Common Australian slang for kids includes ankle-biter (small child), bub/bubby (baby/toddler), and sometimes just shortened terms like kiddie, with show Bluey popularizing terms like "cheeky" (troublemaker) or even referring to babies as joey's (baby kangaroos).
Ankle biter: in Australia, small children are often called ankle biters.
As a parent, you've probably overheard some slang from your kid. They may say things like, “I'm amped about my drip today,” or “He's got rizz. Giving off major BDE.” Maybe they've said something like, “No cap, this sandwich is bussin',” or “Spill the tea, sis!”
The Aussie slang terms you need to know
"Oy oy oy" in Australia is most famously part of the patriotic chant "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!" used at sporting events to show national pride, but "Oi" also functions as a general Australian informal interjection, like "hey" or "excuse me," to get someone's attention. The chant itself comes from the British "Oggy Oggy Oggy" cheer for Cornish pasties and became popular in Australia after the 2000 Olympics.
Another classic case of Australians shortening everything. Meaning 'thank you', ta is usually used for the times when you are in a rush or want to send a quick text to show your appreciation for something.
"Oi oi oi baka" is a viral TikTok trend where someone (usually a high school student) gets up on a chair, desk, or table and shouts "Oi oi oi baka!" at school or in public. It may be inspired by a character named Bakugou from an anime called My Hero Academia. In Japanese, the phrase means, "Hey, hey, hey, idiot!"
Another versatile phrase that often perplexes people, “yeah nah”, is used in conversation either when someone agrees with your negative stance on something, or conversely, they follow your train of thought but don't really agree with what you're saying. Example: "I can't wait to try the oysters in Tasmania!"
American Slang
In Australian slang, "avo" means avocado, while "arvo" means afternoon; they sound similar but refer to different things, with "arvo" being pronounced more like "ah-vo" and "avo" like "a-vo" (with the 'a' as in 'apple'). Aussies shorten words and add an 'o' (like "servo" for service station or "devo" for devastated), leading to "arvo" for afternoon and "avo" for avocado, creating potential confusion for non-locals.
When kid is used as a verb, it means to tease or jokingly deceive someone — to kid them. Some sticklers for formality object to using kid to mean "child," but that meaning has been around since the 1590s. The "teasing" definition of kid comes from the sense of "treat like a child." Definitions of kid.
Slay is a slang colloquialism that possibly originated during the 1100s, but gained its current Gen Z definition from ballroom culture. Originally meaning something like "that joke was killer", slay has since taken on the meaning of being impressed or showing agreement.
1 slang word used by teens in 2023, according to a survey of more than 600 parents by the language learning platform Preply. In the survey, 62% of parents said "sus" is the most common word they hear from their teens and 65% of all parents surveyed said they understand what it actually means.
Kid is an informal word for child. A younger child can be called a kiddie or kiddy, but this is less common.
The Australian words in slang for baby are bub or bubby.
In Australia, BOM almost always refers to the Bureau of Meteorology, the national agency for weather, climate, and water information, providing forecasts, warnings, and observations. Less commonly, in manufacturing or technical contexts, it might stand for a Bill of Materials, but the weather bureau is the primary meaning in general Australian conversation.
Chopped — Ugly or unattractive. Chuzz — Originating from the slang word "huzz" which refers to hoes, chuzz means "chopped hoes," which is used to describe someone as ugly or unattractive. D1 crash out — Describes a more intense, certifiable crash out. Ded — Used when something is really funny or embarrassing.
The term "12" as a slang reference for the police comes from multiple theories, but the most widely accepted explanation is linked to the radio communication system used by law enforcement.
Here are 5 common Aussie slang words/phrases: G'day (hello), Mate (friend), Arvo (afternoon), No worries (no problem/you're welcome), and Barbie (barbecue), with many Aussies shortening words (like Brekkie for breakfast, Servo for gas station) and using colourful terms for everyday things.
Oi /ɔɪ/ is an interjection used in various varieties of the English language, particularly Australian English, British English, Indian English, Irish English, New Zealand English, and South African English, as well as non-English languages such as Chinese, Tagalog, Tamil, Hindi/Urdu, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, and ...
While "nah" isn't inherently rude, it can be perceived as blunt or dismissive depending on the context and your relationship with the person you're communicating with. In formal settings, using "no" is always more appropriate.
Australians typically say "sorry" as "sorry" itself, without any significant variation in slang.
The Japanese word baka (ばか) basically means “fool” or”idiot”. Depending on the tone and situation, it can range from a playful “dummy” to a harsh insult that stings. The kanji is 馬鹿.