"Pushy Americans, always turning up late for every war! Overpaid, oversexed ... and over here!!" Fowler, to Rocky, in "Chicken Run".
Last modified: September 28 2007.
I am frequently misunderstood here in the States, not only because of my accent and Aussie terms, but because many words we use in Australia mean something completely different over here! During my first 2 weeks of American life I tried to purchase a carton of cigarettes from our petrol station only to have a packet of condoms placed in front of me!! lol Hubby has never let me live that down! ;) When Lauren was a baby I went to the supermarket to buy some groceries. The cashier asked me how old my baby was. I asked him how he knew I had a baby. He said "I saw your nipples"!! I immediately panicked, thinking I had left my bra open after feeding Lauren. With a red face I looked down only to discover I was covered!! Then I noticed my shopping, amongst which was a packet of teats for Lauren’s bottles!! lol So I decided to dedicate a page to "converting" some Aussie words and phrases to US equivalents. This is by no means complete and where no exact "translation" is available, I’ve just put in the Aussie meaning. Terms may differ from state to state, culture to culture etc. If you have any input, please
I’ve received an email from Megan (a Kiwi living in the States), who was wondering about lingerie sizes. She’s very kindly sent me the link to this page ... Lingerie Domain ... where you can find sizes from around the world. It’s a great site if you’re travelling overseas, because you just never know when you may need some new knickers!! ;) A big thanks to Megan!! :D
- 4WD (Four wheel drive)
- SUV (Sports and utility vehicle)
- Agro (NOT from Sesame Street! lol)
- "Are you right?", "You right?"
- Usually asked at checkouts etc., meaning do you need help?
- Aussie (pronouced Ozzie, NOT Ossie!)
- Australian or Aussie (mostly pronounced incorrectly :( )
- Aussie battler
- An Aussie battler is someone who has to (and does) work hard to achieve their goals, usually with very little money. It is often a term to respectfully describe someone who will battle on regardless of adversities thrown their way and will quite often emerge the other end of the tunnel victorious, or at least proud of the way they’ve handled themselves. Even in the "lucky country", there are many Aussie battlers! :)
- Aussie salute
- Shooing flies away with your hand, obviously when you don’t have a hat with corks hanging down from it! ;)
- Back of Bourke
- A long way away in the middle of nowhere, heading inland. Other terms used are "out in the sticks" and "in the boonies".
- Banana bender
- A not so nice name for a Queenslander, but hey, they call Victorians "Mexicans", so fair’s fair!! lol
- Bar code
- UPC (or proof of purchase)
- Barrack
- To "barrack" for one’s sporting team, to follow them, to cheer them on, etc.
- Bathroom (which contains a shower and/or bath, sink and toilet
- Bathroom (which can either contain all of the above, or just a toilet)
- Bed sizes: Single; Double; Queen; King
- Bee’s knees, i.e. "You’re the bee’s knees!"
- Big smoke
- Major cities, i.e. Washington DC
- Billy, billy can
- A tin with a handle used to boil water on an open fire in the outback, used to make tea (billy tea, which includes a gum leaf for flavour) in the bush.
- Bite your bum (pronounced bite-cha bum!)
- Bloke
- Used to describe any Aussie male, so the US equivalent would probably be "man". I've also heard "guy" used by Americans, namely my own husband! ;-)
- Bloody
- A VERY common word in Australia, meaning "very", i.e. bloody hot day - very hot day.
- Bloody oath
- A term used to say that something is very true, i.e. "It’s a stinking hot day isn’t it?" ... "Bloody oath!" ;D
- Blowie
- Blowfly, a very large fly which irritate the heck out of we Aussies! We usually combat them outdoors by wearing hats with corks hanging down according to Australian legends and stories!! lol
- Bludger
- A lazy person who relies on someone else to do all of his/her work. A "dole bludger" is a person who lives on unemployment benefits ("the dole") while all his mates go out and work to earn money and pay taxes that will in turn pay the bludger’s dole money! ;)
- Bottom, rear end, backside, toosh, bum etc. etc.
