Australian Slang For Cigarette (Helpful Content!)

The most common Australian slang term for cigarette is “dart”. This one is not really used outside Australia and is the most widely used term in Australia. People of all generations this is a stand in for the word cigarette. Other than that, common terms include “ciggie” or also “durry” as common slang for cigarette.

Cigarettes are, for now, here to stay.

Whether you like smoking or think it’s disgusting, either way you’ve got to live with the fact that it is still a thing people do.

Australia is no different, and so there are more than a few slang terms for describing cigarettes in Australian slang.

Let’s find out more.

In This Article

What do Australians call cigarettes?

The most common Australian slang term for a cigarette is a “dart”.

This is used throughout the entire country by just about everyone of all demographics.

It’s by no means a new term, so the older generations have held on to it from their own youths.

At the same time, it hasn’t stagnated or fallen out of fashion, so most young people also tend to favor the term over others.

It can refer to any kind of cigarette and even small cigars.

“He’s just been sitting back there punching darts all night,” for example.

Another common slang term for a cigarette in Australia is “durry”.

This one is also used throughout the country and isn’t restricted to any one region—indeed, it’s also used in neighboring New Zealand.

This again is more or less universal and everyone will at the very least understand it, even if they don’t use it themselves.

Whether they are young or old, from any demographic, they will probably know or use this term. “I’m just going outside for a quick durry,” for example.

It is also sometimes spelled “durry”.

“Ciggie” is very common in Australia, too.

This is not quite unique to Australia as it is certainly used in the U.K., too, though perhaps not to the same extent.

It’s more regional in the U.K., whereas it’s pretty widely used across Australia.

Again, everyone will understand what this term means in Australia even if they don’t use it themselves.

“You need to cut down on the ciggies,” for example.

“Cig” is also sometimes used, and there are a handful of older terms that have mostly fallen out of use, such as “darb”, “neen” and “durben”.

You may still hear these from time to time, but they were regional to begin with and are very little used now.

Why do Australians say “dart”?

“Dart” is an interesting example because it has since spread to Canada and become one of the most common slang terms for a cigarette there, too.

But it certainly originated in Australia, as far as we can tell.

The precise origin is not clear, and there’s some debate about how they came to be called darts.

Most think it’s simply to do with the shape of cigarettes.

They are long, straight, and about the length of a dart, though usually a bit smaller.

This is the simplest explanation, and generally the simpler explanation is the one that’s favored.

We don’t have much written record of its use, though we can see it goes back at least as far as the latter half of the 20^th Century.

Others believe they came to be called darts because of the way people tend to hold them.

Many hold cigarettes by pinching them between their thumb and forefinger, like one might hold a dart to throw at a board.

Neither explanation is certain, so it’s hard to say.

Why do Australians say “durry”?

We are, unfortunately, equally unsure about the origin of the term “durry”.

However, it’s generally thought that it derives from a now defunct brand of rolling tobacco, into which you would roll your own cigarettes.

Bull Durham was the name of the tobacco, so you get the slang term by simply shortening down the surname “Durham”.

Others think it derives from “Dhurrie” rugs, a certain kind of rug that would be rolled up—also like a cigarette.

Again, we just aren’t sure, but the Durham tobacco brand endured for a very long time, from 1850 until 1988—so this certainly seems like a likely candidate.

What else do Australians call cigarettes?

Ciggie, as I mentioned, is probably the other most common slang term for cigarette.

It’s simply an abbreviation of the word. “Rollie” is the other one you ought to be aware of, though this specifically describes cigarettes you roll yourself, not just any cigarette.

The kind of cigarette you would buy in a pack are typically called “straights” to distinguish themselves from rollies.

Other than these, some terms you may hear in some cases are “durb”, “durben” and “neen”.

As I said, mostly these terms are no longer used by the broader population and are just reserved for small regional areas.

That said, people of the older generations may still understand these terms from a time when they were more commonly used.

So, if you just need a simple slang term to get you by, “dart” is the way to go.

It’s the most commonly used, certainly the most uniquely Australian, and one that everyone will understand. In certain areas, “durry” or “ciggie” might be used, but they are generally used alongside dart.

Smoking is as common in Australia as it is elsewhere, so be prepared to have to be around cigarettes if you’re traveling there!

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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