Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Idioms


I've written before about the large amount of slang and idioms used everyday in Australia.  I've heard enough new ones to necessitate a revised record. The following list is in no way exhaustive as anyone listening in on an Aussie chinwag for five minutes will tell you.  Over the past year and a half, the list of words and phrases I use regularly has grown dramatically.  However, I still need to ask for periodic translations. 

‘Aggro’ Aggravated
‘Ambo’ Ambulance
‘Arvo’ Afternoon
‘Aussie´An Australia / A way of doing things that is distinctly Australian 


‘Back in Your Box’ You’re overstepping your boundaries / Stop being a jerk
‘Banger’ Sausage
'Beano' A celebration
'Beaut' Beautiful
'Billabong' Watering hole
'Bikie' Motercycle rider
'Blow'n' A commuter / Someone not from the area
'Bogan' Uneducated / Country person / Person of low economic standing
'Boot' Trunk of a car
'Bottlo' Liquir store
'Buggar All' Nothing / Not Much

'Cash in Hand' Payment without reporting it to the tax department / 'Under the table'
'Casual Work' Temporary Worker
'Capsicum' Pepper
'Cardi' Cardigan
'Chewy' Gum
'Chinwag' A conversation
'Chips' French Fries
'Chrissy' Christmas
'Chuffed' Pleased
'Chuck a Sickie' Call in sick to work when not really sick
'Cray cray' Crazy
'Crisps' Potato Chips
'Crook' Sick


'Devo' Devastated
'Derro' Derelict
'Drop Bear' A fictional dangerous animal (because they need to make more up?)
'Dux' The smartest person in a class (I think, it sounds like 'ducks' to me but I was corrected)


'Esky' Cooler


'Fair Dinkum' genuine
'Fair Go' Given a chance
'Fairy Floss' Cotton Candy
'Flat' Apartment
'Flat Out / Full On' – Working hard
'Footy' Rugby (just league, not union)
'Full Stop' Punctuation Mark '.'  Also used to emphasize what was just said. 


'Gridiron' American Football


'Hair of the Dog' Drink to recover from a hangover
'Head Down, Bum Up' Time to work hard
'Hen’s Night' Bachlorette Party
'Hoo Roo' Goodbye


'I'm Alright Jack' Thanks anyway / I didn't want one in the first place (Sarcastic) 
'In the Duff' Naked
'Ice Block' Popsicle


'Jingoes' surprise
'Jumper' Sweatshirt / light jacket

'Kanga' Kangaroo
'Kiwi' Someone from New Zealand
'Knackered' Tired

'Lemonade' Carbonated drink similar to 7Up or Sprite
'Lift' Elevator
'Lolly' Candy
'Loo / Dunny' Toilet


'Maccas' McDonalds
'Mate' Friend
'Middy' A drink of middle size.

'Nappy' Diaper
'Narky' Moody
'Nick Off' Go Away
'No dramas' The younger version of 'No worries'.
'No Worries' It doesn't matter / You're welcome

'On ya mate' Short for 'Good on ya mate' / Well done
'Outside the Square' Thinking 'outside the box' as American's would say
'Oz' Pertaining to the land of Australia

'Petrol' Gasoline.  (Some cars run on natural gas so a distinction is needed.)
'Polly' Polititian
'Post Code' Zip Code
'Pram' Stroller
'Prang' Car Accident
'Pressies' Presents
'Push Bike' Bicycle


'Rack off' Go away
'Ranga' A redhead. Short for orangutans.
'Rego' Registration
'Rellies / Relo' Relatives
'Reno' Renovation
'Ressy' Reservation
'Reverse Park' Parallel Park
'Ripper' Great
'Robe' Closet
'Roo' Kangaroo


'Schoolies' School holidays
'Seppo' An insulting name for an American
'Serviette' Napkin
'Servo' Petrol Station
'She'll be apples' It's okay. It will work out.
'Shout' Turn buying a round
'Shoot the Crow' Leave  
'Singlet' Strapless shirt
'Smoko' Break
'SMS' Text
'Sook' Someone being silly
'Squib' Coward.
'Stubbie' Small beer
'Stubbie Short of a Six Pack' Idiot
Sunnies Sunglasses
'Sus' Suspicious / To figure something out
'Swag' A type of camping gear similar to a sleeping bag
'Swaggy' A swagman - someone who travels and carries all of their possessions in a swag 
'Sweet As' Awesome (Create a wonderful simile for the best thing in the world, then leave off the last word)
'Swimmers' Swimsuit

‘Ta’ Thank you
'Take Away' To Go
'Taking the Piss' Teasing
'Tart' Derogatory for woman
'Thong' Flip flop
'Tradies' People who work in a traditional trade such as construction
'True Blue' Genuine
‘Too easy’ Said when a task requires a few steps to demonstrate that you don’t mind doing it.
'Torch' Flashlight


'Unco' Uncoordinated
'Under the Pump' Under a lot of pressure 
'Uni' University
'Ute' Utility vehicle / truck


'Vendo' Vending Machine
'Vego' Vegetarian meal (I haven't heard it used to describe vegetarians)


'Westie' Someone from the western suburbs. Insulting use: uneducated, not classy
'Whinge' Complain
'Woop Woop' Far away from civilization


'Zed' The letter 'z'

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