- Fanny ... it’s preferable not to use this term in Australia, as it means something different! How to put this delicately? A "fanny" in Australia is a part of the anatomy that you will only find on females, and I’m not talking about boobs! ;)
- B & S Ball
- Bachelors’ and Spinsters’ Ball ... a great night out for unmarried Australians where for the most part they just get drunk and throw up ... just kidding!! ;D These are usually held in rural, or country, areas and more than likely were started to help match up the local unmarried girls and guys.
- Bugga (this is NOT a swear word in Australia, it’s very commonly used!)
- Poop, damn, and many other expletives! ;)
- Buggalugs
- An affectionate term used to describe a person, this is what I call my little man Robert actually! :D
- Busy as Bourke Street during rush hour
- Very busy, flat out. Bourke Street is one of the main streets in Melbourne, Victoria and while ALL Melbourne streets are busy, Bourke St. is particularly busy!
- By jingoes
- Goodness, wow, an exclamation of surprise
- BYO
- Bring Your Own, which is what people do when you’re having shrimp on the barbie!! ROTFL See below if you want to know why I’m rolling on the floor laughing!! ;D
- Candy striper, lollypop man or woman
- A person who supervises school crossings to ensure the kids are safe crossing roads
- Caravan
- A mobile home on wheels, similar to a trailer, which is towed behind a vehicle and parked in caravan parks around Australia. Caravans are a fun way for Australian families to go on holidays at much less expense. It costs a lot less to hook a caravan up to power than it does to pay for a motel room when you have kids!! They are NOT a bad thing in Australia, unlike trailers in the States which are used in derogatory terms such as "trailer trash". If you own a caravan in Australia it actually means you’re NOT poor, because they’re not cheap! ;D
- Canteen (see also "Drink Bottle")
- Car park
- Parking lot, parking garage
- Cheeses:
- Cheddar
- American white is the closest
- Cheque
- Check (only difference is spelling)
- Cobber ... this is an English term, not Australian!
- Cuppa
- When an Aussie says he/she is having a cuppa and a bickie, it usually means a cup of tea and a cookie, not to be confused with an American biscuit.
- Cutlery
- Silver, silverware, flatware
- Dag
- A funny or silly person, a goof, a nerd, or a loser. The true meaning of the word "dag" is actually quite derogatory, i.e. "bits of manure that stick to the long wool around a sheep’s butt". It’s usually said in a friendly manner though!
- Dead horse (Aussie rhyming slang for sauce)
- Dero
- Derelict, bum, hobo (although deros don’t usually move around as far as I’m aware)
- Dimwit, Drongo
- A dope, a silly or stupid person, person with low intelligence
- Dong
- Hit, i.e. dong someone on the head = hit them on the head
- Down under
- Australia, but also used to refer to the Southern Hemisphere in general
- Drongo, dimwit
- A dope, a silly, awkward or stupid person, person with low intelligence
- Dud
- Lemon, something that doesn’t work
- Duffer
- Goose, silly person, i.e, "You silly duffer", also cattle stealer or rustler
- Dunny, loo, toilet, throne (also referred to as "the office")
- Dutch Oven
- A large pot with a lid, made of cast iron, which is used for cooking on an open fire. Also used to describe the action of your hubby passing flatulence then pulling the covers over your head. Remind me never to marry THAT man!! ;D
- Earbasher
- Someone who talks incessantly never letting the other person get a word in edgewise, who usually bores everyone to tears
- Earbashing (i.e. I copped an earbashing)
- To be told off repeatedly about doing something wrong until you know in no uncertain terms exactly what that something is/was!! lol
- Elbow grease
- Hard work, i.e. "Put some elbow grease into it" means to put more effort into it, work harder.
- Esky
- Cooler, i.e. an insulated rectangular box with a lid used to store drinks and food in to keep them cool in summer. Most people also put ice in them or freezer blocks to ensure everything stays cold.
