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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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 Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 11:28 pm Post subject: Australian English slang |
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I wanted to ask which among the slang words below are actually very common in the Australian dialect. I am teaching students for 7 weeks who are going to go to Australia. I'm exposing them to Australian traditional songs (Waltzing Matilda) and a country song by Eric Bogle about barbecue, different kinds of slang, expressions. I have done some of that, and I've also explained many differences that exist between North American English and Australian English, generally. Obviously, my knowledge is limited, but I've been around Australians here-and-there and try to learn what might be useful. It's that or just teach them from the book and ignore their needs to understand the locals be they bogan, westies or the more refined crowd. I was listening to this one song from youtube, and I could not pick out all the words, especially when he talks about what he puts on the barbecue. The rest of it I get.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKd8PsfbwIM
There are then many unique phrases used only in Australia, not reflected by British or American English. For instance, in Australia and New Zealand, people will say �different to� instead of �different from.� You will hardly ever hear the word �friend�; Australians use the word �mate.� They also use some Irish words, such as �tucker� for food.
The three major subdivisions of Australian English are Broad, General and Cultivated. Most Australians speak General Australian; Cultivated Australian English is similar to British English.
Here is a dictionary of some Australian English slang words:
Ace!: Excellent!
Arvo: Afternoon
Avos: Avocados
Back of Bourke: Very far in distance
Barrack: To encourage
Bikkie: Biscuit
Billy: Teapot
Bities: Bugs that bite
Bloke: Guy, dude
Bludger: Slacker
Blue: Fight
Boozer: Pub
Bottle shop: Liquor store
Bush: The Outback; place where nobody resides
Bush telly: Campfire
Cactus: Dead
Cark it: To die
Chokkie: Chocolate
Chunder: Puke
Click: Kilometer
Cockie: Cockroach
Cozzie: Swimsuit
Cut lunch: Sandwiches
Daks: Trousers
Dill: Idiot
Docket: Receipt
Drongo: Idiot
Durry: Cigarette
Exy: Pricey
Feral: Hippie
Fossisk: Search, rummage
Full: Drunk
G�Day: Hello!
Galah: Fool
Greenie: Environmentalist
Hooroo: Goodbye
Jumbuck: Sheep
Knock: To criticize
Lippy: Lipstick
Lollies: Candy
Mate: Friend
Mickey Mouse: Very good
Milko: Milkman
Mozzie: Mosquito
Mystery bag: sausage
Not the full quid: Stupid
Oldies: Parents
Oz: Australia
Piss: Beer
Plonk: Bad wine
Polly: Politician
Rage: Party
Reffo: Refugee
Rellie: Someone in your family
Rubbish: To criticize
Sanger: Sandwich
Servo: Gasoline station
Spewin�: Angry
Strides: Trousers
Sunnies: Sunglasses
Tinny: Can of beer
Hit the turps: To get drunk
Ugh: Ugly (like the boots)
Unit: Apartment
Vejjo: Vegetarian
Whinge: Complain
Wog: Flu
Yakka: Work
(I don't mind the refined, to not so refined. I am generally open, just not too vulgar.) |
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biddy
Joined: 16 Dec 2011
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 5:34 am Post subject: |
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Finally a thread I can help out with! 
I've listened to the beginning of the song several times and I'm honestly not sure what he puts on the bbq, but the rest of the lyrics are as follows:
| Quote: |
Australia (oi oi oi) x far too many times
Put some [something?] on the bbq
Put some rissoles on the grill
Marinade with Aussie beer
But be careful not to spill
'Cause you're in Australia (oi oi oi) x etc
A land of sporting heroes
Yes we are the best
We're not arrogant or cocky
Just better than the rest
We're Australia (oi oi oi) x etc
And if you want to share my friend
The bounty of this land
Honour the original occupants
And give everyone you know a hand
'Cause you're in Australia (oi oi oi) x etc |
This song is very painful and I'm not sure how helpful it will be in a classroom setting, but perhaps the kids will be able to hear how an Australian accent differs from an American or British one.
"You will hardly ever hear the word friend" is a massive over-generalisation and I can assure you that the only person in my circle of friends who actually uses the word 'mate' is Irish. We do say 'tucker' occasionally but it doesn't pepper every conversation about food.
