While some Australian speakers would pronounce “no” as a diphthong, starting on “oh” as in dog and ending on “oo” as in put, others begin with an unstressed “a” (the sound at the end of the word “sofa”), then move to the “oh” and then “oo”.
Yeah, nah – 'yes, no' - became popular in Australia in the 90s and has continued to grow in use, both in Australia and overseas.
#1 The Australian accent is non-rhotic
This is a key feature that only occasionally has exceptions. Sometimes native speakers will pronounce the /r/ sound at the end of the word if linking two words closely but only if the next word contains a vowel sound at the start.
Righto. Delivery is key here; it can mean “OK”, “Right, let's get going” or “I understand, but I'm not sure I believe you”.
In general, Australian slang can be divided into two popular suffixes: Ee's and O's. By adding an 'o' onto the end of most words and you are bound to sound Australian. Arvo: Meaning 'afternoon'. The initial arv sound in 'afternoon' is abbreviated and an 'o' is added to round off this colloquialism.
Interjection. oi (UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, usually impolite) Said to get someone's attention; hey.
People from Australia call their homeland “Oz;” a phonetic abbreviation of the country's name, which also harkens to the magical land from L. Frank Baum's fantasy tale.
While some Australian speakers would pronounce “no” as a diphthong, starting on “oh” as in dog and ending on “oo” as in put, others begin with an unstressed “a” (the sound at the end of the word “sofa”), then move to the “oh” and then “oo”.
It surely sounds strange to those who are familiar with American or British English, but it is a very common expression in Australia. G'day is a shortened form of 'Good Day' and it is the equivalent of 'Hello. ' Mate means friend or buddy and it can be used to address your friend or a total stranger.
Zed is widely known to be used in British English. But it's also used in almost every English-speaking country. In England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Australia, India, Canada (usually), and New Zealand, Z is pronounced as zed.
One of the first things you'll notice about Australia will no doubt be the very unique speaking habits of its people. Australians speak fast, 'chew' words and skip pronunciation of letters – combine this with their penchant for slang and abbreviations, and you have a language that's quite difficult to comprehend!
Break 'literally' down into sounds: [LIT] + [UH] + [RUH] + [LEE] - say it out loud and exaggerate the sounds until you can consistently produce them.
No worries
It's said to be the national motto of Australia. This expression means “do not worry about it”, or “it's all right”. It can also mean “sure thing” and “you're welcome.” So, when you bump into a person on the train and you apologise, they may respond with “no worries”, meaning “it's all right”.
The most common verbal greeting is a simple “Hey”, “Hello”, or “Hi”. Some people may use Australian slang and say “G'day” or “G'day mate”. However, this is less common in cities. Many Australians greet by saying “Hey, how are you?”.
A lolly is a sweet or piece of confectionery. Particular to Australia and New Zealand, lolly has been part of Aussie slang since the 1850s. A conversation lolly is a sugary lolly with a conversational, often romantic, sentiment impressed into it.
Yes, “mate” IS gender neutral. I've always addressed people of both / all / any (no idea what the correct term is) genders as “mate” ... as long as it was age and situation appropriate. I'm surrounded by men and women who do the same.
Nuffy (nuff-ee) / Idiot
Also known as a nuff nuff, mick mock, spud, mug, boof head, drongo, dipstick or galah.
“Bugger” is common in both Aussie and British slang, and vaguely refers to someone or something that is annoying. Calling someone a bugger can be used affectionately or derogatorily. The general expletive can be used in any situation, and roughly means,“F*** off/me” or “Well, I'll be damned!”
Cheeky: Used widely in Aboriginal Australia, the word cheeky isn't only used to refer to insolence but also behaviour that is dangerous. A dog prone to biting people, for example, would be described as “cheeky”.
The terms pommy, pommie, and pom used in Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand usually denote a British person. Newspapers in Australia were using the term by 1912, with it appearing first in Western Australia, and was said to be short for pomegranate, with the terms "jimmy" and "jimmigrant" also in use.
McDonald's first opened in Australia in 1971, and it wasn't long before the locals started calling it "Macca's" - a nickname that has stuck ever since. There are several theories about how this came about, but the most likely explanation is that it was simply a shortened form of "Macdonald's".
Bluey is an Australian nickname for a person with red hair. As a nickname, Bluey may refer to: Frank 'Bluey' Adams (born 1935), former Australian rules football player. Derek Arnold (born 1941), New Zealand former rugby union player. David Bairstow (1951–1998), English cricketer.