- Face washer or just washer, flannel
- Faggot
- A nasty name for a gay man. This is one term I really hate, so if you’re ever chatting to me you simply won’t use it!!
- Fair crack of the whip, fair go
- To give someone the same chance you have, the same opportunities or to treat them as you’re treated
- Fed up to the back teeth
- Describes someone who’s had enough or is totally disgusted about something, they’re fed up with it, up to the back teeth meaning how high up "it" goes. Does that make sense? lol Some people will also say they’re "fed up to here" and place their hand horizontally across part of their face, like they were chopping into their face, indicating how high up they’re fed up with it. Did THAT make sense? Oh I give up!! ROTFL
- Flake
- I haven’t heard of it over here, but it’s shark meat which has been battered and deep fried and is the "fish" in "fish and chips" ... a favourite of most Aussie families.
- Flat out like a lizard drinking
- Flog
- To beat someone/something, or to sell something. In England they have "Flog It!" which is a TV show where people auction what they thought were useless bits around the house but have found out they’re actually quite valuable! Hubby and I love that show!! :D
- Fortnight/fortnightly
- Bi-monthly, every other week
- Fussed
- Worried, i.e. "I’m not fussed". Hubby has started using this term, probably to get me back for all the times he asked me something and I said "I’m not fussed!" ... payback’s a bitch ain’t it? ROTFL
- Galah
- A pink and grey bird native to Australia. Also used affectionately to describe someone as silly or foolish
- Gaol (an old English term), prison
- Garage sale
- Yard sale, rummage sale, garage sale
- Garbo
- Man who collects the trash bins usually once or twice a week from outside your home
- Googie, googie egg
- An egg. This term is usually used by children, Lauren is no exception, she says "Googie" too! ;D
- Grouse
- Great, terrific, really good
- G-string
- Thong (don’t mix THIS one up in the US or you’ll get very funny looks!! lol)
- Gum tree
- Eucalyptus tree (technically, Americans are right!)
- Happy as a pig in mud, happy as a pig in "poo" (you know the word I mean! ;D)
- Holden
- The first all-Australian car was made by General Motors Holden. Made in 1948, the Holden FX was a very nice car and it’s now very sought after by car enthusiasts. Following soon after, the FJ was produced in 1953-1956 and is probably the most sought after by people wanting to rebuild old cars in Australia.
- Hoof it
- To walk rather than drive etc.
- House
- Single family house, detached house
- Hum dinger
- Really good, i.e. it was a hum dinger of a movie
- Idiot box, boob tube, telly, tv
- In the boonies
- In the middle of nowhere, back of bourke, out in the sticks, other side of the black stump.
- Joe Bloggs
- The "average" man on the street so to speak
- Keen as mustard
- Enthusiastic. Keen is a brand of mustard in Australia! ;D
- Knee high to a grasshopper
- Short, obviously very! lol
- Knickers
- Undies, panties, ladies underwear
- Larrikin
- Rowdy, irresponsible, rascal. Refers to a man or a boy
- Late (i.e. late to school)
- Lead foot
- Fast driver, i.e. foot of lead always pressing down heavily on the accelerator
- Lob in, lob on up
- Drop in to see someone, usually without calling beforehand because a mate told you to "just lob on up" to his place! ;D
- Lollypop man/woman, Candy striper
- A person who supervises a school crossing to ensure the kids are safe crossing the roads
- Loo, dunny, toilet, throne (also referred to as "the office")
- Maggie
- Magpie, a black and white Australian bird similar to a crow but smaller. These are pests in the country where they often eat crops although crows are more of a pest
- Make tracks
- Leave i.e. "It’s time to make tracks" = it’s time to leave
- Manchester
- Linen, i.e. sheets, towels etc.
- Mate ... a vague description given to someone of the male persuasion, probably begun because we couldn’t remember their name! lol
- Metho
- Short for metholated spirits which is an alcohol type substance used for various purposes like disinfecting skin, some cleaning purposes and also refers to a type of bum who drinks the stuff ... ew yuck!!
