Ever since the legendary Paul Hogan burst onto the international scene as the eponymous character in the classic film Crocodile Dundee in 1986, people around the world became familiar with Australian English or slang (not to mention what knives look like down under). While there's no definitive glossary of Australian slang terms, we've tried to include the most common, useful and/or funny ones, with special attention paid to what's primarily used in Queensland. If you think there are some essential terms that we missed and should be added to the list, we'd love to hear your recommendations at goldcoast@inyourpocket.com.
A is for...
​avos – avocados
B is for...
bail out – leave
Banana Bender – a person from Queensland
​barbie – barbecue
bathers – swimming costume/suit
​bevan – see 'bogan'
​bikies – motorcyclists
bloke – man
blow in – stranger
​bludger – lazy person
blue – a fight
​bogan – person who spends their day drinking beer and not doing much else
​bonzer – great, fantastic
booze bus – police vehicle used for catching drink drivers
bottle shop – liquor store, off-license
​brekkie – breakfast
​Brizzie – Brisbane
budgie smugglers – men's swimming costume (Speedos)
bugs – Moreton Bay Bugs (ie a small, tasty crustacean)
bush telly – campfire
BYO – 'bring your own', restaurant license allowing customers to bring their own alcohol
C is for...
​cark it – to die, stop working
​chook – chicken
​Chrissie – Christmas
chuck a yewy – makes a u-turn in traffic
​chunder – vomit
Cockroach – a person from New South Wales
​cozzie – swimming costume
​crikey – exclamation of surprise
Crow Eater – a person from South Australia
cut lunch – a sandwich
D is for...
dead horse – tomato sauce
dill – an idiot
​dinkum – honest, sincere, genuine
docket – bill, receipt
dog – unattractive woman
​drongo – stupid person
​dunny – outdoor lavatory
​durry – tobacco, cigarette
E is for...
​esky – a cooler / large, portable, insulated container for keep things cool
F is for...
feral – a hippie
​fisho – fishmonger
flake – shark meat
​footy – Australian Rules football or Rugby league
​franger – condom
full – drunk
G is for...
good oil – useful information
grog – alcoholic drinks
grouse – great, very good, terrific
H is for...
heaps – lots
​hoon – hooligan
J is for...
​journo – journalist
jug – electric kettle
K is for...
knock – to criticise
L is for...
liquid laugh – vomit
M is for...
​Maccas – McDonald's
Mexican – a person from Victoria
milk bar – small market that sells takeaway food
mob – a group of people
​mozzies – mosquitoes
P is for...
pav – pavlova (ie traditional Australian dessert named for Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova)
piss – beer
pissed – drunk
plonk – cheap wine
​pokkies – electronic poker machines, fruit machines or slot machines
Pom – an person from England
​prezzy – gift
R is for...
rage – party
​rellie – family relative
ripper – great, fantastic
root – f*ck (for almost all of its many diverse uses)
S is for...
Sand Groper – a person from Western Australia
​sanger – sandwich
scallops – fried potato pancakes
​Seppo – a person from the USA
servo – petrol station
shark biscuit – inexperienced surfer
​sheila – woman
​shonky – dodgy
shout – to buy a round of drinks
snag – sausage
strides – trousers/pants
stubby – 375ml bottle of beer
​sunbake – sunbathe
​sunnies – sunglasses
T is for...
tea – supper
technicolour yawn – vomit
thongs – flip flops
tinny – can of beer
togs – swimming costume/suit
tucker – food
turps – alcoholic drinks
two-pot screamer – someone who gets drunk easily
U is for...
unit – flat/apartment
W is for...
walkabout – a long walk by yourself
​whinge – complain, whine, moan
​wowser – a prude, spoilsport, teetotaller
Y is for...
​yabber – to talk a lot
​yabby – freshwater crayfish
​yakka – work
​youse – plural form of 'you'