I think your list is either out-dated or written by someone with only a vague idea of how Australians speak. Would you like me to go through it and advise what phrases are used? I can tell you now that things like bikkies, chokkie and sangers are all used widely, whereas boozer is listed incorrectly (it's a verb, not a noun) and terms like Back of Bourke and billy are very rarely included in a normal conversation. |
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BigBuds
Joined: 15 Sep 2005
Location: Changwon
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| Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 9:51 am Post subject: Re: Australian English slang |
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| Adventurer wrote: |
I wanted to ask which among the slang words below are actually very common in the Australian dialect. I am teaching students for 7 weeks who are going to go to Australia. I'm exposing them to Australian traditional songs (Waltzing Matilda) and a country song by Eric Bogle about barbecue, different kinds of slang, expressions. I have done some of that, and I've also explained many differences that exist between North American English and Australian English, generally. Obviously, my knowledge is limited, but I've been around Australians here-and-there and try to learn what might be useful. It's that or just teach them from the book and ignore their needs to understand the locals be they bogan, westies or the more refined crowd. I was listening to this one song from youtube, and I could not pick out all the words, especially when he talks about what he puts on the barbecue. The rest of it I get.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKd8PsfbwIM
There are then many unique phrases used only in Australia, not reflected by British or American English. For instance, in Australia and New Zealand, people will say �different to� instead of �different from.� You will hardly ever hear the word �friend�; Australians use the word �mate.� They also use some Irish words, such as �tucker� for food.
The three major subdivisions of Australian English are Broad, General and Cultivated. Most Australians speak General Australian; Cultivated Australian English is similar to British English.
Here is a dictionary of some Australian English slang words:
Ace!: Excellent!
Arvo: Afternoon
Avos: Avocados
Back of Bourke: Very far in distance
Barrack: To encourage
Bikkie: Biscuit
Billy: Teapot
Bities: Bugs that bite
Bloke: Guy, dude
Bludger: Slacker
Blue: Fight
Boozer: Pub
Bottle shop: Liquor store
Bush: The Outback; place where nobody resides
Bush telly: Campfire
Cactus: Dead
Cark it: To die
Chokkie: Chocolate
Chunder: Puke
Click: Kilometer
Cockie: Cockroach
Cozzie: Swimsuit
Cut lunch: Sandwiches
Daks: Trousers
Dill: Idiot
Docket: Receipt
Drongo: Idiot
Durry: Cigarette
Exy: Pricey
Feral: Hippie
Fossisk: Search, rummage
Full: Drunk
G�Day: Hello!
Galah: Fool
Greenie: Environmentalist
Hooroo: Goodbye
Jumbuck: Sheep
Knock: To criticize
Lippy: Lipstick
Lollies: Candy
Mate: Friend
Mickey Mouse: Very good
Milko: Milkman
Mozzie: Mosquito
Mystery bag: sausage
Not the full quid: Stupid
Oldies: Parents
Oz: Australia
Piss: Beer Not only beer but any alcohol. "Gonna hit the piss tonight!"
[color=red]Plonk: Bad wine Usually used just to mean wine, not bad wine[/color]
Polly: Politician
Rage: Party
Reffo: Refugee
Rellie: Someone in your family
Rubbish: To criticize
Sanger: Sandwich
Servo: Gasoline station
Spewin�: Angry
Strides: Trousers
Sunnies: Sunglasses
Tinny: Can of beer
Hit the turps: To get drunk
Ugh: Ugly (like the boots)
Unit: Apartment
Vejjo: Vegetarian
Whinge: Complain
Wog: Flu
Yakka: Work
(I don't mind the refined, to not so refined. I am generally open, just not too vulgar.) |
The ones in red are the slang I use with mates back home.
You'll find, though, different slang used from state to state, city to city, and then there's even more different slang used down the beach by us surfers, which again changes from area to area.
You won't get a standard answer except for a few terms but the main one has been enlarged for you mate,  |
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mmstyle
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Location: wherever
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| Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 6:04 pm Post subject: |
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I married into an Aus family, so these are some of the common ones that threw me.
owl faced/pissed (drunk)
swimmers (bathing suit)
bludge (easy, as in, my day at work was a bludge)
grog (alcohol, especially hard stuff, but can be general)
bog (bathroom)
brekkie (breakfast)
puddin' (dessert)
cactus can also mean old or bad, as in fruit that has gone off
Ya right? (see below)
My friends and family use mate heaps.
heaps (a lot)
Pom or Pommie for a Brit
Yank for American
dag, or daggy (a dork or nerd, this cracks me up cuz it caused my first WTF moment with my husband)
bung it in your gob (eat something)
The biggest one for me was, "Ya right?" because it can mean so many things. It caused another big WTF moment for me. It means: are you okay, what the hell are you doing, do you need help, can I help you, what can I do for you (had a disinterested worker use this when I walked into a shop, we laughed cuz we knew if I was surprised, non-native speakers would be completely confused.
