Australian English vocabulary
Australian English is a major variety of the English language spoken throughout Australia. Most of the vocabulary of Australian English is shared with British English, though there are notable differences. The vocabulary of Australia is drawn from many sources, including various dialects of British English as well as Gaelic languages, some Indigenous Australian languages, and Polynesian languages.
One of the first dictionaries of Australian slang was Karl Lentzner's Dictionary of the Slang-English of Australia and of Some Mixed Languages in 1892. The first dictionary based on historical principles that covered Australian English was E. E. Morris's Austral English: A Dictionary of Australasian Words, Phrases and Usages. In 1981, the more comprehensive Macquarie Dictionary of Australian English was published. Oxford University Press published the Australian Oxford Dictionary in 1999, in concert with the Australian National University. Oxford University Press also published The Australian National Dictionary.
Broad and colourful Australian English has been popularised over the years by 'larrikin' characters created by Australian performers such as Chips Rafferty, John Meillon, Paul Hogan, Barry Humphries, Greig Pickhaver and John Doyle, Michael Caton, Steve Irwin, Jane Turner and Gina Riley. It has been claimed that, in recent times, the popularity of the Barry McKenzie character, played on screen by Barry Crocker, and in particular of the soap opera Neighbours, led to a "huge shift in the attitude towards Australian English in the UK", with such phrases as "chunder", "liquid laugh" and "technicolour yawn" all becoming well known as a result.
Words of Australian origin
The origins of some of the words are disputed.- Battler – a person with few natural advantages, who works doggedly and with little reward, who struggles for a livelihood and who displays courage. The first citation for this comes from Henry Lawson in While the Billy Boils : "I sat on him pretty hard for his pretensions, and paid him out for all the patronage he'd worked off on me... and told him never to pretend to me again he was a battler". Bludger – a person who avoids working, or doing their share of work, a loafer, scrounger, a hanger-on, one who does not pull his weight; originally, a pimp.Bogan – an Australian term for describing someone who may be a yobbo. The major difference between the two is that yobbo tends to be used as a noun, whereas bogan can also be used adjectivally to describe objects pertaining to people who are bogans. Regional variations include "Bevan" in and around Brisbane, and "Booner" around Canberra. It's usually an uncultured person with vulgar behavior, speech, clothing, etc. Cooker – a derogatory term for conspiracy theorist; according to the National Dictionary Centre, "a derogatory term for a person involved in protests against vaccine mandates, government lockdowns and a range of other issues perceived to be infringing on personal freedom". Emerging during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, the word made the shortlist for "Word of the Year" in 2022. The term is also loosely associated with the far right. An explanation of the term given by an Australian in answer to a question on Twitter is that "It refers to whose brain has been cooked by overexposure to conspiracy theories and unhinged online rhetoric". Didgeridoo is a wind instrument that was originally found only in Arnhem Land in northern Australia. It is a long, wooden, tubular instrument that produces a low-pitched, resonant sound with complex, rhythmic patterns but little tonal variation.
- Digger – an Australian soldier. The term was applied during the First World War to Australian and New Zealand soldiers because so much of their time was spent digging trenches. An earlier Australian sense of digger was "a miner digging for gold". Billy Hughes, prime minister during the First World War, was known as the Little Digger. First recorded in this sense 1916.Dinkum or fair dinkum – "true", "the truth", "speaking the truth", "authentic" and related meanings, depending on context and inflection. The Evening News 23 August 1879 has one of the earliest references to fair dinkum. It originated with a now-extinct dialect word from the East Midlands in England, where dinkum meant "hard work" or "fair work", which was also the original meaning in Australian English.Dunny – a privy, toilet or lavatory. To many Australians "bathroom" is a room with a bath or shower.Fair go – a reasonable chance, a fair deal. Australia often sees itself as an egalitarian society, the land of the fair go, where all citizens have a right to fair treatment. Grogan - the product of a bowel movement.Jackaroo – a type of agricultural worker.Nasho – a person undergoing National Service, mandatory military service in Australia. The word is often used for Vietnam War soldiers when conscription became controversial. Since that time, conscription has not been implemented in Australia.Nork – a female breast ; etymology disputed, but has been linked to Norco, a NSW milk company.Outback – a "remote, sparsely-populated area".
