Language in Little Ones (LiLO) is a research study conducted by the Child Health, Development and Education (inclusive of the Fraser Mustard Centre) team at Telethon Kids Institute, who are based in Adelaide, South Australia.
5. Sheila = Girl. Yes, that is the Australian slang for girl.
The shoe known in Australia as a “thong” is one of the oldest styles of footwear in the world.
Brolly: an umbrella (or brolly for short) is an essential in Melbourne's famously moody climate.
Contributor's comments: Port is used for suitcase, I agree, but it is also used in Queensland schools for a school bag of any size or shape, not just a suitcase or portmanteau.
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.
A female kangaroo is known as a 'flyer' or a 'doe' and a male kangaroo a 'buck' or a 'boomer' (hence the nickname of the Australian men's basketball team, the Boomers). They live in social groups called mobs.
Depending on which country you are from, you may use the term, woollen sweater, wool jumper, pullover or jersey – they can all be used when referring to a wool jumper, woollen jumper Australia, knitwear Australia or woollen sweaters. Woolen jumpers Australia are what we know as a woollen pullover.
Here in Australia, however, McDonald's most prevalent nickname is “Macca's”. A recent branding survey commissioned by McDonald's Australia found that 55 per cent of Australians refer to the company by its local slang name.
Dished up and Kerry-Packered. Aussie slang from the 1930s, this term is an extension of dished, meaning “ruined, beatened, damned,” according to Cassell's. (Saying “I'll be dished” is another way to say “I'll be damned.”) Another way to say tired in Australia is kerry-packered, rhyming slang for knackered.
Ask an Aussie to name a truly Australian word, and they might yell "Bonzer!" Bonzer, sometimes also spelled bonza, means "first-rate" or "excellent," and it is the Australian equivalent of the American "awesome": "It's a good clean game ... and the standard is red hot," Thies said.
Catch you later is an Australian slang form of saying 'goodbye'. A: Anyway, it's time for me to go home. Catch you later. If you do happen to talk to an Australian they may ask you if you are fair dinkum.
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.
THE ''ute'' is to Australians what the pickup is to Americans: a blue-collar icon and a symbol of rugged independence. Utes are integral to everyday existence in the bush -- and, increasingly, to life in the city. What's a ute?
1. to convey a second person on a horse, bicycle, or motorcycle. --noun 2. a ride obtained from being pugged. Compare bar2, dink, dinky1, dinky-double, donkey1, double, dub.
that Australians use for food. You will hear this word used a lot in more in country towns compared to the city. “I'm really hungry, I can't wait to get some tucker.”
There's no collective noun for a group of Koalas moving around together because Koalas don't move around in groups like dolphins or some birds.
The dingo (Canis familiaris, Canis familiaris dingo, Canis dingo, or Canis lupus dingo) is an ancient (basal) lineage of dog found in Australia.
The term "mate" is essentially gender neutral in Australia.
This applies almost in all cases except perhaps if you're a male and bump into a woman who is 'generationally' older than you.
Pommy or pom
The terms pommy, pommie, and pom used in Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand usually denote a British person.
“How ya goin'?” is the ultimate Aussie greeting. If you're not from Australia, this mash-up of “How are you?” and “Where are you going?” might leave you a little perplexed. If it helps, think of how the Brits say “y'alright?” - it requires no detailed response. In fact, a simple “hey!” will suffice.