​Australia is known for its wonderful beaches, incredible interior, yummy food and its friendly people – that’s if you can understand them. Yep, Australians speak English but it is their own kind of English. So if you are visiting Australia, one of the great joys is mixing with the locals and like visiting other countries around the world, it is a good idea to understand a few words. So here’s how to talk Australian (strine).

Where Did The Australian Accent and Words Come From?

Australian English is a melting pot of words and accents from around the world. Mostly coming from the early settlers who arrived in 1788 where Captain Cook first stepped ashore at Kurnell. These British words and accents have been mixed with many indigenous words and from immigrants arriving from Ireland, Europe and other countries.

How to Talk Like an Australian

To help you talk Australian, There are some words that you should definitely know. If you know these words and how to pronounce them, they will help you to not look like so much of a tourist. Using the local lingo (language) will help you blend in and be an invisible tourist if you like.

TIP: One key to speaking like an Australian is to abbreviate everything. Like ‘brekkie’ for breakfast, ‘arvo’ for afternoon and ‘Maccas’ for McDonalds (the fast food restaurant).

My Favourite Australian Words

Here’s some of my favourite Aussie words.

Arvo – Afternoon
Barbie – Barbecue/BBQ
Bathers – Swimsuit
Beaut (Beauty) – Great/Fantastic
Bickie – Biscuit
Bloke – Man
Bloody – Very
Bloody Oath – Very true
Bludger – Lazy person
Bogan – Someone who’s not very sophisticated
Booze bus – Police vehicle used to stop motorists to test them for drinking alcohol
Bottle-O – Liquor store
Brekkie – Breakfast
Brolly – Umbrella
Budgie Smugglers – Speedos (male swimwear)
Bush – away from the major towns
Chook – Chicken
Chrissie – Christmas
Cobber – Friend
Choc A Block (Chockers) – Full
Cold one (Coldie) – Beer
Crikey – Expression of Surprise
Crook – Sick/ill
Dag – Someone who is a bit of a nerd or geek
Deadset – True
Dip – Swim
Dunny – Toilet
Esky (ice box, Chilly Bin) – An insulated container that keeps things cold
Fair Dinkum – Honestly?
Flat Out – Really busy
Footy – Football (refers to all codes, Soccer, AFL, Rugby Union and Rugby League)
Galah – A bird but also someone who is being silly
G’Day – Hello
Gnarly – Awesome
Good onya – Well done
Grog – Alcohol
Hard Yakka – hard work
Heaps – A lot
Lingo – Language
Mate – Friend
Mozzie – Mosquito
No worries (No drama) – Reassurance it’s ok
Outback – The interior of Australia
Pint – Large glass of beer (used more in Victoria)
Pluggers – Flip flops/Thongs/Jandals
Pokies – Poker machines
Pot – 285ml beer glass
Pub – Public House where you drink alcohol
Ripper – Great
Schooey – Schooner of beer (used more in NSW)
Servo – Service station or garage
She’ll be right – It will be okay
Sheila – Woman
Shout – Turn to buy (drinks)
Sickie – A sick day off work
Slab – A carton of beer
Snag – Sausage
Spewin’ – Angry
Squizz – To look at something
Sticky Beak – Nosy person
Straya – Australia
Stubby – Single serve of beer
Stuffed – Tired
Strewth – Exclamation
Swag – Single bed you can roll up
Tea – Dinner
Thongs – Flip flops/Jandals
Tinny – Can of beer or a small boat
Togs – Swimwear
Too right – Definitely/Agree
True blue – Extremely loyal
Tucker – Food
Woop Woop – Regional/Far away
Yous – plural of you

Common Australian Slang Phrases

Once you know some Australian slang words and phrases you can use them in sentences. Like:

What’s for brekkie?
Shall we get our togs on and go for a swim.
Let’s go buy a slab.
I’m spewin’, I should have bought that jacket when it was on sale.
You little ripper (said after my horse won the race).
Let’s go out bush on our big lap of Australia.
What are your plans for Chrissie?
Would you like a coldie?
That wave was gnarly.
I’m totally stuffed after a day’s work.
Yous coing to the pub tonight for dinner?

There are plenty more phrases and sentences where you will hear Aussie slang, so I will let you discover them.

Are You Ready to Talk Like an Australian?

By the sounds of it, you are ready to talk Aussie on your Australian holiday. Speak soon!