Words of Australian Aboriginal origin
Some elements of Aboriginal languages have been incorporated into Australian English, mainly as names for flora and fauna.Some examples are cooee and yakka. The former is a high-pitched call which travels long distances and is used to attract attention, which has been derived from Dharug, an Aboriginal language spoken in the Sydney region. Cooee has also become a notional distance: if he's within cooee, we'll spot him. Yakka means work, strenuous labour, and comes from 'yaga' meaning 'work' in the Yagara indigenous language of the Brisbane region. Yakka found its way into nineteenth-century Australian pidgin, and then passed into Australian English. First recorded 1847.
Boomerang is an Australian word which has moved into International English. It was also borrowed from Dharug.
Words of British, Irish or American origin
Many such words, phrases or usages originated with British and Irish settlers to Australia from the 1780s until the present. For example: a creek in Australia, is any "stream or small river", whereas in England it is a small watercourse flowing into the sea; paddock is the Australian word for "field", while in England it is a small enclosure for livestock. Bush or scrub means "wooded areas" or "country areas in general" in Australia, while in England they are commonly used only in proper names. Australian English and several British English dialects use the word mate to mean a friend, rather than the conventional meaning of "a spouse", although this usage has also become common in some other varieties of English.Billy – a tin or enamel cooking pot with a lid and wire handle, used outdoors, especially for making tea. It comes from the Scottish dialect word billy meaning "cooking utensil".Fair dinkum – reliable; genuine; honest; true, comes from British dialect. The phrase is recorded in a north Lincolnshire dialect for the first time meaning "fair play" or "fair dealing", although "dinkum" on its own had been used in Derbyshire and Lincolnshire, meaning "work" or "punishment". "Fair dinkum" was first used in England in 1881, and is the equivalent of West Yorkshire "fair doos". The word "dinkum" is first recorded in Australia in the 1890s.G'day – a greeting, meaning "good day".Manchester – household linen, as in "manchester department" of a department store. From "Manchester wares" with exactly the same meaning.Sheila – slang for "woman", derived from the feminine Irish given name Síle, commonly anglicised Sheila). Yobbo – an Australian variation on the UK slang yob, meaning someone who is loud, rude and obnoxious, behaves badly, anti-social, and frequently drunk.Rhyming slang
Rhyming slang is more common in older generations though modern examples exist amongst some social groupings. It is similar, and in some cases identical, to Cockney rhyming slang, for example plates for "feet" and china for "mate". Some specifically Australian examples are dead horse for "sauce", Jack Holt for "salt", Barry Crocker for "shocker". as well as do a Harold Holt meaning "to do a bolt". Chunder for "vomit" most likely comes from Chunder Loo = "spew". See.Diminutives and abbreviations
Australian English vocabulary draws heavily on diminutives and abbreviations. These may be confusing to foreign speakers when they are used in everyday conversations.There are over 5,000 identified diminutives in use. While other English dialects use diminutives in a similar way, none are so prolific or diverse. A large number of these are widely recognised and used by Australian English speakers. However, many are used only by specific demographic groups or in localised areas. Researchers are now beginning to study what psychological motivations cause Australians to abbreviate so many words.
Colloquial phrases
Numerous idiomatic phrases occur in Australian usage, some more historical than contemporary in usage.Send her down, Hughie is an example of surfie slang. Australian Football League spectators use the term "white maggot" towards umpires at games.
Alcohol
Amber is generic term for any beer in general, but especially cold and on-tap.Not only has there been a wide variety of measures in which beer is served in pubs in Australia, the names of these glasses differ from one area to another. However, the range of glasses has declined greatly in recent years.
