Dingo Lingo

Learn how to speak Australian!

Australian English is a language that can present understanding problems for many English speaking people, and especially foreigners.

Due to the high density of flies that inhabit every nook and cranny of the entire continent, Australians have developed a highly efficient method of speaking that involves opening the mouth just enough to speak the words while minimising the risk of flies intruding into the mouth cavity. The result is the peculiar Australian accent called 'strine'. Australians love colloquialisms and word plays. The results are often very funny, picturesque and invariably robust. Appreciating Australian slang leads to a better understanding of the Australian personality and the Australian sense of humor. It requires a healthy tolerance, a creative mind and a sense of the absurd.

Following is a list of common Australian slang terms for your convenience. It is prudent to remember that each term usually has an infinite number of variations and should be creatively combined with other terms and their variations. In this way the Australian language continually evolves, producing a colourful stream of innovations that really pack a wallop and never fail to knock your sock off, fair dinkum!

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A sparrow's fart - at dawn 'Gotta get up at sparrow's fart.'

Ace! - excellent! very good!

Ariel Ping Pong - Australian Rules Football

Aggro - aggressive

Airy Fairy - fancy, vague 'Don't give me that airy fairy bullshit.'

Akubra - Australian hat worn by bushmen, farmers

All ears - listening attentively 'Go ahead, I'm all ears, mate.'

All the go - popular, new way of donig something 'Teabags are all the go.'

Always in the shit - always in trouble 'He's always in the shit.'

Amber fluid - beer 'Fred doesn't mind a drop of the old amber fluid.'

Ambo - Ambulance officer

Anchors - brakes, 'and then I threw on the anchors.'

Ankle biter - small child 'Get rid of these bloody ankle biters, please.'

Ant's pants - the best, something that is really good

Any tic of the clock - very soon 'He'll turn up any tick of the clock now.'

Apples (she'll be) - it'll be alright 'She'll be apples, mate.'

Arse into gear - get moving 'When will you get your arse into gear?'

Arse about - something is back to front 'It's all arse about.'

Arse of tit - fall heavily 'Look at that, he's fallen arse over tit!'

Arsey - lucky (more arse than class)

Arvo - afternoon 'Stuff the boss, I'm taking the arvo off.'

At the drop of a hat - doing something without much encouragement

Aussie (pron Ozzie) - Australian

Aussie salute - brushing away flies with the hand

Avos - avocados

Ay - don't you agree? 'pretty nice day, ay'

Awning over the toy shop - beer belly on a male person