
Bloody ripper: Good, great, excellent
Yobbo: Uncouth person.
Bugger off: Leave, depart.
Clip around the ears: Opened handed smack on the back of the cranium, usually administered by an older (than you) person.
Now, this is certainly not the full extent of our vocabulary however should you use these words you'll fit right in like a local - Trust me, I wouldn't set you up or anything.
Below I have used some of the words in a sentence or two, just to demonstrate the usage in a practical situation.
"Strewth mate, did you see that yobbo at the barbie drinking all that piss, he'll be chucking a sickie tomorrow for sure. I tell you what, I tried to nut out what he was saying but he must have been telling a porky. Made me mad as a cut snake, mate. He's as cunning as a dunny rat he is! Anyway, I'm off for a piss and then I have to head off to the big smoke to teach a shark biscuit how to stand up on his board. Should be bonza."
Here's another...
"Hey mate, you must have a kangaroo loose in the top paddock if you think you can afford that grog, it's way too exy for a yobbo like you! Why don't you bugger off out of here before I give you a clip around the ear. Strewth!"
So there you have it, the first instalment of the Essential Aussie Slang For Travellers.
After you're all cured of the virus you should pack up your clobber (clothing) and get down here for a holiday...Let me know you're coming though, and I'll make sure all the roo's (kangaroos) are cleared off the runway so your plane can land.
Thanks for reading and we hope to see you here soon. Oh, you better bring 50+ sunblock. Trust me on that one.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised.
Be well
This is a #showcase-sunday post, as initiated by #nonameslefttouse - Reworked from the original post from 2017.