Learn how to speak Australian! Maybe you’re travelling to Australia and want to blend in with the locals, or maybe you just want to learn some funky new slang. Whatever your reason, here are 22 commonly used Australian words! 

Arvo: Afternoon. 

Example: Oi, let’s head to the beach this arvo! 

Bathers: Bathing suit, swimsuit. 

Example: Those floral bathers are awful! 

Bogan: Australian equivalent of “redneck”; unsophisticated. 

Example: Nah mate, drinking VBs doesn’t make you look bogan. 

Bottle shop: Liquor store. 

Example: Did you know Australia has drive-thru bottle shops? 

Chemist: Pharmacy. 

Example: I’ve got to stop at the chemist’s to pick up some aloe. I’m burnt to a crisp! 

Coppa: Police, cop. 

Example: Slow down mate, there’s a coppa driving right behind us. 

Defo: Definitely. 

Example: I defo just aced that exam. 

Devo: Devastated. 

Example: Did you see the tigers lost? I’m devo. 

Drop bear: A DEFINITELY REAL vicious bear that drops from trees and attacks tourists. 

Example: CAMPUS ANNOUNCEMENT: All classes have been cancelled today on account of vicious drop bears harassing students. 

Esky: A cooler, ice box; stems from the work “eskimo.” 

Example: I’m so glad you remembered to put the VBs in the esky. 

Footy: Rugby. 

Example: If you don’t follow footy, we can’t be friends. 

Macca’s: McDonald’s. 

Example: Nothing beats Macca’s at 2am. 

Servo: A gas station. 

Example: Can we stop at the servo for water? I’m parched. 

Snag aka mystery bag: A sausage. 

Example: Every Aussie cookout has got to have snags. 

Stubbie holder: A beer cozy. 

Example: My beer is nice and cold thanks to my new stubbie holder. 

Sunnies: Sunglasses. 

Example: Block out the haters with a sweet pair of sunnies. 

Thongs: Flip flops. 

Example: I stepped off the plane into snow in only my thongs! 

Tinny: Beer can. 

Example: There are tinnies all over the apartment! 

Traddie: A tradesperson. 

Example: He’s busy hanging with hi traddie buddies. 

Unco: Uncoordinated. 

Example: She’s so unco that she trips on flat ground. 

Ute: Short for “utility”; a weird car-truck hybrid. 

Example: Wow, that ute makes him look SO HOT!  – Said no one ever 

Whinge: To whine. 

Example: Quit whingeing and do the dishes! 

As you can see, Aussies like to shorten their words, and most things end in -o. This is the same trend as Aussie nicknames: Jack becomes Jacko, Tim become Timo, etc. Now, go ahead and give these new words a try and see who catches on! If you have any slang from other countries, leave us a comment down below, we’d love to hear it!  

Cheers, 

Caroline