Its called Strine Australian slang. And if you say the word strine just right, you can hear it as a short, slangish word for Australian.
Here are a number of strine words and phrases used by the Aussies. They are grouped by association and use, rather than a strict alphabetical listing.
Angry, ill, upset and tired
Aggro aggravation, bother
Crook ill, sick; can also mean angry
Jack of fed up with or having become sick of something or someone
Mad as a cut snake very upset, angry
Make a blue to have a fight, or to make a mistake
Nackered, knackered extremely tired or exhausted
Spit the dummy a dummy is a babys pacifier, so the phrase means to become angry and obstinate
Wobbly throwing a tantrum, becoming agitated or coming unglued.
Example: I wrecked the car, and my oldies threw a wobbly.
Zonked out of it, totally exhausted, really tired
Animal kingdom
Billabong watering hole
Blowie a blow fly
Bluey a blue heeler, a popular breed of cattle dog in Australia
Boomer a large male kangeroo
Brumby wild horse
Chook chicken, hen, rooster
Jumbuck sheep
Mozzie mosquito
Roo kangaroo
Boastin and braggin
Big-note to boast or brag
Example: He likes to big-note himself.
Skite—to boast or brag
Tickets on oneself to boast or brag
Example: Hes got tickets on himself.
Dead on
Cactus dead, not functioning
Example: The engine is cactus.
Carked, cark to cease functioning, to die
Example: The engine is carked.
Dress for success
Dacks, daks, strides pants, trousers
Sunnies sunglasses
Underdaks underpants
Expressions
Bobs your uncle both an expression of agreement as well as an expression of doubt
Cooee a greeting call to someone at a distance in the bush; also used figuratively as meaning far off or a long way off
Flat out like a lizard drinking extremely busy
G-day, gidday hello, a friendly welcome
Good onya, good on ya, mate good for you, well done, Im pleased with what is being done
Happy as Larry extremely pleased and overjoyed, happy-go-lucky
Half your luck congratulations and best wishes, sometimes expressed in an envious way
Hooroo goodbye, see you later
I feel stuffed Im very tired
Ill be stuffed an expression of surprise and wonderment
Reckon the word is commonly used for think
Also, I reckon as a reply to a question is a strong, affirmative response, such as absolutely
Ta thanks
Too right definitely
Fools
Bludger a lazy person
Dill, drongo an idiot
Galah a loud, rude, inconsiderate person, named after a bird that flies south in the winter
Hoon a hooligan, one with limited intelligence who shows off
Larrikin a prankster, a mischievous youngster enjoying himself
No-hoper one who has no hope, one who isnt expected to do well
Yahoo loudmouth male often out of control
Yobbo uncouth, loutish, surly youth; same as a yahoo but without any values
Youre a mug a friendly way to say youre a fool or youre gullible.
Go away!
Nick off
Give it the flick
Rack off
Shoot off
Shoot through
Location, location, location
Bush the hinterland, the country, the outback
Phrases: In the bush (in the country), go bush (to leave the city)
Back o beyond in the outback or in a deserted, remote area
Similar phrases: Back o bourke, beyond the black stump
Gone out to the never-never gone to the outback, to the bush or off the beaten track
Woop Woop a fictitious name for any small, unimportant town or area a long way from civilization
Money and cost
Bikkie, bickie dollar
Example: It cost big bikkies. (Its expensive.)
Mates rate, mates discount a cheaper price for a friend
Quid money
Zack term for a sixpence, now five cents, denotes worthlessness
Examples: It isnt worth a zack; he hasnt got a zack.
Movin out
Road train a semi-truck with many trailers
Servo a gas or service station
Ute a utility truck, a pickup truck
Waltzing matilda to wander or travel by foot, often aimlessly, with belongings in a backpack or swag
Walkabout an extended walk taken by Aborigines in the outback for spiritual enlightenment, denotes wandering or taking a long walk
People
Ankle biter young child
Bloke a man, a fellow
Bluey nickname often used for someone with red head
Cobber friend, mate
Mate friend
Mob a crowd or group of people; not necessarily unruly or disorderly
Ocker unsophisticated, uncultured, uncultivated and uncouth Australian working man
Oldies parents
Rellie a family member or relative
Sheila a woman
Youse plural form of you, often used in humor
Example: See youse later.
Positive expressions
Aces
Apples
Example: Shell be apples. (Everything will be OK.)
Beaut, beauty, bewdy
Bonzer
Grouse
Example: Shes a grouse shiela. (Shes a terrific woman.)
Right, righto
Example: Shell be right, mate. (Itll turn out fine).
Ripper
Ripsnorter
School days
Kindy, kindi kindergarten
Uni university
Wag, waggin school truancy, skipping school
Short on brains expressions of intellectual inadequacy
Hes a sausage short on the barbecue.
Hes a snag short of a barbie.
Hes got kangaroos loose in the top paddock.
Hes not the full quid.
Talk is cheap
Bizzo ones business
Example: Mind your own bizzo.
Bush telegraph the local gossip chain
Chinwag a chat or a conversation
Earbashing talking incessantly
Earbasher one who talks incessantly
Knock to criticize
Knocker someone who criticizes
Stickybeak One who is nosey, who pries or snoops
Yack to chat or to gossip
Yacking, having a yack talking a lot
Truth and mistruths
Claytons a fake, an imitation, a substitute
Dead-set certain, true, the true
Dinkum, fair dinkum true, real, genuine
Dinki-di true, real, genuine, particularly something good from Australia
Good oil the truth or a good idea
Example: Shes putting the good oil on it. (Shes telling the truth.)
Iffy suspicious, risky, doubtful
Illywhacker one who preys on the gullible, such as a con man at fairs and shows; also the term for a stick used to spank children
Lurk illegal or underhanded
Phrase: On a good lurk on to a good thing or job
Ridgie didge true, real, genuine, original
Shonky suspicious, questionable deal
Example: A shonky business
Suss suspect, dubious, not quite right
Suss it out to check out, prove or probe something
Try, try again
Fair go, fair-go to give a chance
Fair suck of the sav providing an equal opportunity or change (Sav is a savaloy, a type of sausage)
Its a go, its a goer, this is the go Something likely to happen or something made to happen
Working for a living
Battler one working hard to earn a living
Digger Australian solder, especially (but not limited to) a World War I veteran
Garbo, garbologist garbage collector
Jackaroo, Jillaroo a new male or female hand at a cattle station (a big farm or grazing property)
Journo journalist
Make a quid earn a living
Polly, pollie politician
Postie postman
Quid money
Sickie, taking a sickie taking time off work, a sick day from work
Smoko taking a break from work, a smoking or coffee break or having something to eat or drink, a break to indulge in chit-chat
Yakka hard work
Miscellaneous
Aerial ping poing Australian Rules Football
Arvo afternoon
Aussie salute brushing away flies with the hand
Chrissie Christmas
Corroboree Aboriginal festive dance
Fossicking rummaging, hunting, searching
Lippy lipstick
Loo toilet
Pash, pashing being passionate or a long, passionate kiss
Possie position, spot
Prezzy present, gift
Oz Australia or Australian
Shout to take a turn, particularly to buy or pay for something, such as a round of drinks
Squizz to look
Strine Australian slang and its pronunciation; also a lot of Aussie lingo spoken at once
Swag a bedroll or bundle of belongings carried across the shoulders
Swagman a tramp, hobo, itinerant worker
Tee up to arrange, organize, set up
Willy willy a whirlwind, a dust devil
Yonks a long period of time, seemingly ages
Example: Ive worked here for yonks