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.