While there isn't one single word, common Australian slang for useless involves colourful comparisons like "useless as a chocolate teapot" or "useless as tits on a boar," meaning completely pointless or ineffective, often describing a person as a "flamin' galah" (silly) or a "piker" (someone who bails out).
Etymology and Slang Usage. In Australian and New Zealand slang, yakka(often used in the phrase hard yakka) means hard work or strenuous labor. The word originates from the Yagara Aboriginal language of Queensland, where yaga means work.
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.”
To pike is a colloquialism unique to Australia, meaning to 'go quickly'. And a piker is the type of person who would opt out of an arrangement or challenge or not do their fair share. Often, at the last moment.
The dunny was originally any outside toilet. In cities and towns the pan-type dunny was emptied by the dunny man, who came round regularly with his dunny cart. Dunny can now be used for any toilet. The word comes from British dialect dunnekin meaning an 'earth closet, (outside) privy' from dung + ken 'house'.
Sexual intercourse. Root. Sexual intercourse, similar to the British word 'Shag'. Can also be used as a verb.
The unsuccessful racehorse Drongo was named after the bird, which led to the Australian slang insult "drongo" meaning "idiot".
In the US fanny is a commonly used word for backside; in Australia the equivalent word is bum, as in "he kicked him in the bum". Fanny is not an acceptable word in Australia or New Zealand - it refers to the same general region of the female body, at the top end of the legs, but at the front, not the back!
nounWord forms: plural cockies Australian informal. 1. short for cockatoo (sense 2) 2. a farmer whose farm is regarded as small or of little account.
n. 1. (a) A pointed object, something that punctures or stabs; spike; ~ wise, the fashion of a prick or point; (b) a tapering end, point; the point of a spear; (c) the sting of an insect or a scorpion; (d) a spine of a hedgehog; cook.
Chewing open-mouthed (including chewing gum), slurping loudly, burping and talking with a full mouth are considered very rude. If you do any of these things accidentally, say "pardon me" or "excuse me." It is considered bad manners to pick one's teeth with the fingers or a toothpick in public.
A hoon (/huːn/) is an Australian and New Zealand term describing a person who deliberately drives a vehicle in a reckless or dangerous manner, generally in order to provoke a reaction from onlookers. Hoon activities (or hooning) can include speeding, burnouts, doughnuts, or screeching tyres.
Here are some Aussie slang words that you might not know. 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.
Yes, saying "Koori" (or "Koorie") is generally okay and respectful when referring to Aboriginal people from southeastern Australia (Victoria, NSW), as it's a regional identifier, but it's always best to use specific Nation/community names if known, or general terms like "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples" if unsure, as these terms have specific cultural meanings and show respect for diversity.
(UK, Australia, colloquial, slang) A popular person; also used as an epithet.
crawchie (plural crawchies) (Australia) An Australian species of freshwater crayfish, Cherax destructor; a yabby.
sprog – Semen. Also old Australian term for an infant, as in, "The misses just gave birth to a little sprog", or "The buggar's got 3 young sprogs at home".
The bird that goes "woop woop woop" in Australia is the Pheasant Coucal, a large, ground-dwelling cuckoo known for its distinctive, resonant, bubbling call that sounds like "oop-oop-oop-opp" or "whoop-whoop-whoop," often heard morning and night, and sometimes mistaken for rain.
Ned Kelly: as game as Ned Kelly
Fearless in the face of odds; foolhardy.
"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.
carn a rallying cry at football games to cheer your team on. Short for “Come on!”
It's called a "bum bag" in the UK, Australia, and other regions because it's a small bag worn around the waist, with the pouch resting at the back, near your "bum" (slang for buttocks). This name directly describes its traditional placement, similar to the American term "fanny pack," where "fanny" is also slang for the rear.
“Bugger” is common in both Aussie and British slang, and vaguely refers to someone or something that is annoying. Calling someone a bugger can be used affectionately or derogatorily. The general expletive can be used in any situation, and roughly means,“F*** off/me” or “Well, I'll be damned!”
In Australia, "cobba" (or cobber) means a friend, mate, or pal, used as an informal term of address, like "G'day, cobber!". It's a classic, though somewhat dated, piece of Aussie slang, similar to "mate," and may have originated from Yiddish or English dialects, but is less common among younger Australians today, though older generations and those in rural areas might still use it.
24. Maggot = Very drunk. “He was maggot last night!”