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?”.
Cozzie – swimming costume • Cranky – in a bad mood, angry • Crook – sick, or badly made • Cut lunch – sandwiches • Dag – a funny person • Daks – trousers • Dinkum, fair dinkum – true, real, genuine • Dipstick – a loser, idiot • Down Under – Australia and New Zealand • Dunny – outside toilet • Earbashing – nagging • ...
Sheila = Girl
Yes, that is the Australian slang for girl.
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”.
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!
Up on the board there's Stigz, Butch, Rat, Pook, Wozzel, Boof, Bullpit, Foxy, Snake, Sparra, Nobby, Froggy, Bear, Ferret and Stall. And it doesn't stop at nicknames for people.
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. ' Mate means friend or buddy and it can be used to address your friend or a total stranger.
Ta. 'Ta' means 'thank you'.
“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.
Strewth! A common word that Aussies use to express surprise, exclamation or disappointment. Similar to saying, “oh my god!”, for example. The more you use it, the more familiar you'll become with it.
Too easy means something along the lines of that is easy to do and no problem (also known as no wakkas!). Example: After ordering a coffee, the waiter tells you that it is “too easy”. This means it is dead or it has broken.
1. to do a poop: I gotta goona. 2. gunna (pronounced 'goona') = manure: I stepped in dog gunna; That kid is in deep gunna.
Aussie Word of the Week
No worries, perhaps the most easygoing piece of Aussie Slang, has been part of our lexicon since the 1960s. Initially a way of saying, 'I'm good,' no worries has evolved into an expression of thanks, as in 'Don't mention it!'
“How ya goin'?” “How ya goin'?” is the ultimate Aussie greeting. If you're not from Australia, this mash-up of “How are you?” and “Where are you going?” might leave you a little perplexed. If it helps, think of how the Brits say “y'alright?” - it requires no detailed response.
Righto. Delivery is key here; it can mean “OK”, “Right, let's get going” or “I understand, but I'm not sure I believe you”.
Traditional IPA: təˈtuːz. 2 syllables: "tuh" + "TOOZ"
Some of the most well known Aboriginal words for hello are: Kaya, which means hello in the Noongar language. Palya is a Pintupi language word used as a greeting much in the same way that two friends would say hello in English while Yaama is a Gamilaraay language word for hello used in Northern NSW.
Cheeky: Used widely in Aboriginal Australia, the word cheeky isn't only used to refer to insolence but also behaviour that is dangerous. A dog prone to biting people, for example, would be described as “cheeky”.
bloke – man or guy
A stereotype of a typical Australian man: loves beer, sport and barbies.