Ever since the legendary Paul Hogan burst onto the international scene as the eponymous character in the classic film Crocodile Dundee in 1986, people around the world became familiar with Australian English or slang (not to mention what knives look like down under). While there's no definitive glossary of Australian slang terms, we've tried to include the most common, useful and/or funny ones, with special attention paid to what's primarily used in Queensland. If you think there are some essential terms that we missed and should be added to the list, we'd love to hear your recommendations at goldcoast@inyourpocket.com.
A is for...
avos – avocados
B is for...
bail out – leave
Banana Bender – a person from Queensland
barbie – barbecue
bathers – swimming costume/suit
bevan – see 'bogan'
bikies – motorcyclists
bloke – man
blow in – stranger
bludger – lazy person
blue – a fight
bogan – person who spends their day drinking beer and not doing much else
bonzer – great, fantastic
booze bus – police vehicle used for catching drink drivers
bottle shop – liquor store, off-license
brekkie – breakfast
Brizzie – Brisbane
budgie smugglers – men's swimming costume (Speedos)
bugs – Moreton Bay Bugs (ie a small, tasty crustacean)
bush telly – campfire
BYO – 'bring your own', restaurant license allowing customers to bring their own alcohol
C is for...
cark it – to die, stop working
chook – chicken
Chrissie – Christmas
chuck a yewy – makes a u-turn in traffic
chunder – vomit
Cockroach – a person from New South Wales
cozzie – swimming costume
crikey – exclamation of surprise
Crow Eater – a person from South Australia
cut lunch – a sandwich
D is for...
dead horse – tomato sauce
dill – an idiot
dinkum – honest, sincere, genuine
docket – bill, receipt
dog – unattractive woman
drongo – stupid person
dunny – outdoor lavatory
durry – tobacco, cigarette
E is for...
esky – a cooler / large, portable, insulated container for keep things cool
F is for...
feral – a hippie
fisho – fishmonger
flake – shark meat
footy – Australian Rules football or Rugby league
franger – condom
full – drunk
G is for...
good oil – useful information
grog – alcoholic drinks
grouse – great, very good, terrific
H is for...
heaps – lots
hoon – hooligan
J is for...
journo – journalist
jug – electric kettle
K is for...
knock – to criticise
L is for...
liquid laugh – vomit
M is for...
Maccas – McDonald's
Mexican – a person from Victoria
milk bar – small market that sells takeaway food
mob – a group of people
mozzies – mosquitoes
P is for...
pav – pavlova (ie traditional Australian dessert named for Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova)
piss – beer
pissed – drunk
plonk – cheap wine
pokkies – electronic poker machines, fruit machines or slot machines
Pom – an person from England
prezzy – gift
R is for...
rage – party
rellie – family relative
ripper – great, fantastic
root – f*ck (for almost all of its many diverse uses)
S is for...
Sand Groper – a person from Western Australia
sanger – sandwich
scallops – fried potato pancakes
Seppo – a person from the USA
servo – petrol station
shark biscuit – inexperienced surfer
sheila – woman
shonky – dodgy
shout – to buy a round of drinks
snag – sausage
strides – trousers/pants
stubby – 375ml bottle of beer
sunbake – sunbathe
sunnies – sunglasses
T is for...
tea – supper
technicolour yawn – vomit
thongs – flip flops
tinny – can of beer
togs – swimming costume/suit
tucker – food
turps – alcoholic drinks
two-pot screamer – someone who gets drunk easily
U is for...
unit – flat/apartment
W is for...
walkabout – a long walk by yourself
whinge – complain, whine, moan
wowser – a prude, spoilsport, teetotaller
Y is for...
yabber – to talk a lot
yabby – freshwater crayfish
yakka – work
youse – plural form of 'you'
