Australians most often refer to Christmas as “Chrissie” or “Chrissy”. This is by far the most uniquely Australian and widely used slang term in Australia for Christmas. Many other more generic slang terms are also used in Australia for Christmas such as “Xmas,” “prezzie” for … Read more
Greetings and farewells are an area of language ripe for slang. We use them every day, and it’s something that’s particularly important to add a bit of uniqueness and emotion to. Depending on the context, saying goodbye can be really sad! In Australia this is … Read more
Meals are impossible to escape from. Most of us eat at least three every day, so linguistically, it’s really important to delineate those and break them down into categories so we are all on the same page about when and what we’re eating. The evening … Read more
Australia is an enormous country, but the vast majority of the population lives on and around the coasts. The nation boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and internationally it’s known for its vibrant “beach culture”. The beautiful weather and white sand … Read more
The humble gas station—something a lot of us might not pay that much attention to in general, but it serves us as a vital piece of infrastructure, and they’re found everywhere. They’re also rarely referred to in the same way by any two English-speaking nations. … Read more
The most common Australian slang word for sandwich is sanger. This word refers exclusively to sandwiches. You do hear other terms, such as sarnie, used in Australia, to a lesser extent. The slang phrase “cut lunch” typically also refers to a sandwich, though it can … Read more
Generic Australian slang terms for dog include common terms like “mutt” or “pooch”. More specifically Australian slang terms include things like “Bitzer” for a mongrel dog, “Bluey” for a working cattle dog, and “Kelpie” for an Australian sheepdog. More modern slang terms used commonly in … Read more
The main slang term for Americans in Australia is “seppo”. This is a slightly teasing slang term that Australians use for any American. However, they do also use other terms, such as the more common “yanks” or some borrowed slang terms such as “septic”. But … Read more
Australians refer to the afternoon colloquially as the ‘arvo’ or ‘s’arvo’. This is simply a shortening and rearranging of the word afternoon, as well as a consonant change—switching F to V. So, an Australian might say “I’ll see you this arvo” to mean I’ll see … Read more
The most common slang term for crocodile in Australia is simply “croc”. This is the one that is universally used and understood, thanks to its simplicity! There are a handful of other terms that are sometimes used, though, such as “flat dog,” “freshie”, “saltie” and … Read more