The primary Australian slang for sweets (candy) is lollies, a term used for all types of confectionery, not just lollipops, and is a classic example of Aussie diminutive slang. Other regional or informal terms exist, like "chonks" in parts of Gippsland, but "lollies" is universally understood across Australia for candy.
A lolly is a sweet or piece of confectionery. Particular to Australia and New Zealand, lolly has been part of Aussie slang since the 1850s. A conversation lolly is a sugary lolly with a conversational, often romantic, sentiment impressed into it.
Why do Australians call sweets “lollies”, even when they have no sticks? According to British English from A to Zed by Norman Schur (Harper, 1991) “lolly” derives onomatopoetically for the mouth sounds associated with sucking or licking. The word “lollipop” came later.
Sweet as
Australians frequently put the word “as” after adjectives to give them greater emphasis, though the most common example is “sweet as.” This term is used to replace exclamations like “great” or “awesome.” It's similar to sayings in American English like “easy as pie” or “sweet as honey.”
Lollies – this term typically refers to lollipops in British English, but in Australia, lollies refers to all kinds of sweets and candies, not just lollipops.
The most common Australian slang for chocolate is "choccy" (or variations like chockie, chocky, choccie) and is often used in phrases like "choccy bickie" (chocolate biscuit). While "choc" might appear on menus, "choccy" is the typical spoken abbreviation for the sweet treat, fitting the Aussie tendency to add '-ie' or '-y' to words, according to a Reddit thread on the topic.
Australians call what Americans call "cookies" or "crackers" biscuits, often shortened to "bikkies," while the American "biscuit" (a savory, fluffy bread) is called a scone in Australia, usually served with jam and cream. So, an "Anzac biscuit" is like a cookie, but a "cheese and bikkie" is a cracker, and an American biscuit is similar to an Aussie scone.
Killer pythons, strawberries and cream, raspberries, pineapples, racing cars, milk bottles, spearmint leaves, musk stix, jelly babies, jelly beans, chicos, honey bears, red and green frogs, black cats and witchities are just the start.
'Lolly' is a New Zealand word for confectionary - British people use 'sweet' and Americans 'candy'. Australians also use lolly.
Pavlova. The quintessential Aussie dessert is the Pavlova. A soft marshmallow encased in a crisp but delicate meringue shell topped with whipped cream and your favourite assortment of fresh fruit.
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.
Names vary, but the love is universal: Sweets, candy, lollies, bonbons — call them what you like, they all represent joy.
🇦🇺🌏 Did you know in Australia sprinkles are called "hundreds and thousands?" That's a mouth full! Similar to the amount on Fairy Bread Lamingtons going into our mouths at Around the World Baking Camp.
In other words, the correct translation for “Süßigkeiten” in Australia is “lollies”. So, the correct English translation of Süßigkeiten is sweets, candies and lollies, depending on whether you are in Britain, the US or Australia respectively.
In Australian slang, "sweet-as" is a casual way of saying something is great, fine, or okay. It's like sayin' somethin' is top-notch or no dramas, but with that extra Aussie flair.
These Classic Aussie snacks and candy for overseas including Tim Tams, Vegemite, Twisties and Milo Chocolate Drink will bring a smile to Aussie faces in every corner of the globe this giving season.
Sweet as: awesome or good, is used to intensify the phrase. Though sweet as is the most common, any adjective can replace before the “as” – such as lucky as, dark as, creative as and beautiful as.
Synonyms of sweet
American Slang
Australians use a couple of other colloquial words for a hen's egg. The Australian English word googie or goog is an informal term that dates from the 1880s. It derives from British dialect goggy, a child's word for an egg. A closer parallel to the jocular bum nut, however, is the word cackleberry.
The most common Australian slang for a sandwich is "sanga," often used for a regular sandwich, and "sausage sanga" for a sausage sandwich, while a toasted sandwich is a "toasty," derived from shortening words and adding a vowel sound (like servo for service station or avo for avocado).
A "bogan" in Australia (and New Zealand) is slang for an uncouth, unsophisticated, or unrefined person, often from a working-class background, characterized by specific tastes, fashion (like mullets, flannelette shirts), speech, and behavior, though the term can be derogatory, humorous, or even self-adopted, depending on context and intent, referring to a laid-back, anti-establishment attitude rather than just poverty.