There isn't one single slang word for "fast food," but Australians use specific nicknames for chains like "Maccas" for McDonald's, and terms like a "Maccas run" to describe getting fast food; for general food, "tucker" is used, especially in the country, while pub meals often get shortened like "Parmi/Parma" (chicken parmigiana) or "Schnitty" (schnitzel) with "chips" (fries).
“Macca's” is a nickname for Mcdonald's. If you used the term Macca's in the U.S. or Canada, you'd get some funny looks. But the term is very common in Australia.
Tucker is a word that Australians use for food. You will hear this word used a lot in more in country towns compared to the city. “I'm really hungry, I can't wait to get some tucker.”
dag. An unfashionable person; a person lacking style or character; a socially awkward adolescent, a 'nerd'. These senses of dag derive from an earlier Australian sense of dag meaning 'a "character", someone eccentric but entertainingly so'.
"The bush", a term mostly used in the English vernacular of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa, is largely synonymous with hinterlands or backwoods.
The most common Australian slang for toilet is dunny, especially for outdoor or older toilets, while loo is used more generally for indoor toilets, similar to UK usage. Other terms include thunderbox (often for rural/outdoor) and more informal/humorous options like throne, facilities, or the crapper, though "dunny" remains iconic, notes.
"Ozzy Ozzy Ozzy, Oi Oi Oi" (often written as "Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi") is a patriotic Australian sports chant, a rallying cry of national pride, originating from older British cheers like "Oggy Oggy Oggy," with "Aussie" being slang for Australian, and "Oi" functioning as an emphatic interjection, similar to "Hey!" or "Go!". It's used at sporting events, sometimes considered a bit cheesy or "cringey" by some Australians, but generally seen as an inclusive way to support national teams.
A drongo is a slow-witted or stupid person: a fool. This great Australian insult was originally an RAAF term for a raw recruit. It first appeared in the early 1940s, but its origin reaches back to the name of the racehorse Drongo, who ran around in the early 1920s.
Australia and New Zealand. a timid, cowardly person, especially a young person; crybaby.
Australian slang for a mosquito.
The Australian Dietary Guidelines call junk foods 'discretionary choices'. Eating too much junk food leaves less room for healthier options from the five food groups.
Woop Woop is used to refer to a place in the middle of nowhere. People use it to signify that a location is far away, unfamiliar to them, and difficult to get to.
Bum nut noun: an egg.
Australian and New Zealand English uses "chips" both for what North Americans call fries and for what Britons call crisps. When confusion would occur between the two meanings, "hot chips" is used to refer to 'french fries' and "cold chips" is used to refer to 'crisps'.
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).
Australian burger slang mainly involves calling them simply "burgers," but with unique twists like "burger with the lot" (extra toppings) and distinguishing them from "sandwiches" (using sliced bread). While general Aussie slang includes "tucker" (food) and adding "-ie" to words, specific burger slang is more about variations (like "chicken burger" vs. "chicken sandwich") and toppings, not entirely new words, except perhaps the occasional political "junior burger" dig.
Bogan: Australian slang for a person whose speech, clothing, attitude and behaviour are unrefined or unsophisticated.
"Hoo-ha" (or hoo-hah) slang means a noisy fuss, commotion, or excitement, often over something trivial, but it can also euphemistically refer to female genitalia. It's an informal term for a "brouhaha," "hullabaloo," or general to-do, signifying uproar or fuss, but sometimes used to describe a state of arousal or, less commonly, male anatomy, though its primary use is for commotion or female anatomy.
Common Australian slang for a girl includes "Sheila" (older, sometimes dated or slightly derogatory), "chick," or just using general terms like "mate," "gal," or "lass," with context and tone being important, but "girl" is still widely used; some slang, like "moll," can refer to a girlfriend or a promiscuous woman, while "bogan" describes an unsophisticated person.
like your bum is your fanny. In Australia, your front bum is your fanny, if you're a girl.
Galah. (Noun) A stupid or idiotic person; often accompanied by the adjective 'flaming'. Inspired by our very own native bird, known for flying into windows. “Nah mate, Johnno's a flamin' galah.”
"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.
The most Australian thing to say often involves casual abbreviations, laid-back optimism like "She'll be right" or "No worries," and unique slang for everyday items, such as "Arvo" (afternoon) or "Barbie" (barbecue), often delivered with "mate," making phrases like "G'day, mate, chuck us a coldie at the barbie this arvo?" quintessentially Aussie.
It expresses dismay or disbelief, sometimes sarcastically. It can be used on its own and in such sayings as « oy vey », « oy gevalt », « oy oy oy ». The second “oi” is a punk slogan rooted in the British working class and heard at soccer games in the United Kingdom.
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.