I know you don't want swear words, but you have told them that swearing is more common among australians, yeah? It's just not seen as that big of a deal, and I think there is less of a stigma or attitude that it reflects poorly on you there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKaUL2mtAqA |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 3:28 pm Post subject: |
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| biddy wrote: |
Finally a thread I can help out with!
I've listened to the beginning of the song several times and I'm honestly not sure what he puts on the bbq, but the rest of the lyrics are as follows:
| Quote: |
Australia (oi oi oi) x far too many times
Put some [something?] on the bbq
Put some rissoles on the grill
Marinade with Aussie beer
But be careful not to spill
'Cause you're in Australia (oi oi oi) x etc
A land of sporting heroes
Yes we are the best
We're not arrogant or cocky
Just better than the rest
We're Australia (oi oi oi) x etc
And if you want to share my friend
The bounty of this land
Honour the original occupants
And give everyone you know a hand
'Cause you're in Australia (oi oi oi) x etc |
This song is very painful and I'm not sure how helpful it will be in a classroom setting, but perhaps the kids will be able to hear how an Australian accent differs from an American or British one.
"You will hardly ever hear the word friend" is a massive over-generalisation and I can assure you that the only person in my circle of friends who actually uses the word 'mate' is Irish. We do say 'tucker' occasionally but it doesn't pepper every conversation about food.
I think your list is either out-dated or written by someone with only a vague idea of how Australians speak. Would you like me to go through it and advise what phrases are used? I can tell you now that things like bikkies, chokkie and sangers are all used widely, whereas boozer is listed incorrectly (it's a verb, not a noun) and terms like Back of Bourke and billy are very rarely included in a normal conversation. |
I just used the song to sort of show them an aspect of Australia and culture and explained the Ozzy! Ozzy! Ozzy! Oi! Oi! Oi! I also talked about how beer drinking can big and to watch out for that and be responsible:) I used also a song about barbecue by Eric Bogle. I also used Waltzing Matilda. With those two, I used the lyrics. I am also using the called "Our Territory" to introduce them to the Northern Territory. I've showed some videos regarding slang, and explained some differences in accents like often not pronouncing the r, often, but not always, having long vowels. Now, in Sidney, don't some people say things like Skewl for school and pewl for pool? |
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aussieb
Joined: 08 Sep 2007
Location: Brisbane,Australia
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| Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 7:58 pm Post subject: |
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Australian slang varies from State to State and from place to place.
For example swimming costume is often referred to as "cozzie" more so in Victoria. "Swimmers" is used more frequently outside Victoria but, in Queensland you will often see the use of the word "togs".
All the words on your list would be used frequently somewhere in Australia but not necessarily all in the one district or area.
I have to disagree with Biddie on the use of "boozer". Where I come from boozer = pub is correct or could also be used to describe a person who drinks a lot of alcohol. In these circumstances, the word is a noun. I don't know any verb that ends in "er". |
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Julius
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 11:20 pm Post subject: |
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Lol this thread.
Brings back the memories. I didn't realise quite how much aussie slang I still used.
How about:
Derro - homeless person
Skimpy - type of barmaid
Bogan - country person
Barbie - barbecue
Ankle biter- infant
Ripper- great, awesome
Brizzie - brisbane
Bucks night- guys perty before wedding
Bundy- rum
Bush ranger- outlaw
Chook- chicken
Chunder- vomit
Coldie- beer
Crook- sick
Daks- pants
Bludger- lazy person who lives off others
Dunny- tobacco
Durry- toilet
Earbashing- telling off
Esky- cool box
Fair go- give a fair chance/ fair hearing
Fruit loop- crazy person
piss- beer
going off- having a good time
handle- name
jillaroo- female rancher on horseback
journo- journalist
milk bar- corner shop
mongrel- despicable person
no drama- relax
oldies- old people
pokies- game machines
rack off- go away, leave off
rapt- very happy, pleased
roo bar- protective bar affixed to front of car
smoko- coffee break
snag- saudage
sunnies - sunglasses
thongs- sandals
tinnies- cans of beer
uni- university
Ute- truck/ utility vehicle |
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Kwangjuchicken
Joined: 01 Sep 2003
Location: I was abducted by aliens on my way to Korea and forced to be an EFL teacher on this crazy planet.