Pre-decimal currency
Before decimalisation, Australian monetary units closely reflected British usage: four farthings or two halfpence to a penny; 12 pence to a shilling; 20 shillings to a pound, but terms for the coinage were uniquely Australian, particularly among working-class adult males: "Brown": a penny ; "Tray": threepence ; "Zac": sixpence ; "Bob" or "Deener": a shilling ; "Two bob bit": a florinSlang terms for notes mostly followed British usage: "Ten bob note": ten shillings ; "Quid" : pound note ; "Fiver": five pound note ; "Tenner" or "Brick": ten pound note. Other terms have been recorded but rarely used outside the racetrack. One confusing matter is that five shillings prior to decimal currency was called a "Dollar", in reference to the Spanish Dollar and "Holey Dollar" which circulated at a value of five shillings, but the Australian Dollar at the introduction of decimal currency was fixed at 10 shillings.
Sport
Football
Australia has four major codes of football, rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football, and association football. Generally, rugby league is called football in New South Wales and Queensland, while rugby union is called either rugby or union throughout. Both rugby league and rugby union are often collectively referred to as rugby in other states where Australian rules football is called football. Australian rules football is commonly referred to as "Aussie Rules" throughout Australia, but may also in Victoria and South Australia be loosely called "footy" outside the context of the Australian Football League.Association football was long known as "soccer" in Australia and that naming convention still persists among many Australians. In 2005, the governing body changed its name to Football Federation Australia. Association Football in Australia is called "football'" only when mentioned in conjunction with a specific league, such as the A-League or Premier League, otherwise "football" on its own means either Australian football or rugby on its own depending on the region of Australia.
Horse racing
Bookie is, in Australia as elsewhere, a common term for an on-course bookmaker, but "metallician" was once a common synonym.Comparison with other varieties
Where British and American vocabulary differs, Australians sometimes favour a usage different from both varieties, as with footpath, capsicum, or doona from a trademarked brand. In other instances, it either shares a term with American English, as with truck or eggplant, or with British English, as with mobile phone or bonnet.Terms shared by British and American English but not so commonly found in Australian English include : abroad ; cooler/ice box ; flip-flops ; pickup truck ; wildfire.
Australian English is particularly divergent from other varieties with respect to geographical terminology, due to the country's unique geography. This is particularly true when comparing with British English, due to that country's dramatically different geography. British geographical terms not in common use in Australia include : coppice ; dell ; fen ; heath ; meadow ; moor ; spinney ; stream ; woods and village.
In addition, a number of words in Australian English have different meanings from those ascribed in other varieties of English. Clothing-related examples are notable. Pants in Australian English follows American usage in reference to British English trousers but in British English refer to Australian English underpants; vest in Australian English pass also in American refers to British English waistcoat but in British English refers to Australian English singlet. Thong in both American and British English refers to underwear, while in Australian English it refers to British and American English flip-flop. There are numerous other examples, including biscuit which refers in Australian and British English to what in American English is cookie or cracker but to a savoury cake in American English ; Asian, which in Australian and American English commonly refers to people of East Asian heritage, as opposed to British English, in which it commonly refers to people of South Asian descent; chips which refers both to British English crisps and to American English French fries ; and football, which in Australian English refers to Australian rules football, Rugby league or Rugby union – what British refer to as football is referred to as soccer and what Americans term football is referred to as gridiron.
In addition to the large number of uniquely Australian idioms in common use, there are instances of idioms taking differing forms in the various Anglophone nations, for example : Home away from home, take with a grain of salt and wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole, or a drop in the ocean and touch wood.
