Australian Slang For Barbecue (Answered!)

The most common Australian slang word for barbecue is “barbie”. There are a handful of other terms that are occasionally used, such as “byo”, “’cue”, and “bbq”. These are definitely the most common slang terms for barbecue in Australia, though some are much more common than others.

If there’s one stereotype that most of us have of Australians, it’s that they love a barbecue and a cookout.

The word “Barbie” might be one of the most iconic bits of Australian slang there is, so it’s unsurprising there is a robust selection of slang words for it.

Let’s get started.

In This Article

What do Australians call barbecues?

Australians have a handful of different terms for barbecues, but you are probably most familiar with one of the most common: “barbie” or “barby”.

This is an iconic piece of Australian slang, most commonly known from the phrase “throw another shrimp on the barbie”.

While this phrase, itself, is obviously a stereotype and a caricature as much as anything else, the slang phrase “barbie” is very much a widely used slang term for barbecue in Australia.

Given the climate in Australia, barbecues are a very common and popular way to get together with friends.

A shortening of this type, then, seems a lot more natural than it might in a country with less year-round sunshine.

This is part of the reason the idea of barbecues has become so associated with Australia—they do love to have barbecues over there!

But there are other slang terms for barbecue that you will hear from time to time.

One of the most common other than barbie is “’cue”.

This is essentially formed in the same way, just as the opposite of “barbie”—taking the end of the word and cutting off the rest.

This one is definitely nowhere near as common as “barbie”, but it is widely used across Australia.

There are a couple of slang terms that specifically refer to the event of hosting a barbecue, too.

Of course, the terms we’ve already looked at do this in part, too.

You could say “barbie” to mean both the barbecue itself and the event of having people over to have a barbeque.

These terms include “byo”, which refers to how you need to bring your own beer to the event.

So, while barbie is definitely the most common slang term for barbecue in Australia, you do have plenty of others, too.

Where do they all come from?

Why do Australians say Barbie?

Barbie as a slang term for barbecue simply makes a lot of sense on the face of it.

This is especially the case in Australia, where shortening words and adding a –Y sound to the ending is a very common convention of slang in the country.

So, this is the best answer for where “barbie” originated as a piece of slang.

Shortening words and changing the sound at the end is particularly common practice in Australia, but it’s done virtually across the English-speaking world to some degree.

In terms of when the term “barbie” originally started being used, it’s really very difficult to say.

It seems to have been some time in the 20^th Century, though when precisely has been lost to time.

It was simply too common to have any real connection to its origin, anymore.

What about byo?

Why do Australians say byo?

Sometimes, you will hear Australians referring to the barbecue as a “byo” event.

What this means is “bring your own”—the point being that when you come to the barbecue, you have to bring your own beer or alcohol.

This, again, is a very common convention across the English-speaking world, but in Australia, it often specifically refers to a barbecue.

As you can see, this one really couldn’t refer to the actual barbecue itself—just the event of hosting a barbecue cookout.

Why do Australians say ‘cue?

‘Cue is another one that should be fairly intuitive to work out.

In the same way that “barbie” simply shortens the word into the first half of it, ‘cue does the opposite—shortening the world to just the end.

This, really, is all there is to say about this one!

Again, in terms of when it started being used, it’s just really not clear.

It was also popular by the end of the 20^th Century although, again, it was nowhere near as popular as barbie.

Why do Australians say bbq?

BBQ is just a shortening of the word barbecue.

It’s commonly used in Australia, as well as many other English-speaking countries.

The term originated from the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, where the Taíno people used the term “barbacoa” to refer to a method of slow-cooking meat over an open fire.

So, although “barbie” might be the most common and widely used slang term in Australia for a barbecue, there certainly are others that are used.

It does depend, somewhat, on the context of the barbecue in question.

“Barbecue” means both the actual appliance with which you do the cooking and the get-together itself.

So, slang terms for barbecue can include both the appliance itself and the act of having a barbecue with your friends.

More in Australian Slang

Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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