Glossary Of ’Strine 

’Strine is ’stralian for “Australian.” The main thing to remember when speaking Australian slang is to abbreviate everything: Oz for Australia, brekkie for breakfast, cuppa for cup of tea, uni for university. Australian pronunciation is harder to learn than the lingo—with Aboriginal words especially, but even with English-derived proper nouns, it’s difficult to pin down any definite “rules.”

ablution block: shower/toilet block at a campground

abseil: rappel

ace: awesome

aggro: aggravated

ANZAC biscuits: honey-oat cookies

arvo: afternoon

Aussie: Australian (pronounced “Ozzie”—thus, Australia is “Oz”)

backpackers: hostel

bagged: criticized

barbie: barbecue (BBQ)

bathers: bathing suit (primarily Western Australia)

beaut: positive exclamation, as in “You beaut!”

beetroot: beet, a common hamburger filling

belt bag: known to Americans as a “fanny pack”

billabong: a water hole

biro: pen

biscuit: cookie

bitumen: a rough, black asphalt used to pave roads

bloke: guy, man (familiar), “chap”

bludger: malingerer

bluey: someone with red hair (um..)

bonnet: hood of a car

boofhead: fool

to book: to make reservations

boot: trunk of a car

bottle shop: liquor store

bottle ’o: a drive through liquor store

brekkie: breakfast

Brizzy: Brisbane, QLD

bugger: damn

Bundy: Bundaberg, QLD, as in the rum

bush: scrubby countryside

bush tucker: traditional Aboriginal wild foods

bushwalking: hiking

BYO: bring your own (booze)

campervan: mobile home, RV

capsicum: bell peppers

caravan: a trailer; term for any sort of cabless campervan

carpark: parking lot

Central Business Distict (CBD): a city’s commerical center or “downtown”

chap: guy, man, “bloke”

chemist: pharmacy

chips: thick french fries, often served with vinegar and salt

chock-a-block: crowded

chook: chicken

chunder: vomit

coldie: a cold beer

concession: discount; usually applies to students, seniors, or children, sometimes only to Australian students and pensioners

cordial: concentrated fruit juice

cossie: swimsuit, primarily NSW

crook: sick

crow eater: South Australian (a tad disparaging)

D&M: deep and meaningful talk

dag: often used in familial context as an affectionate version of “daggy”

daggy: unfashionable, goofy

damper: a term for traditionally unleavened bread

dear: expensive

dill: silly person (affectionate)

dobber: tattle-tale

dodgy: sketchy

doona, duvet: comforter, down blanket

drink driving: driving under the influence of alcohol

drongo: idiot

dunny: toilet, often outdoors

ensuite: with bath

entree: appetizer (not a “main”)

esky: cooler

excess: deductible (i.e. car insurance)

fair dinkum: genuine

fair go: equal opportunity

fairy floss: cotton candy

to fancy: to like, as in “would you fancy..?”

feral: wild, punky, grungy

flash: fancy, snazzy

free call: toll-free call

full on: intense

full stop: period (punctuation)

furphy: tall tale, exaggerated rumor (as in, “tell a furphy”)

g’day: hello

to give it a go: to try

good onya: good for you

glasshouse: greenhouse

grommet: young surfer

ground floor: American first floor (“first floor” is second floor, etc.)

grog: booze

to hire: to rent

hitching: hitchhiking

hoon: loud-mouth, show-off

icy-pole: popsicle (any sweet frozen treat on a stick)

jackaroo: stationhand-in-training

jersey: sweater, sweatshirt

jillaroo: female “jackaroo”

journo: journalist

jumper: “jersey”

keen: enthusiastic

Kiwi: New Zealander

knackered: very tired

lad: guy, man, “chap”

licensed: serves alcohol

like hen’s teeth: rare

lollies: candies

magic: really wonderful, special

mate: friend, buddy (used broadly)

milk bar: convenience store

Milo: chocolate product in bar and drink varieties

mobile: cell phone

moke: an open-air, golf cart-esque vehicle

mozzie: mosquito

nappy: diaper

narky: annoyed

newsagent: newsstand

nibblies: snacks

no worries: sure, fine, or “you’re welcome”

ocker: boorish hick, Crocodile Dundee type

ordinary: bad; an “ordinary” road is full of potholes

’Ow yer goin’?: How are you?

Oz: Australia

pavlova: a creamy meringue dessert garnished with fruit

pensioner: senior citizen

perve: a pervert, also used as a verb, “to perve”

petrol: gasoline

piss: beer (usually)

pokies: gambling machines

polly: politican

Pom, pommy: person from England

powerpoint: power outlet

prawn: jumbo shrimp

raging: partying

ratbag: corrupt, unethical person

rego: car registration papers

return: round-trip

’roo: as in kanga-

roobar: bumper protecting your car from ’roo damage

roundabout: traffic rotary

rubber: eraser

sauce: usually tomato sauce; closest equivalent to ketchup

serviette: napkin

sheila: woman

shout: buy a drink or round of drinks for others; also a noun, as in an evening’s worth of everyone buying rounds for each other

side: team

singlet: tank top or undershirt

skivvie: turtleneck sweater

sook: crybaby

spider: ice cream float; or, arachnid (pay close attention to context)

squiz: a look, as in “take a squiz at something”

sticky beak: nosy person

’strine: Aussie dialect (from Australian)

’straya: Australia

swimmers: swimsuit

sunnies: sunglasses

to suss: figure out, sort out

ta: short for thank you—said softly

TAB: shop to place bets, sometimes in pubs

takeaway: food to go, takeout

Tassie: Tasmania (TAZ-zie)

tea: evening meal

thongs: flip-flops

throw a wobbly: get angry

Tim Tams: chocolate-covered cookie

togs: swimsuit, in Queensland

torch: flashlight

tucker: food

uni: university (YOU-nee)

unsealed: unpaved roads, usually gravel, sometimes dirt

ute (yute): utility vehicle, pickup truck

upmarket: upscale, expensive

Vegemite: yeast-extract spread for toast and sandwiches

veggo: vegetarian

wanker: jerk (rude term)

winge: to whine or complain

yakka: hard work

yobbo: slobby, unthinking person

zed: Z (American “zee”)

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