Australian Slang You Need to Know

Before I moved to Australia in February of 2017, I was excited to be back in a country where I could understand the language. Having spent 3 years in South Korea, I revelled in the fact that I could do anything I wanted without a language barrier. Until that is, I actually moved to Australia and realized they speak a special kind of English.

The rule seems to be, if it’s too long, the Aussies will shorten it! If you’re new to Australia or are just visiting, then read on:

Arvo

Abbreviation of afternoon. "Let's drive to Maccas this arvo."

Barbie

Abbreviation of barbecue. "You keen to have a barbie?"

Crissie

Abbreviation of Christmas. It’s Crissie or Christmas, never X-Mas. Choccy Bikky

Abbreviation of chocolate biscuit. And they probably mean Tim Tams.

Footy

Abbreviation of football (or soccer, for my North American friends).

Maccas

Abbreviation of McDonald's, the fast-food restaurant. (It seems every country has slang for this!) Mate

Friend; used in a variety of different contexts. Addressing an actual friend: “G’day, mate.” Addressing an enemy: “Listen here, mate…” Expression of congratulations: “Maaate!” Expression of surprise: “Mate!”

No dramas

A way to say 'no problem' or 'it's okay'.

Servo

Abbreviation of service station/gas station. "Let's defo stop at the servo this arvo."

Sunnies

Abbreviation of sunglasses. "I'm devo! I can't find my sunnies anywhere."

This is not (even close to) a complete list. If you want to learn more, I have linked a great website with more slang. Happy reading!