"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. Contributor's comments: Old mates are also commonly found in North Queensland.
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.
Modern IPA: mɛ́jt. Traditional IPA: meɪt. 1 syllable: "MAYT"
Hooroo = Goodbye
Australian goodbye is “Hooroo”; sometimes they even “cheerio” like British people, a UK slang word.
A fool, a simpleton, an idiot. There is also a bird called a drongo. The spangled drongo is found in northern and eastern Australia, as well as in the islands to the north of Australia, and further north to India and China.
A small-scale farmer; (in later use often applied to) a substantial landowner or to the rural interest generally. In Australia there are a number of cockies including cow cockies, cane cockies and wheat cockies. Cocky arose in the 1870s and is an abbreviation of cockatoo farmer.
G'day. One of the first things you'll hear when in Australia, is the classic “G'day, mate”, which is basically the same as saying, “good day”, or “hello”.
Australians more commonly refer to their girlfriends by the kind of generic slang you might hear elsewhere in the English speaking world, such as babe or sweetie. However, some specifically Australian examples of slang include the old classic “Sheila”, “missus” or just “love”.
"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.
They began assigning the word mate a higher meaning – something that belonged to those who had to rely on each other for not just companionship but survival. Mateship might have been about shared experience but it was often short on romantic ideals. In Tasmania, convict mates who escaped sometimes ate each other.
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!'
What do Australians call a kiss? Pash (pash) / Kiss An indelicate description of kissing passionately, hence the name. Pashing typically leads to two things: pash rash (red marks around the lips caused by excessive kissing), and/or rooting (the crass Australian term for the birds and the bees).
Missus. A person's wife or girlfriend.
“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.
Ta. 'Ta' means 'thank you'.
The term "mate" is essentially gender neutral in Australia. This applies almost in all cases except perhaps if you're a male and bump into a woman who is 'generationally' older than you. In that case, just 'Sorry' or 'Excuse me' is fine.
“My research shows the British and Irish working-class introduced most of the swearing we have in Australia,” Krafzik says. “It was cemented in those early colonial days.” The British officer class tended to rotate in and out of the colonies. The working-class settlers – and convicts – stayed.
Stunner. To start off with a really good all-rounder, “stunner” is a common one that you can use. Most commonly, stunner is used to describe a person—often not to their face. So, someone who is particularly attractive would be a stunner: “I met this total stunner the other night,” for example.
Crook. I'm sick. Now you try. For example, you might say, "I drank too many stubbies and now I'm feeling crook."
If someone is angry, you could say they've 'gone crook'. Crook can also be used to describe a criminal. Cuppa: if someone asks for a cuppa, they want a cup of tea. Cut snake (Mad as a): this is an extremely Australian way to say that someone is very angry.
Chinwag or chin-wag is a very slang way of saying to have a chat.
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.