“How ya goin'?” is the ultimate
Yeah, nah – 'yes, no' - became popular in Australia in the 90s and has continued to grow in use, both in Australia and overseas. Like all good things, the Kiwis claim it as theirs too, even using it for a major drink driving campaign.
Mate. “Mate” is a popular word for friend. And while it's used in other English-speaking countries around the world, it has a special connection to Australia. In the past, mate has been used to address men, but it can be gender-neutral.
Hooroo = Goodbye
The Australian slang for goodbye is Hooroo and sometimes they even Cheerio like British people.
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”.
There are a few things you will notice straightway when you talk to Australians (or Aussies for short). First, they tend to add the word “aye” to many sentences – but don't worry about that, it doesn't really mean anything. Secondly, they LOVE to use slang. Lots and lots of slang.
"Eh?" used to solicit agreement or confirmation is also heard regularly amongst speakers in Australia, Trinidad and Tobago and the United Kingdom (where it is sometimes spelled "ay" on the assumption that "eh" would rhyme with "heh" or "meh").
Noice, or nice pronounced with an exaggerated Australian accent, is a synonym for awesome.
'Ta' means 'thank you'. "A: Can you please pass me the sauce? B: Sure, here you go. A: Ta."
Certainly if you're in the US, your mother is your “mom” – short for “mommy” and in the UK, Australia and New Zealand it's “mum” – shortened from “mummy”.
In Australian English “cheers” isn't just used to celebrate before drinking with your mates, it is also used as a way to say thank you. Cheers can also be heard in other English speaking countries but is definitely most prominent in Australia.
McDonald's research found that 55 per cent of Australians called the company Macca's and they have submitted the word to the Macquarie Dictionary for consideration. It's an Australian habit to abbreviate names. So Barry becomes Bazza, Warren becomes Waz and anyone whose surname begins with Mc is likely to become Macca.
It's "good evening", or the non-time specific "g'day". Contributor's comments: I grew up in Brisbane, and have never, heard 'Goodnight' as a greeting.
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.
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.
It is similar to the American English "no problem". The phrase is widely used in Australian speech and represents a feeling of friendliness, good humour, optimism and "mateship" in Australian culture. The phrase has been referred to as the national motto of Australia.
Traditional IPA: ˈsɒriː 2 syllables: "SORR" + "ee"
Durry, a New Zealand or Australian slang term for cigarette.