Australian English is, technically, English. It uses the same alphabet, the same grammatical structures, and many of the same words. The trouble is that Australians have spent 230-odd years modifying those words, shortening them, reversing their meanings, and inventing new ones entirely—largely without informing the rest of the world.
What follows is the most comprehensive reference guide available outside of a Centrelink waiting room. Study it carefully. There will be situations where it saves you.
| Word | Meaning | In Context |
|---|---|---|
| Arvo | Afternoon | "See you this arvo" — I will see you later today |
| Servo | Service / petrol station | "Stopping at the servo" — refuelling, possibly buying a hot dog |
| Bottle-o | Bottle shop / off-licence | "Quick trip to the bottle-o" — purchasing alcohol for the barbie |
| Woolies | Woolworths supermarket | "Grabbing snags from Woolies" — the backup plan when Bunnings is closed |
| Bunnings/Bunnos | Hardware warehouse, cultural institution | "Off to Bunnos" — primary purpose: sausage sizzle; secondary: hardware |
| Maccas | McDonald's | "Maccas run at midnight" — an Australian cultural rite of passage |
| Word | Meaning | In Context |
|---|---|---|
| Mate | Friend, stranger, enemy, anyone | The most versatile word after "farkn." Tone determines everything. |
| Bloke | Man, male person | "He's a good bloke" — high praise. "Some bloke" — unspecified male. |
| Sheila | Woman (increasingly dated) | Still understood everywhere. Mostly used ironically by people who know it's dated. |
| Tradie | Trades worker (plumber, electrician, etc.) | "Waiting on the tradie" — they'll arrive between 8am and never |
| Bogan | Working-class person with particular cultural traits | Complex. Can be affectionate. Context is everything. |
| Legend | Someone who has done something helpful or impressive | "You're a legend, mate" — maximum Australian praise |
| Word | Meaning | In Context |
|---|---|---|
| Snag | Sausage | Sacred. Especially on bread from Bunnings. Never disrespect the snag. |
| Barbie | Barbecue | "Chuck another snag on the barbie" — the Australian equivalent of a formal invitation |
| Brekky | Breakfast | "Had a big brekky" — ate significantly before noon |
| Esky | Portable cooler / ice box | "Beers in the esky" — the second most important sentence at any Australian gathering |
| Flat white | Coffee | Invented here. Australia takes this seriously. Do not order a "regular coffee." |
| Lamington | Sponge cake with chocolate and coconut | National institution. Your grandmother made them. Everyone's grandmother made them. |
| Word | Meaning | In Context |
|---|---|---|
| She'll be right | It will be fine / don't worry about it | The national philosophy. Applied universally. Occasionally correct. |
| No worries | You're welcome / not a problem / fine | The default response to almost anything. Genuine, never sarcastic. |
| Arvo sesh | Afternoon drinking session | "Bit of an arvo sesh" — understatement for a substantial social event |
| Heaps | Very / a lot | "Heaps good" — excellent. "Heaps of people" — many people. |
| Reckon | Think / believe / suppose | "I reckon" is the Australian preamble to any opinion |
| Cooked | Exhausted, or: a situation that is broken/absurd | "I'm cooked" — tired. "That's cooked" — that is an unacceptable outcome. |
| Loose | Crazy, a bit off-tap | "Have a look at that guy - he's a loose unit". |
| Off-tap | Crazy, a bit loose | "Have a look at that guy - he's off-tap". |
| Knackered | Exhausted | More emphatic than "cooked." You are truly finished for the day. |
| Dunny | Toilet | "Where's the dunny?" — an urgent and practical question |
| Sickie | A day off work claimed as sick leave | "Chucking a sickie" — may or may not involve actual illness. The beach often features. |
| Strewth | Expression of surprise or disbelief | Old-fashioned but still understood. Crocodile Dundee said it constantly. This is why. |
| Arvo sesh | Afternoon drinking session | "Bit of an arvo sesh" — understatement. Likely began at 2pm, may conclude at midnight. |
| Ripper | Excellent, outstanding | "That's a ripper" — high praise. "You ripper!" — maximum enthusiasm. Rare but powerful. |
A Final Note on Tone
The above glossary is, by necessity, incomplete. Australian slang is a living system, evolving continuously, varying by state, generation, and postcode. New words enter. Old words change meaning. Some words mean the opposite of what they appear to mean.
The best approach is not memorisation but disposition. Australians respond well to people who approach the language with curiosity rather than anxiety, who ask when confused, and who do not attempt to perform Australianness by deploying slang they don't fully understand.
When in doubt: say "farkn," follow it with whatever you were going to say anyway, and see what happens. The success rate is, empirically, quite high.
And when someone replies "yeah nah" or "nah yeah" — don't panic. There's a full guide for that.