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Saturday, November 20, 2010

Some Aussie terms

We've had a bit of Welsh, so how about some dinkum Aussie speak? Now, this list is not conclusive as many Aussie terms are very dependent upon the inflexion and direction in which they are used - e.g. 'bastard' is the most confusing, 'cos "You bastard!" can be an abusive term or a term of endearment dependent uopn how its used and towards whom. Rozza's, Pommies, and the Tax Department are always "Bastards!" and that's no joke. LOL!

Ace! : Excellent! Very good!

Arvo : afternoon

Amber fluid : beer (also known as "A drop of the amber.")

Aussie : Australian

Back door discount : something possibly stolen and being offered cheaper than normal.

(Off the) Back of a truck - as in "Fell of the back of a truck!": Something that's been obtained cheaply - so don't ask questions!

Beaut, beaudy : great, fantastic

Big Mobs : loads, a lot of

Bloody : very

Blood oath! : that's certainly true

Blue : argument/mistake, a fight

Bodgy : poor quality

Bonzer : great, ripper

Bottler : something excellent

Bottling : his blood's worth: He's an excellent, helpful, bloke

Buckley's : (See "Yours and ...)

Buggered : worn out, had it, no good any more!

Bull dust : rubbish

Cactus : dead, broken

Cark it : to die, stop working

Cha! : cup of tea

Cheap : Nasty

Chocka : full up

Click : kilometre - "it's 20 clicks away"

Come a gutser : a bad mistake or have an accident

Coldie : a cold beer, as in "Letscrackacoldieorto" ( translated - Lets-crack-a-coldie-or-two!)

Come good : turn out ok

Cooee, not within : figuratively a long way away

Cost big bikkies : expensive

Cream, to : defeat by a large margin

Cuppa : A cup of cha! (or tea)

Cut snake (mad as a) : either very angry, or, someone with sever mental problems

Dead dingo's donger : (as dry as a) dry

Deadset : true/the truth, 'honest injun

Dingo's breakfast : no breakfast

Dinkum/fair dinkum : true, real, genuine

Dinky-di : the real thing, genuine

Docket : a bill, receipt

Doco : documentary

Donger: male appendage

Drink with the flies : to drink alone

Dunny rat (Cunning as a) : very cunning

Exy/'X' : expensive

Fair dinkum : true, genuine

Fair go : a chance / break

Fair suck of the sav! : exclamation of wonder, awe, disbelief  - refers to a "Savaloy sausage"!

Furphy : rumour

G'Day/gidday : hello!

Give it a burl : try it, have a go

Give it away : give up

Give it up!: Go away, Lay off it, unbelievable!

Going off : good fun, or, Very crazy, as in "Going off one's head", or  'turned' as in that meat's gorn off!

Good oil : useful information, a good idea, the truth

Good onya : well done (Often abbreviated to simply 'Onya'! which is highly complimentary.

Grog (get on the) : To go out on a drinking binge
Grouse : great, terrific

Heaps : a lot of

Iffy : dodgy - as in 'Gorn off', or 'Sus'!

(Gone) Walkabout : it's lost, can't be found (see also "Walkabout")

Kangaroos loose in the top paddock : Intellectually inadequate

Kick the bucket : to die

Knock back : refuse

London to a brick : absolute certainty

Lunch (who opened their?) : OK, who farted?

Macca's : Golden Arches takeaway with Ronald McDonald

Mate's rate : cheaper than usual for a friend

Moree Handbag : A cardboard carton with a (4-5 litres) bladder of wine
No worries! : no problem / its okay

Nun's nasty : (as dry as a) very dry

Onya!: Well done, great effort!

Piece of piss : easy task

Pig's arse! : I don't agree (vehemently)

Piss off : get lost! get out of here! no way!

Plate, bring a : Instruction to bring a plate of food to a party

Pommie : anyone remotely suspected of being a new chum from Mother England - until proven to be otherwise - then you're probably a Taffy (Welsh), a Mick (Irish), or, a Macca (Scot)

Pozzy/possie : position, to secure a good position to listen to or view something.

Quid, make a : earn a living

Rack off : get lost! get out of here!

Reckon! : for sure

Reckon?: Don't think so!

Ridgy-didge : original, genuine

Right : okay

Ripper : Great

Rooted : ruined, broken

Rozza : Policeman, a copper and, collectively, the "Traps"!

She'll be apples : It'll be alright

She'll be right : it'll be okay

Shout : To pay your turn in a round as in "It's my shout and I'm buying!"

Smoko : morning tea time - a sacrosamct period and you interupt an Aussie on his smoko at your own peril!

Sparrows fart : dawn

Strewth : exclamation, usually of amazement or disbelief

Stoked : very pleased

Stuffed, I'm : buggered, worn out!

Too right : definitely

Turps, hit the : go on a drinking binge

Walkabout : to disappear when wanted, as in "Looked for him but he'd gone walkabout!"

Yours and Buckley's : (you've got) no chance

Zack, not worth a : not worth anything


Now! That orta keep you lot out of mischief for a while!

6 comments:

Valerie said...

Heehee I didn't know Pommies were called bastards! I recognise a lot of the words on your list, in fact a lot are now used in the UK. Didn't Uni come from your neck of the woods, short for University. I think it has something to do with all the Australian programmes that are shown on television. My stepdaughter moved to Australia two years ago but so far she hasn't shown any sign of using Australia-speak when she talks to us Brits.

JohnD said...

Yeah! "Uni" is a common term in Aussie - it equals a 'right-of-passage' for many young Australians.

There are many more terms, some are more obscure unless you live in a rural area. Cities are losing the lingo!

Gill - That British Woman said...

me too I recognised a lot of British terms in there.

I did google the lawn mower, some of those models are very space age looking aren't they?

Gill in Canada

Lucky-1 said...

Crikey!!!!!

JohnD said...

Damn right - a good one I missed! LOL!

Jim said...

Some are similar but most I've never heard of.
Great list John!
Jim