The phrase “fair dinkum” is also sometimes used in a negative way. If someone has done something to let you down, you might say “that's not very fair dinkum” to express your disappointment.
Strewth! A common word that Aussies use to express surprise, exclamation or disappointment.
Aussie Word of the Week
To arc up means to become upset or livid with anger, to 'flare up' like a welder's torch.
If you're feeling unwell, you could say you are crook. If someone is angry, you could say they've 'gone crook'.
Lemony means annoyed, as in, I got lemony at the kid. This piece of Aussie slang dates back to the 1940s.
Whinge means to complain or whine. Whinge is primarily used in the U.K. and Australia. Like whine, whinge can mean to make a whining noise (often as part of complaining), or to complain with such a tone, or simply to complain in a way that's considered annoying.
Let's start with one of the most famous Australian slang phrases: 'No worries'. It's said to be the national motto of Australia. This expression means “do not worry about it”, or “it's all right”.
Aussie Word of the Week
A blue is a fight, dispute or row. You can bung on a blue, stack on a blue or turn on a blue. The slang word has been around since the 1940s and is used to refer to everything from fisticuffs at the pub to a brawl on the footy field.
1. Behaviour which is rude or disrespectful, especially used of children towards adults. Informal English = cheek, rudeness. English = impertinence, impudence, insolence.
Contributor's comments: Cranky is used in South Australia and the NT as well.
Gutted – “Devastated”
This is a piece of British slang you'll hear all the time, in all parts of Britain. What is this? The word is used to describe feeling very sad and disappointed at a circumstance or turn of events.
“She'll be right” “She'll be right” is an Australian phrase that means “everything will be okay – it's often used in the same place as 'no worries'. It's often used to reassure someone that there's no need to be concerned about something.
"Gutted" is UK slang for extremely upset, devastated or disappointed about something.
Australian stereotypical characters always use expressions like "Crikey!", "G'day, mate" and "Put another shrimp [sic] on the barbie." They are often represented as being unsophisticated and obsessed with beer and surfing, boomarangs and kangaroos. Australian men are often shown as being macho, misogynistic brutes.
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”.
Traditional IPA: ˌəʊˈkeɪ 2 syllables: "OH" + "KAY"
Interjection. oi (UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, usually impolite) Said to get someone's attention; hey.
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?”.
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.
Yeah nah is a commonly used Australian phrase and colloquialism. The phrase yeah nah means 'no', but it allows the speaker or writer to ease into their response so as to not come across as too outspoken, or brash.
Yeah nah yeah = yes. No wonder you're confused! A commonly-used word here is mate, which normally means friend. But pay attention to the person's tone when they say it – sometimes, it's used in a passive-aggressive way, and it probably means the opposite of friend!