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| Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 12:53 am Post subject: |
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| It brings back a memory for me too. When I was doing my PhD I lived in the graduate dorm. About 50% of those in the dorm were foreigners. There was this huge TV in a huge TV room. There were programs from all over the world. The one that was on (had started before I got there) I had never seen before. This one lady was big and powerful looking (maybe late 50's). She also had purple hair. I tried and tried, but could not figure out what language it was. I thought maybe Russian. It seemed to be a comedy show about a department store. Then the young sales lady said: 'es the bloke what was look'n at me bum. IT WAS ENGLISH |
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Julius
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 2:50 am Post subject: |
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| "Lebs" |
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aussieb
Joined: 08 Sep 2007
Location: Brisbane,Australia
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| Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 4:07 am Post subject: |
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| Good list Julius but you have transposed the meanings of "durry" and "dunny". |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 6:47 am Post subject: |
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| aussieb wrote: |
Australian slang varies from State to State and from place to place.
For example swimming costume is often referred to as "cozzie" more so in Victoria. "Swimmers" is used more frequently outside Victoria but, in Queensland you will often see the use of the word "togs".
All the words on your list would be used frequently somewhere in Australia but not necessarily all in the one district or area.
I have to disagree with Biddie on the use of "boozer". Where I come from boozer = pub is correct or could also be used to describe a person who drinks a lot of alcohol. In these circumstances, the word is a noun. I don't know any verb that ends in "er". |
So boozer can mean pub. And bottle-o/bottle shop means liquor store? Do people still use the words "budgie smugler" for swimming suits? For me, that means speedos. Does cozzie mean the same thing? And is it common enough to hear someone use the word "ripper". It was a rippin' party, I had a rippin' time. You won 1,000 dollars?! You little ripper!
I did teach my students that piss can mean beer. I told them about how some stereotypical people may wear wife-beaters, and some country people will wear Ugg boots, and that Ugg boots originate from Australia and New Zealand and spread to the rest of the world.
I also went into how many Aussies will add an ie sound to words like sunnies, chokie, brekkie, bickie (biscuit), and then there is ambo for ambulance.
The Korean government is paying for them to spend a year in Australia, so I figure I would make them somewhat knowledge regarding the various ways of speaking in Australia including the Sidney way of saying pool (pyewl). They know about Aussie barbecue, know about aboriginals, that many Australians came from the British isles and Ireland. I also talked to them about the Northern Territory and played "Our Territory" by Peter Barnes. Later, I am going to play them John Williamson "True Blue" and introduce the term "Smoko" to them.
They don't know a lot about the history and geography yet, but we've got about 6 more weeks to go. I promise they won't go there being ignorant as they are now of Australia.
No worries... |
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b-class rambler
Joined: 25 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 4:14 pm Post subject: Re: Australian English slang |
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| Adventurer wrote: |
There are then many unique phrases used only in Australia, not reflected by British or American English. For instance, in Australia and New Zealand, people will say �different to� instead of �different from.� You will hardly ever hear the word �friend�; Australians use the word �mate.� They also use some Irish words, such as �tucker� for food.
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Just a FYI - actually there are quite a few words on your list which are normally and often used in Britain (even though the majority are indeed unique to Australia.). Mate, boozer, whinge, rubbish, lollies are all pretty normal in most parts of Britain, as are some of the other words other posters subsequently brought up.
There are many others, which, although not used in Britain, would probably be either familiar to or easily worked out by most British people as much of our slang tends to be for the same kind of things and we (in Britain) tend to be used to the concept that people from other areas have some kind of slang for the same object, albeit a different word.
Of course it's useful to learn about things they're likely to hear every day and I've no doubt the OP is doing a good job for his students here. However I do think a lot of Korean learners of English can get unnecessarily and excessively worried that "Australian English" and "British English" are like a completely different language to the "American English" they've learned at school and sometimes it's also good to offer some reassurance that 99+% of what they've learned is just "English" that will get them by perfectly well anywhere in the English speaking world. |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 7:46 pm Post subject: Re: Australian English slang |
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| b-class rambler wrote: |
| Adventurer wrote: |
There are then many unique phrases used only in Australia, not reflected by British or American English. For instance, in Australia and New Zealand, people will say �different to� instead of �different from.� You will hardly ever hear the word �friend�; Australians use the word �mate.� They also use some Irish words, such as �tucker� for food.
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Just a FYI - actually there are quite a few words on your list which are normally and often used in Britain (even though the majority are indeed unique to Australia.). Mate, boozer, whinge, rubbish, lollies are all pretty normal in most parts of Britain, as are some of the other words other posters subsequently brought up.
There are many others, which, although not used in Britain, would probably be either familiar to or easily worked out by most British people as much of our slang tends to be for the same kind of things and we (in Britain) tend to be used to the concept that people from other areas have some kind of slang for the same object, albeit a different word.
