Cut snake (Mad as a): this is an extremely Australian way to say that someone is very angry.
Nenagh Kemp, a psychologist at the University of Tasmania, told Australian Geographic her theories behind why Australians use these shortened words so often. Her theory is that Australians use them as a way of coming across as more friendly and less pretentious.
Aussie Word of the Week
To arc up means to become upset or livid with anger, to 'flare up' like a welder's torch.
C*nt, the “C” word – Used when exchanging pleasantries between close friends or family member. If someone calls you the “C” word in Australia (and you haven't done anything to make them angry), then breathe a sigh of relief… it means you have entered the mate zone.
Hug an Australian Day is an international holiday celebrated every year on April 26. The idea is really simple; share a hug with an Australian friend. A hug is a physical display of affection.
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”.
Bludger. (Noun) A lazy person. “I'm running around like a headless chook organising this bloody barbie, and Johnno's just sitting there like a bludger!”
Sheila = Girl
Yes, that is the Australian slang for girl.
traps, trappers or jacks – police. These Australianisms have been largely replaced by the international cops, coppers, pigs or bacon. However the older, more affectionate wallopers is also still used.
In 2002, Michelle Griffin discussed the fact that "bogan" is no longer just being used as an insult, but is in fact a way to identify with the "Aussie" culture that many Anglo‐Saxon Australian citizens are proud of. In the past, bogan was a term of disdain, but nowadays it has become "cool" to be a bogan.
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?”. This is usually spoken as a simple greeting, and is not an actual enquiry about your wellbeing.
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”.
Why do Australians call sweets “lollies”, even when they have no sticks? According to British English from A to Zed by Norman Schur (Harper, 1991) “lolly” derives onomatopoetically for the mouth sounds associated with sucking or licking. The word “lollipop” came later.
A silent cop, also referred to as a "sleeping policeman" or a "traffic dome", is a traffic management device formerly widely used in Australia. It consisted of a metal or concrete dome, about 400 mm (16 in) wide and about 125 mm (5 in) tall, embedded in the road surface.
2 syllables: "KAN" + "dee"
"Dude", "K" and "Salty" are Apparently Aussie Teens' Fave Words.
– Compliment them on their accent. This is sure to get their attention and will make them feel good about themselves. – Be direct. Australians are known for being direct, so if you want to get their attention, it's best just to come out and say what you're thinking.
1. to do a poop: I gotta goona. 2. gunna (pronounced 'goona') = manure: I stepped in dog gunna; That kid is in deep gunna.
This could occur because the word “no” is an example of what linguists call an open syllable, meaning it has no consonant at its close. This allows the speaker to lengthen the vowel and draw it out – a feature we love in different Australian accents!