“Mate” is a popular word for friend. And while it's used in other English-speaking countries around the world, it has a special connection to Australia. In the past, mate has been used to address men, but it can be gender-neutral. In Australia, you'll also hear mate used in an ironic sense.
The word “digger” – still used to identify Australian soldiers – first became interchangeable with mate on the Western Front. Digger, interestingly, is another word that harkens back to the goldfields and the egalitarian ideals of the Eureka Stockade rebellion of 1854.
The Australian National Dictionary explains that the Australian usages of mate derive from the British word 'mate' meaning 'a habitual companion, an associate, fellow, comrade; a fellow-worker or partner', and that in British English it is now only in working-class use.
Almost everyone in Australia uses the word, and so does almost everyone in the UK! and travelled to Australia, ( in 1788,) where there is now 24 million so the odds are you would hear it more in the UK, but Aussies do say it a lot.
Frequently used by adolescents when referring to a man known to them. "Old mate" or "old matey" is a substitute for using the man's name. Interchangeable for "bloke", "guy" or "fella": I saw old mate about signing up for the footy team.
But in his new book Mateship: A Very Australian History, Dr Dyrenfurth traces the term back to the very first white Australians - the convicts. "The convicts brought with them from Britain the term mate, and they used it amongst themselves," he said.
"Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi" is a cheer or chant often performed at Australian sport events. It is a variation of the Oggy Oggy Oggy chant used by both soccer and rugby union fans in Great Britain from the 1960s onwards. It is usually performed by a crowd uniting to support a sports team or athlete.
There are a few specific Australian slang terms for boyfriend. One common one is to call them a wombat, or sometimes a possum. You may also hear “my fella”. Other than that, though, they mostly share their slang terms with other English slang, including terms like babe.
Contributor's comments: "But" at the end of a sentence is used in Sydney where it is the same as putting "but" at the beginning of a sentence. Thus "But I didn't do it!" is the same as saying "I didn't do it, but!"
Bogan: Australian slang for a person whose speech, clothing, attitude and behaviour are unrefined or unsophisticated.
Bloody, as an adjective or adverb, is a commonly used expletive attributive in British English, Australian English, Irish English, Indian English and a number of other Commonwealth nations. It has been used as an intensive since at least the 1670s.
ripped off, cheated in a deal: I've been jipped, this beer is half empty.
Bluey is an Australian nickname for a person with red hair. As a nickname, Bluey may refer to: Frank 'Bluey' Adams (born 1935), former Australian rules football player.
While some Australian speakers would pronounce “no” as a diphthong, starting on “oh” as in dog and ending on “oo” as in put, others begin with an unstressed “a” (the sound at the end of the word “sofa”), then move to the “oh” and then “oo”.
(/ˈkuːiː/) is a shout originated in Australia to attract attention, find missing people, or indicate one's own location. When done correctly—loudly and shrilly—a call of "cooee" can carry over a considerable distance. The distance one's cooee call travels can be a matter of competitive pride.
Hooroo = Goodbye
The Australian slang for goodbye is Hooroo and sometimes they even Cheerio like British people.
Contributor's comments: The meaning of Bubs I grew up with is a baby, or quite often the youngest member of the family is called "bubs" from an older sibling.
Here in Australia, however, McDonald's most prevalent nickname is “Macca's”.
Munted (mun-ted) / Drunk.
It surely sounds strange to those who are familiar with American or British English, but it is a very common expression in Australia. G'day is a shortened form of 'Good Day' and it is the equivalent of 'Hello.
The most common verbal greeting is a simple “Hey”, “Hello”, or “Hi”. Some people may use Australian slang and say “G'day” or “G'day mate”. However, this is less common in cities. Many Australians greet by saying “Hey, how are you?”.
Yeah nah yeah = yes. No wonder you're confused! A commonly-used word here is mate, which normally means friend.
Tasmania. Tasmania was named the 'bogan capital of Australia' with Taswegians earning four spots in the final. On the island of Tasmania, half the population has literacy and/or numeracy difficulties, and the unemployment rate is higher than it is in mainland Australia.