British and American English terms not widely used in Australian English
There are extensive terms used in other varieties of English which are not widely used in Australian English. These terms usually do not result in Australian English speakers failing to comprehend speakers of other varieties of English, as Australian English speakers will often be familiar with such terms through exposure to media or may ascertain the meaning using context.Non-exhaustive selections of British English and American English terms not commonly used in Australian English together with their definitions or Australian English equivalents are found in the collapsible table below:
British English terms not widely used in Australian EnglishAllotment : A community garden not connected to a dwellingArtic or articulated lorry Aubergine : Australian English eggplantBank holiday: Australian English public holidayBarmy: Crazy, mad or insane.Bedsit: Australian English studio Belisha beacon: A flashing light atop a pole used to mark a pedestrian crossingBin lorry: Australian English: garbage truck/''rubbish truckBobby: A police officer, particularly one of lower rankCagoule: A lightweight raincoat or windsheeterCandy floss : Australian English fairy flossCash machine: Australian English automatic teller machineChav: Lower socio-economic person comparable to Australian English boganChild-minder: Australian English babysitterChivvy: To hurry along. Australian English nagChrimbo: Abbreviation for Christmas comparable to Australian English ChrissyChuffed: To be proud Cleg : Australian English horseflyClingfilm: A plastic wrap used in food preparation. Australian English Glad wrap/cling wrapCommunity payback: Australian English community serviceComprehensive school: Australian English state school or public schoolCooker: A kitchen appliance. Australian English stove and/or ovenCoppice: An area of cleared woodlandCouncil housing: Australian English public housingCounterpane: A bed covering. Australian English bedspreadCourgette: A vegetable. Australian English zucchiniCreche: Australian English child care centre Crisps: Australian English (potato) chipsCurrent account: Australian English transaction accountDell: A small secluded hollow or valleyDo: Australian English party or social gatheringDoddle: An easy taskDoss : To spend time idlyDrawing pin: Australian English thumb tackDungarees: Australian English overallsDustbin: Australian English garbage bin/rubbish binDustcart: Australian English garbage truck/rubbish truckDuvet: Australian English doonaElastoplast or plaster: An adhesive used to cover small wounds. Australian English band-aidElectrical lead: Australian English electrical cordEstate car: Australian English station wagonFairy cake: Australian English cupcakeFather Christmas: Australian English Santa ClausFen: A low and frequently flooded area of land, similar to Australian English swampFree phone: Australian English toll-freeGammon: Meat from the hind leg of pork. Australian English makes no distinction between gammon and hamGit: A foolish person. Equivalent to idiot or moronGoose pimples: Australian English goose bumpsHacked off: To be irritated or upset, often with a personHairgrip: Australian English hairpin or bobbypinHalf-term: Australian English school holidayHaulier: Australian English haulerHeath: An area of dry grass or shrubs, similar to Australian English shrublandHoover: Australian English to vacuumHorsebox: Australian English horse floatIce lolly: Australian English ice block or icy poleJuicy bits: Small pieces of fruit residue found in fruit juice. Australian English pulpKip: To sleepKitchen roll: Australian English paper towelLandslip: Australian English landslideLavatory: Australian English toilet Lido: A public swimming poolLorry: Australian English truckLoudhailer: Australian English megaphoneMackintosh or mac: Australian English raincoatMangetout: Australian English snow peaMarrow: Australian English squashMinidish: A satellite dish for domestic useMoggie: A domestic short-haired catMoor: A low area prone to flooding, similar to Australian English swamplandNettled: Irritated Nosh: A meal or spread of foodOff-licence: Australian English bottle shop/Bottle-oPavement: Australian English footpathPeaky: Unwell or sickly Pepper : Australian English capsicumPeople carrier : Australian English people moverPikey: An itinerant person. Similar to Australian English trampPillar box: Australian English post boxPillock: A mildly offensive term for a foolish or obnoxious person, similar to idiot or moron. Also refers to male genetaliaPlimsoll : Australian English sandshoePneumatic drill: Australian English jackhammerPolo neck : Australian English skivvyPoorly: Unwell or sickPress-up : Australian English push-upPushchair: A wheeled cart for pushing a baby. Australian English: stroller or pramPusher: A wheeled cart for pushing a baby. Australian English: stroller or pramRodgering: A mildly offensive term for sexual intercourse, similar to Australian English