Australian Slang For Lucky (Explained!)

The most common and uniquely Australian slang term for lucky is “tinny”. This one is used throughout Australia and can be used to describe many kinds of good luck. “Chookas” is another unique Australian phrase for good luck which has the sense of “break a leg”. Other than that, common English terms like “blessed” or “jammy” are also used.

Luck is something we all wish we could have more of, and we tend to feel very envious when we see someone having a run of good luck.

With that, there often arises a lot of different slang terms for describing luck and different kinds of luck—often with an air of humorous resentment!

These terms are fascinating in any case, so let’s find out more.

In This Article

What do Australians say for “lucky”?

The most common Australian slang expression for luck is “tinny”.

This is the most widely used and the most uniquely Australian slang term for luck.

It can be used in any context to describe any kind of luck, and is used throughout most of the country or at the very least widely understood.

Depending on the individual who is using it, this slang term may have a general or a more specific sense.

For some, to be “tinny” specifically means that you should have faced negative consequences or bad circumstances due to your actions, but that you managed to avoid them just by sheer good fortune.

“I can’t believe you didn’t get fired, you’re so tinny,” for example.

On the other hand, many just use this as a stand in for the word “lucky” in whatever context they might want to use it.

Whether it’s at the casino or just because you managed to hit all the green lights on the way home, this could also be “tinny”.

“I’m feeling tinny today, I think I’ll buy a scratchie,” for example.

“Chookas” is another slang term mostly reserved to Australia that usually has the same meaning as “break a leg,” or just the more general sense of wishing someone good luck before they go to perform in some way—acting, sports, or any kind of performance.

This one is not quite as universal as “tinny”, but definitely one that’s mostly understood.

Other than that, Australians use a variety of slang terms for lucky that you’ll also hear in other parts of the English speaking world.

“Jammy” is a common one for someone who gets too much good luck—perhaps more than they deserve!

“Blessed,” finally, is becoming more popular among secular young people today.

Let’s look where these terms come from.

Why do Australians say “tinny”?

Tinny is short for “tin-arse”, a common expression in Australian English that refers to a very lucky person.

This is an older term and you’re far less likely to hear the whole thing expressed than just to hear “tinny.”

But this is where the term comes from.

This term was noted as far back at least as 1898 in the Syndey Bulletin, where it was both “tin-back” and “tin-arse”.

It was originally a term for someone who is remarkably, almost unfairly, lucky and seems to be hogging all the good fortune.

It’s thought that “tin” was a slang term for money, and so a “money arse” was a very lucky person who always had money on them or was always winning it by gambling.

As I say, the term is much more general nowadays, and tends to refer to any kind of luck, although many people certainly use it in this more specific way still.

What about “chookas”?

Why do Australians say “chookas”?

Chookas, as I’ve said, is most commonly used for actors and in the theatre circles—however, it has become more general and widely applied to performers and, even more widely, simply to luck as a whole.

The precise origin of this term is not clear.

It’s often explained as deriving from the phrase “chook it is”.

“Chook” is a slang term for a chicken in Australia, and this term derived from a time when eating chicken was an expensive delicacy.

If the actors in a play performed well, and the play was a success, they could be paid well and thus could eat well.

However, we are not entirely certain of this and the term may come from elsewhere.

We just don’t know.

Why do Australians say “jammy”?

Jammy is a common term in the English speaking world for someone who has too much good luck, whether on one occasion or constantly.

It was originally a piece of British slang which has made its way into the Australian lexicon.

Originally, “jam” relating to the fruit preserves sense had a slang sense of profit or advantage.

So, when someone had a lot of good luck, they were extremely “jammy”.

Again, historically, it related most specifically to money.

However, today, its meaning has expanded considerably to just relate to any sense of having a run of good luck or getting extremely lucky in one given circumstance.

Some think it instead relates to the biscuit “Jammy Dodgers” which are common in Britain, but there’s not much evidence for this.

So, there are plenty of different ways to talk about luck in Australian slang.

From the more general sense of good fortune in any given circumstance, to the more egregious to others runs of good luck in every area of life, there’s a word for it in Australian slang.

As always, there’s a lot of shared and borrowed slang, but the Australians still make the slang their own.

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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