When you and in a foreign country you are usually armed with a few sayings or phrases to get you through some basic conversations or questions. School boy French, possibly the odd bit of German and maybe some REALLY basic Spanish is the stretch of my linguistic skills. But when you come to Oz you think you’ll be fine – after all it’s and English speaking country. Much like counties across England Oz has it’s own slang abbreviations, so this week it’s my Top Ten Aussie Slang Terms.
1. Brah
A typically Aussie term for brother/friend/mate
2. Schooner/Midi/Pot
No pints down under, and not content with a single measure of beer the Aussies have these 3! Schooner is just under a pint, midi small still and well who the hell is going to order a pot of beer? Not a backpacker, that’s for sure!
3. Frothing
Another surfer term, if you’re frothing over something you’re really excited.
4. Slab
Back to the drinking (notice the pattern yet?!) again the aussies seem to find the need to make things complicated. No crates of beer, you buy them by the slab.
5. Goon o’clock
Awwww the good old goon. Typically Australian, but when it boils down to it it’s simply cheap boxed, foil wrapped wine. Goon o’clock is amore a backpacker term for drinking time!
6. Ute
You’ll see them all over Oz. The English call them pickups, the Australians call them Utes. In all fairness the Oz versions are pretty pimped out though – short for utility.
7. Thongs
Now if you see a sign in a shop saying “free thongs with purchase over $10” don’t be alarmed, thongs are merely flip flops!
8. Dooner
You probably won’t need one of these unless it’s winter or your in south Oz or Tassie, a dooner is a duvet.
9. Heaps
The most over used word in the Aussie dictionary. “OMG it was heaps good” – it basically replaces the word “really”, truly bad english but we a in Oz after all!
10. Scull
More drinking terminology, don’t down a drink – scull it!
11. G’day
The typical Aussie greeting – adopted worldwide its got to be put in here as an extra!
Don’t say “hi mate the surfs really good, I’m excited, let’s get barrelled then down a crate of beer in the car”
“G’day brah, the surfs heaps good, I’m frothing. Let’s get bazzered then scull a slab of beer in ute to celebrate”
