Useful Australian English Phrases
Speak Australian English - useful phrases for a gap year in Australia! You shouldn't have too many problems getting around Oz - but these are a couple of phrases you can learn if you don't want to stand out as a Pom on your gap year. Some of them have their roots in Aboriginal culture.
Useful Australian English Phrases - greetings and small talk
| G'day mate |
Hello, good day, hey. A bit cheesy but you will hear it. Just don't look like you're being sarcastic if you say it. |
| Catch ya later |
see you later |
| Fair dinkum |
fair enough |
| No worries |
no problem |
| Good on ya |
well done |
| Feral |
disgusting |
| Sweet as |
no problem |
Useful Australian English Phrases - practicalities
| Dunny |
loo |
| ATM |
cash machine |
| Hotel |
often a pub, not somewhere you can stay the night |
Do you want to pay on Eftpos? - Do you want to pay on a debit or credit card?
(Eftpos stands for Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale)
Do you want to pay on your savings or credit account? A savings account refers to an Australian current account. Unless you've set up an Australian current account, say you want to use your credit account. The same applies at cash machines.
| Slip! Slop! Slap! |
You might hear the motto of the Australian health campaign being quoted - it means: slip on a t-shirt, slop on the sun cream and slap on a hat. |
Useful Australian English Phrases - what they call us!
Speak Australian English - insults! Use with care.
| Bastard |
bastard |
| Bogan |
pikey, chav |
These terms can be used affectionately but it's probably best not to say them unless you're absolutely sure of the effect they'll have. And if someone utters one then comes at you with raised fists, it probably wasn't meant as a term of endearment.
Useful Australian English Phrases - food and drink
| Sanger |
sandwich |
| Snag |
sausage |
| Capsicum |
[green or red] pepper. Ask for pepper and you'll get the black stuff. |
| Chicken salt |
seasoned salt, similar to Britain's chip shake, which you might be offered in fast food outlets. |
| Esky |
cool box |
| Barbie |
barbecue |
| Schooner |
half a pint |
| Bottle shop/Bottlo |
off-licence |
| Tinny |
can of beer |
| To skull or skol a beer |
to down a beer |
Useful Australian English Phrases - random phrases that might come in handy on your gap year
| The bush |
the countryside |
| Rock up |
turn up (to the pub etc.) |
| To pash |
to kiss |
| Shark biscuit |
someone who's new to surfing |
| Thongs |
flip-flops (So don't look shocked if someone asks you to take your thongs off!) |
| Ute [pronounced yoot] |
pick-up truck |
| Soccer |
football. Go to see a football match in Oz and you'll watch two teams of 18 playing with a rugby-shaped ball. |
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