Australian and British English – Vocabulary
Here you will find words which have different meanings or are spelled differently in British and Australian English.
Australian English | British English |
---|---|
A | |
a good lurk | a way of getting something for nothing |
ace | excellent |
aggro | aggressive |
Alf | stupid person |
amber (fluid) | beer |
arvo | afternoon |
Aussie, Strine | Australian |
B | |
back of beyond | far away in the outback |
back of bourke | middle of nowhere |
bathers | swimming costume |
beef road | road for trucking cattle by road train |
Belt up. | Shut up. |
berko | angry |
Bickie | biscuit |
billabong | waterhole |
Billie | tea kettle |
bonkers | crazy |
booze | alcohol |
Bottle Shop | Liquor Shop |
bushranger | criminal |
C | |
chalkie | teacher |
chokkie | chocolate |
chook | chicken |
Chrissie | Christmas |
comfort station | toilet |
counter meal | pub meal |
cut lunch | sandwiches |
D | |
daks, strides | trousers |
damper | bread |
dead horse (old) | tomato sauce |
deli | Milk bar (South Wales) |
digger | soldier |
dill | idiot |
donk | engine (car or boat) |
Duco | car paint |
dunny | lavatory (outdoor) |
E | |
earbush (old) | non-stop talk |
F | |
flake | shark meat |
to flat out like a lizard drinking | so busy you barely have time to breathe |
to fossick | to hunt for gemstones |
G | |
game | brave |
to gander | to have a look |
G'day mate. | Hi. |
gibber (used in the west) | stony desert |
to give it away | to give up |
good oil | exact information |
Good on ya! | Well done! |
to grizzle | to whine |
grog | alcohol |
gum tree | Eucalyptus tree |
gummy | sheep which has lost all its teeth |
H | |
How are you going? | How are you? |
J | |
Jackaroo | trainee on a cattle farm |
jocks | underpants (men) |
jumbuck (mainly in songs) | sheep |
K | |
kelpie | sheepdog |
kiwi, enzedder | New Zealander |
L | |
lolly (in the country) | money |
M | |
mad as a cut snake | furious |
middy, pot | beer glass (285 ml) |
milko | milkman |
mozzie | mosquito |
N | |
nana | banana |
neddies | horses |
never-never | remote desert country |
num-nums (parent to kid talk) | tasty food |
O | |
oil | information |
On ya! | Good on you! |
P | |
paddock | field |
piffle | nonsense |
pissed | drunk |
plonk | cheap wine |
pom | English person |
postie | postman |
prang | accident |
R | |
Reckon! | Absolutely! |
ringer (in the country) | fast sheep shearer |
Roo | kangaroo |
S | |
send 'er down Hughie | I hope it's going to rain. |
she | it |
she's apples | it's fine |
Shove off. | Go away. |
snag | sausage |
station | farm |
sunnies | sunglasses |
T | |
tea | evening meal |
thongs | flip-flops |
tucker | food |
V | |
vegemite | vegetable extract (used for sandwiches) |
vegies | vegetables |
W | |
wharfie | dockworker |
woolgrower | sheepfarmer |
Y | |
Yank | American |
you've got Buckley's | you haven't got a chance/hope in hell |
Thanks to Alexander, Matt, Richard, Marie and Paula.