Australian Slang

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lezzles wrote:

Just remember, it is tantamount to making an oath when you say these words. If you describe something as being absolutely true it is fair dinkum (much the same as 'the real McCoy') and it has various shades of meaning according to the tone of voice used when saying it; e.g, 'fair dinkum, that is the worst joke I've ever heard.' would indicated that it IS the worst. To call someone 'fair dinkum' means they are honest, loyal and dependable.

When uttered softly in an almost awesome tone with an interrogatory inflexion the meaning is 'are you sure?' or 'can it be for real?' (An example of this would be if some incredibly handsome, rich hunk knocked on your door and begged you to drop everything and run off with him.)

When said in an exasperated manner, of course, it takes on the opposite meaning 'You must be joking!' or 'This is totally unbelievable' (A good example of this would be when you order a drink on a plane and, on asking for pretzels you are told 'Sorry, we're all outta pretzels.')

Here endeth the lesson. :wink:

This pretty much covers "Fair dinkum"

Others that come to mind.

Stone the crows (exclamation)

Struth (another exclamation)

Fair suck of the sauce bottle (be reasonable or fair)

Crikey (shouldn't need any explanation)

Hard yakka (hard work)

Sheila (girl)

A few roos loose in the top paddock - which is the same as - Not a full quid. (Not smart)

Come on Aussies. Let's give the world some lessons in some of our more colourful and obscure vernacular.

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Good! You won an amber fluid!

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sanger= sandwich. Malt sanger= beer.

snag, mystery bag = sausage

Pissed = drunk

PFO = a medical condition related to the consumption of alcohol.

Knackers= testicals (sometime a nickname or when you don't remember someones name)

Beaut = real good.

Bloody = The great Australian adjective

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F.O. - Foreign Order - our own project using employers time and equipment

WOFTAM - Wast of F*cking Time And Money

Fair suck of the sav[eloy] - See Fair suck of the sauce bottle

Dead Set - See Fair Dinkum

Jatz Crackers/Cods - See Knackers

Dead horse - Tomato Sauce/Ketchup/Catsup

Ripper/Bonzer - See Beaut

Coldie - hop flavoured beverage of approximately 5% alcohol (ie Beer)

Bunger - Firecracker

Derro - Homeless person (corruption of 'derelict')

Blew - Fight

Gidday Luv - hello sir/madam.

Flog - Sell

Up himself - he has an overinflated ego

Lizard - Fish known also as 'Flathead'

Plonk - Wine

Telly - Televison

Not the full quid - not quite sane/or of limited intelligence

Silly as a two-bob watch - see 'not the full quid'

Mad as a cut snake - Irate

Sticks out like dogs balls - Obvious/Overly conspicuous

Don't give a rat's [arse] - not concerned or worried

Come the raw prawn - wrongly assume that someone is gullible

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ankle biters - Children

Belly full of paws and claws [or arms and legs] - Pregnant

Strike/F*ck me roan - Why me?

Dunny - Toilet/bathroom

She'll be apples - not to worry it will be fine

No wuckers - see 'She'll be apples'

Go for a slash - urinate

Brown bomber/Grey ghost - Parking inspector

AJ - armed forces personell

choco - army reservist (also chocolate soldier/weekend warrior)

Piss - alcohol

Worked my ring off - toiled so hard that one's anus detached

Wowser - (semi-archaic) one who prides themselves on looking down on any behaviour that could reasonably described as fun.

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F*ck that for a joke - I don't think I'll be participating in that activity

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dadpad wrote:

PFO = a medical condition related to the consumption of alcohol. (and disinclination to stay upright!)

This was often the diagnosis among pf's when I worked in a Repatriation hospital.

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pissed as a fart - inebriated

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Francis wrote:

Good! You won an amber fluid!

Good try, almost there. But - " G'donya! You've scored a Tooheys " (or VB or XXXX or coldie, depending on your location) might have been a little closer to the mark.

'Amber fluid', while certainly another name for beer, is a bit formal and probably only used by or to entertain tourists.

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hingehead wrote:

pissed as a fart - inebriated

see PF in the post above! Cool

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A friend from Oz used this one:
"I'd bet London to a brick"

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George wrote:

A friend from Oz used this one:
"I'd bet London to a brick"

That's the favourite saying of a famous football commentator on radio, Frank Hyde.

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In the States if you support a team, you say you root for it.

Seems there's a different meaning to that in the Antipodes.

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Margo, I think it was the race caller, Ken Howard, you were thinking of.

Indeed, George, it does have another connotation here! Back in my teen years (when it was still the done thing to shake hands when introduced to someone) I was at a party with a group of girls, and we were introduced to a visiting boy by the host, who said "This is Johnny Roots, and he does as often as he can, so if you're a virgin, start running now!"

None of us spoke to that boy all night. I still wonder about him sometimes, how he got on in life with that name..... :wink:

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George wrote:

A friend from Oz used this one:
"I'd bet London to a brick"

I think the American equivalent is "dollars to donuts,"

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George wrote:

In the States if you support a team, you say you root for it.

Seems there's a different meaning to that in the Antipodes.

Indeed, George!

Wash your mouth! Such filth! Laughing

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Dutchy wrote:

George wrote:
A friend from Oz used this one:
"I'd bet London to a brick"

I think the American equivalent is "dollars to donuts,"

Yes it is. But the way prices are going, it may need to be changed to
"donuts to dollars".

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I agree it wasn't Frank Hyde - it was definitely a race caller so Lezzles gets the money- I believe that a contemporary of Ken Howard coined 'Paris to a peanut' as his response.

I remember a tale from a school mate who went to the States as an exchange student - he was doing some work with pencil and paper, made a mistake and asked the people around him if anyone had a rubber...

In the states it's an eraser, a rubber is (Oz slang warning) a 'franger' or 'frenchie'.

I got invited to a party in Paris - some gave me a french letter with 'come' in it.

Get me out of here...

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Aw, you're awful Muriel!!! Embarrassed

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May I add "Good on her", which we pronounce as "Good onna" and Americans hear as "Good honor" and look at you strangely when you say it (at least, according to my Sister who lives over there)

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Australian Slang

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