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Australian Slang/Phrase Dictionary

Here’s a running list of slang and phrases that I’ve heard that I had to have clarified. These are hopefully the proper definitions:

Grog – Alcohol. “Want to get some grog?”
Goolies – Male naughty bits. (Said during a church sermon), “So my mate got a blue bottle down the front of his boardies, and it was wrapped around his goolies.”
Bludger – A lazy person; verb: bludging. (Said on tour of Sydney Harbor bridge). “Those blokes down there have been bludging all day.”
Dunny or Dunnies – Toilets (Word written on the wall of the Outback Steakhouse), “Are ‘dunnies’…” “Yes, they are the toilets.”
Daks – Pants, trousers. “Should I put on my good daks before hitting the pub?”
Chin wag – A talk, social exchange. Context, “Well be getting together for a bar-b and a chin wag.”
Ute – Truck. Ute is short for utility.
Dag – A piece of poop on a sheeps bottom (New Zealand origin). “You sure you don’t mind me going out looking like a dag?”
Cozzie – Bathing or swimsuit. However, it is more commonly referred to as “swimmers.”
Sparrows – In the morning. “We’ll leave at sparrows.”

Shortened words - Australians are lazy in speech and drop full syllables and add “o’s” at the end:
Avo – Afternoon
Air Con – Air Conditioning
Bar-b – Barbecue
Rego – Car registration, required for all vehicles
Servo – Gas/Petrol Station (although gas in Australia doesn’t mean petrol; it means excreted air)

One Comment

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  1. Laker says:

    What’s the American synonym for “dag”? Isn’t it “dingleberry”? I don’t know which one I like better.

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