rootingSaloon : Australian English sedanScratchings : Solid material left after rendering animal fat. Australian English cracklingSellotape: Australian English sticky tapeShan't: Australian English will notSkive : To play truant, particularly from an educational institution. Australian English to wagSleeping policeman: Australian English speed hump or speed bumpSnog : To kiss passionately, equivalent to Australian English pashSod: A mildly offensive term for an unpleasant personSpinney: A small area of trees and bushesStrimmer: Australian English whipper snipper or line trimmerSwan : To move from one place to another ostentatiouslySweets: Australian English lolliesTailback: A long queue of stationary or slow-moving trafficTipp-Ex: Australian English white out or liquid paperTrainers: Athletic footwear. Australian English runners or sneakersTurning : Where one road branches from another. Australian English turnUtility room: A room containing washing or other home appliances, similar to Australian English laundryValue-added tax : Australian English goods and services tax (GST)Wellington boots: Australian English gumboots
American English terms not widely used in Australian EnglishAcclimate: Australian English acclimatiseAirplane: Australian English aeroplaneAluminum: Australian English aluminiumBaby carriage: Australian English stroller or pramBangs: A hair style. Australian English fringeBaseboard : Australian English skirting boardBayou: Australian English swampBell pepper: Australian English capsicumBellhop: Australian English hotel porterBeltway: Australian English ring roadBoondocks: An isolated, rural area. Australian English the sticks or Woop Woop or Beyond the black stumpBroil : Australian English grillBullhorn: Australian English megaphoneBurglarize: Australian English burgleBusboy: A subclass of waiterCandy: Australian English lolliesCellular phone: Australian English mobile phoneCheck:. Australian English billCilantro: Australian English corianderComforter: Australian English doonaCondominium: Australian English apartmentCounter-clockwise: Australian English anticlockwiseCoveralls: Australian English overallsCrapshoot: A risky ventureDiaper: Australian English nappyDowntown: Australian English central business districtDrapes: Australian English curtainsDrugstore: Australian English pharmacy or chemistDrywall: Australian English plasterboardDumpster: Australian English skip binDweeb: Australian English nerdEraser: Australian English rubberFall : Australian English autumnFanny pack: Australian English bum bagFaucet: Australian English tapFlashlight: Australian English torchFreshman: A first year student at a highschool or universityFrosting : Australian English icingGasoline: Australian English petrolGas pedal: Australian English acceleratorGas Station: Australian English service station or petrol stationGlove compartment: Australian English gloveboxGolden raisin: Australian English sultanaGrifter: Australian English con artistGround beef: Australian English minced beef or minceHood : Australian English bonnetHot tub: Australian English spa or spa bathJell-o: Australian English jellyLadybug: Australian English ladybirdMail-man: Australian English postman or postieMass transit: Australian English public transportMath: Australian English mathsMineral spirits: Australian English turpentineNightstand: Australian English bedside tableObligated: Australian English obligedOut-of-state: Australian English interstatePacifier: Australian English dummyParking lot: Australian English car parkPenitentiary: Australian English prison or jailPeriod: Australian English full stopPlay hooky : To play truant from an educational institution. Equivalent to Australian English wagPopsicle: Australian English ice block or icy poleRailroad: Australian English railwayRailroad ties: Australian English Railway sleepersRappel: Australian English abseilRealtor: Australian English real estate agentRoot : To enthusiastically support a sporting team. Equivalent to Australian English barrackRow house: Australian English terrace houseSales tax: Australian English goods and services tax (GST)Saran wrap: Australian English plastic wrap or cling wrapScad: Australian English a large quantityScallion: Australian English spring onionSharpie : Australian English permanent marker or texta or felt penShopping cart: Australian English shopping trolleySidewalk: Australian English footpathSilverware or flatware: Australian English cutlerySoda pop: Australian English soft drinkStreetcar: Australian English tramSweater: Garment. Australian English jumperSweatpants: Australian English tracksuit pants/trackiesTailpipe: Australian English exhaust pipeTakeout: Australian English takeawayTrash can: Australian English garbage bin or rubbish binTrunk : Australian English bootTurn signal: Australian English indicatorTurtleneck: Australian English skivvyUpscale and downscale: Australian English upmarket and downmarketVacation: Australian English holidayWindshield: Australian English windscreen''