Of course it's useful to learn about things they're likely to hear every day and I've no doubt the OP is doing a good job for his students here. However I do think a lot of Korean learners of English can get unnecessarily and excessively worried that "Australian English" and "British English" are like a completely different language to the "American English" they've learned at school and sometimes it's also good to offer some reassurance that 99+% of what they've learned is just "English" that will get them by perfectly well anywhere in the English speaking world. |
Yes, they're the same language, and they're mostly similar, but the differences in slang and pronunciation are serious issues one has to contend with. So, I have to familiarize them as much as possible with the difference. Yes, I do let them know that most things are similar, but I make them aware of the differences because they're important enough to throw people off. Important enough to throw me off; I am a native speaker. After studying so many hours of Australian and listening to so many videos, I feel I know a lot of the slang to not be thrown off so much, but I am sure it would happen. I've been around Australians, but the ones you'd see her would tend to use a more cultivated form of Australian.
By the way, how would you use the word "smoko". Would you use it simply for a cigarette break? Can smokers still take breaks whenever they want? I know it also refers to a tea break for construction builders. Can I have some clarification on that one? |
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Julius
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 4:57 am Post subject: Re: Australian English slang |
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| Adventurer wrote: |
| By the way, how would you use the word "smoko". Would you use it simply for a cigarette break? Can smokers still take breaks whenever they want? I know it also refers to a tea break for construction builders. Can I have some clarification on that one? |
I've only remember seeing it used for breaks that actually involved having a smoke.
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| Do people still use the words "budgie smugler" for swimming suits? For me, that means speedos. Does cozzie mean the same thing? And is it common enough to hear someone use the word "ripper". It was a rippin' party, I had a rippin' time. You won 1,000 dollars?! You little ripper! |
Aussie slang is extraordinarily contageous. Maybe because it has such a comical element. Or maybe its just the accent is so easy to grow on you. Anyway I still use aussie slang 10 years after I left the place 9and I was only there for 2 years). lol
| BClassrambler wrote: |
| actually there are quite a few words on your list which are normally and often used in Britain |
I think there are some that became widespread in the UK due to all the aussie soaps on british TV. |
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b-class rambler
Joined: 25 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 6:02 pm Post subject: Re: Australian English slang |
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| Julius wrote: |
| BClassrambler wrote: |
| actually there are quite a few words on your list which are normally and often used in Britain |
I think there are some that became widespread in the UK due to all the aussie soaps on british TV. |
That most definitely isn't what happened with the particular words I referred to above. The likes of mate, boozer, rubbish, lollies etc have been widely used in Britain for absolutely ages and certainly since well before any Aussie soaps ever appeared on British tv (or probably even before they appeared on Aussie tv).
If anything, it would surely make sense that some of that kind of largely working-class colloquial language has travelled in the opposite direction given the predominant social class and very high number of British migrants to Australia in the early and mid 20th century.
Although a number of Aussie soaps are certainly massively popular on British tv, Aussie tv shows still make up a pretty tiny percentage overall of what British people watch on telly. So whilst I certainly wouldn't rule out some originally Australian slang having some effect on the British vernacular, I'd doubt it's happened that much and not to an extent you could describe as 'widespread'.
I do agree that it's had some effect though, particularly in developing slang already used in Britain. Very similar to Aussies, Britons also tend to like shortened versions of words with -o or -y (plural -ies) tagged on to the end of the 1st syllable to make it sound kind of affectionate. Mostly that's been done in the UK with surnames to form a nickname, like Robbo, Jacko, Jonesy etc, etc. In some parts of Britain this happened a little bit with other words too. In some parts of England you've long been able to hear people refer to getting some tinnies (cans of beer) from the offie (corner shop with a licence to sell alcohol for consumption off the premises). Perhaps the Aussie tv influence has made this happen a bit more and also helped some of the lazy slang type of words (like rellies) appear in the UK too.
Back on topic, on the usefulness of this for Korean students - keep in mind, that other than the really, really common ones, the situation they'd most likely hear this kind of slang vocabulary is when trying to make sense of what two other Australians - probably close friends - are saying to each other. We (as in 'native English speakers from areas where we use a lot of slang expressions) tend to use that kind of language mostly with people we're close to and familiar with. To someone who's obviously not a native speaker, most people will modify their language a bit.
Of course it's still useful (and probably interesting as well) to know. But I have in the past come across East Asian students going to either the UK or Australia who'd got the (perhaps unintended) impression from some teacher that they'd be woefully unprepared unless they became completely familiar with dozens of slang expressions. Deffo not saying "don't teach them that", but make sure it doesn't make them overly anxious. |
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