- Misery guts
- Someone who complains constantly and creates misery wherever they go
- Mobile
- Cellular (Cell) or Wireless
- Morning and afternoon tea
- Rarely exists ... a snack between meals
- Mum
- Mom (spelling and pronunciation are the only differences)
- Mystery bags, snags
- Sausages. Referred to as mystery bags because it’s really a mystery what goes into them! ;D
- Never never (see second definition under "Put something on the never never" below)
- A desert area in the Northern Territory.
- Nick out
- Make a quick trip out to somewhere, i.e. the milkbar
- Nifty
- Neat, as in a nifty trick is a neat trick. I can’t think of a better way to describe that one, sorry! Also stylish
- Noggin
- Head (on your shoulders!)
- Ocka, ocker
- Similar to a redneck from what I’m told! lol A lazy, good for nothing, beer drinking Aussie male who has no culture or style and sits in front of the telly all day drinking beer!
- Off the beaten track
- Away from main roads, on dirt tracks or seldom used roads
- On the nose
- Smelly, offensive. Also to describe that you’re correct, i.e. right on the nose
- Out in the sticks
- In the middle of nowhere, back of bourke, in the boonies, other side of the black stump.
- Pack a wallop
- To punch someone very hard
- Pinafore, overalls (with bib and brace)
- Plonk
- Cheap booze, usually wine
- Pom or Pommie (used affectionately!)
- Potato gems
- Tater tots (I know there’s another one but can’t for the life of me remember what it is, grrrrrrr!!)
- Put something on the never never
- Use a credit card (see "never never" above)
- Quack
- A bad doctor. Sometimes people refer to their "usual" doctor as a quack, in which case it’s used in a kind of affectionate way
- Rack off
- Go away, usually said in anger
- Razoo
- A fictitious coin made of brass, usually referred to when we’re broke, i.e. "I don’t have a brass razoo to my name."
- Rock Melon (if you live in Queensland), for the rest of the country, Canteloupe
- Rubber
- Eraser. Not to be confused with a condom!! lol
- Scone (pronounced "skon", not "skown")
- Biscuit (often served with gravy ... yuk! lol)
- Sheila
- An Australian female, regardless of her name! ;D
- Silverside or Corned Beef
- Skim milk, fat reduced milk
- Skint
- Broke, poor, don’t have any money whatsoever
- Snag, mystery bag (see "mystery bag" above)
- Spit the dummy, chuck a wobbly
- Throw a tantrum, basically
- Supper
- That’s what they call their dinner too. In Australia often means a snack before bedtime
- Teat (on a baby’s bottle)
- Terrace house
- Townhouse (usually 3 storey)
- Tim Tam
- Yummmmmmmm!!! Made by Arnott’s Biscuits, Tim Tams would have to be the most loved biscuit in Australia! To call them a cookie would be a crime, so go look up the term "biscuit" if you’re not sure what I mean! lol They’re layers of chocolate and wafers wrapped lovingly in a layer of chocolate ... and I can’t get them here unless I want to pay heaps, boo! hoo! hoo!
- Toffee Apples
- Candy Apples, also Caramel Apples
- Tracksuit pants
- Sweat pants {what can I say, they’re obsessed with sweat! ;) }
- Ugh (Ugg) Boots
- Similar to the shoes worn by American Indians, Ugh boots are a soft boot made of lambswool inside, suede outside and are "native" to Australia! ;D To see one GO HERE where you will note they’re quite expensive!! They’re Australian prices by the way! ;-)
- Vegemite
- I’ve been asked by many people to describe Vegemite and it’s almost impossible!! It’s a yeast extract spread which is rich in B complex vitamins and is black and has a very strong taste. It’s a love/hate thing with Vegemite ... you either love it or you hate it!! ;-)
- Wendy’s
- Baskin Robbins (31 flavours)
- Wind (causing the need to burp)
- Woolies
- Short for Woolworths, a very popular store in Australia
- Last, but not least, and most well known of all ... GIDDAY! :D
- Hi! ... doesn’t have the same impact, does it? ;-)
