Australian Slang For Boyfriend (Explained!)

There are a few specific Australian slang terms for boyfriend. One common one is to call them a wombat, or sometimes a possum. You may also hear “my fella”. Other than that, though, they mostly share their slang terms with other English slang, including terms like babe.

Depending on the Australian in question, they might use some of the most Australian sounding slang you’ve ever heard to refer to their boyfriend.

On the other hand, another person might be just as likely to use a slang term virtually ubiquitous across the English speaking world.

Let’s find out more.

In This Article

What do Australians call their boyfriends?

There are many choices for what an Australian could call their boyfriend.

It’s worth pointing out, straight away, that Australians share most of the same slang terms for boyfriend that you would hear in the rest of the English speaking world.

Some are certainly far more common than others, but expect to hear things like “babe,” “baby,” “sweetie,” “honey” and so on. In all likelihood, any Australian that you meet who has a boyfriend will use a term like this.

That said, there are more than a few specific Australian slang terms which you’re unlikely to hear outside of Australia, or in maybe only one other place.

Probably the most common example of this is “fella,” or “my fella”.

You’re probably familiar with the term “fella” meaning man.

But in Australian slang, it can also be a slang term specifically for someone’s boyfriend. “I’m going out with my fella tonight,” for instance.

There are a couple of others, too.

You’ve probably heard of the Australian wombat.

Well, that is another way you might colloquially refer to your boyfriend.

Particularly, this is one you would use if your boyfriend is being somewhat obnoxious or difficult. “The wombat has been being really annoying lately,” for example.

Again, this one isn’t exactly the most commonly used, but it’s quintessentially Australian and far from outright rare.

Other than that, one other animal which you may name your boyfriend after is the possum.

This one is more of a straight term of endearment, not meaning that you’re acting like a nocturnal rodent or anything like that. “Can you pass me that, possum?” for example.

It’s how they might address their boyfriend, rather than how they would talk about them with friends.

Possums are not only found in Australia, but it seems that Australians are the only ones who have taken the term to mean this.

Let’s find out where these terms come from.

Why do Australians say wombat?

While we would struggle to trace the origin of the use of the term wombat as a slang term for boyfriend with any precision, there are a few things we can naturally surmise.

Obviously, wombats are a native creature, and found in pretty large numbers across Australia.

Further, marsupials like this were hitherto undreamt of before Australia was discovered, so the country naturally became heavily defined by this wildlife.

Finally, “wombat” has been in use to mean an idiot or blockheaded person for a very long time.

Again, we don’t know for sure when this started, but it was likely a precursor to the use of wombat as playful term to mean an obnoxious partner.

In other words, calling your boyfriend a wombat just came very naturally to Australians!

What about possum?

Why do Australians say possum?

So, as you might expect, the story behind “possum” as slang for boyfriend is really very similar.

They, too, are native to Australia, and though similar creatures are found elsewhere in the world, they still took on their own unique Australian character.

The real puzzle of this slang term is why this one should come to be a purely affectionate term for boyfriend, whereas “wombat” was more of an endearing insult.

As best we can tell, it’s probably just as much about the words and sounds themselves as about the animals.

“Possum”, as a word, sounds soft and intimate.

The S sounds are gentle and associated more with these kinds of feelings. “Wombat” on the other hand is a harsh, two syllables working against each other, both with heavy consonant sounds.

So, it’s simply the case that “possum”, even just purely in terms of the sound of the word, is inherently gentler than “wombat”.

Why do Australians say fella?

The one you are perhaps most likely to actually hear from the lips of an Australian is fella, or my fella.

Though this doesn’t always mean boyfriend, when said in the singular as “my fella”, it more than likely does mean boyfriend.

The first recorded examples of this word come from the 19^th Century.

It is widely agreed that the word comes from an altered, regional pronunciation of “fellow”, in England.

Australia and England shared a great deal of culture at this time, and so at some point the term fella simply became commonplace.

It always meant a man, though, generally.

By extension, it eventually came to mean someone’s boyfriend.

Again, though, the important difference is the “my”. “The fellas” might refer to a man’s friends, but “my fella” is almost certainly someone’s boyfriend.

Australians certainly share a profound and intimate love language, then.

But they also know how to give their boyfriends a playful hard time. Wombats and possums might be cute, but most of us wouldn’t want to be compared to one!

In any case, the vast majority of Australians likely use terms that you’re already familiar with for their slang, so you’ll most likely understand them intuitively.

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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