Bogan..... is Australian slang for a person whose speech, clothing, attitude and behaviour are considered unrefined or unsophisticated
Australian Slang Sayings and Phrases can be a complete mystery to overseas travellers visiting our fine shores.
Its funny, sometimes vulgar, but very colourful to listen too, we are a fairdinkum culture that doesnt mince words, we like to tell it as it is, and as quick as possible, without using fancy words.
We have compiled this short list, of just a few of Australian Slang Sayings and Phrases, feel free to add more in comments and i will list them here.
About as useless as tits on a bull ......... about as useless as it gets
Aerial Ping-Pong........ Australian Rules Football
A kangaroo short in the top paddock ...... not very bright , simple
All piss and wind ..... a show of bravado
All the go ....... popular
A lot on your Plate ........you have a lot to do
Ants in your pants ..... restless
Arse about face ....... back to front
Arse over tit ........ fall over
Arvo............... means afternoon also Sarvo........ like see ya the sarvo
As mad as a cut snake ..... very angry or crazy
Av a go ya mug ! ........... 1 . an expression of annoyed encouragement often shouted during a sporting match to urge someone who has given up ... 2 .Or used to challenge a person to fight
Away with the fairies ..... day dreaming
Awning over the toy shop ....male beer belly
Back of Beyond ....a long way from suburbia
Back of Burke ..... a long way away
Bald as a bandicoot ....... hairless
Banged up ..... unmarried and pregnant
Bangs like a dunny door in a cyclone .... (derogatory) very sexually active female
Bar flies ...... usually in country towns , old men who sit outside the pub (hotel) drinking from opening to closing
Bastard of a thing ...... exclaimation of frustration at an object or situation
Beating around/about the bush ........ not getting to the point on a subject
Bend the elbow ..... drink alcohol
Bend your ear ....... talk
Better then a poke in the eye with a blunt stick ...... something is okay but could be better
Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick ..... same as above
Between a rock and a hard place ........ in a difficult or seemingly no win situation
Bet your bottom dollar ...... very sure of an outcome
Beyond the Black stump ...... a long way from anything
Blown up like a poisoned pup ...... full of food
Big note yourself ............. to say you are better or more important than you are
Blue rinse set ...... elderly ( particularly ladies )
Bobby dazzler ....... it's excellent or striking
Bold as Ned Kelly .. Ned Kelly was an Australian bushranger , made famous for the metal suit of armor he made and wore during the Kelly gangs final illfated showdown with the law at Glenrowan in Victoria , November 11th 1880 . At the time of his hanging Ned was aged 25 , his last words were "Such is life "
Boots and all ...... everything , giving something all the effort you can muster
Built like a brick sh*t house .........something or someone is built very stongly
Bust your gut ...... work extra hard , try very hard to do something
Busy as a one legged bloke in a bum kicking contest ......... doing nothing
Busy body ..... someone who is overly interested in other peoples affairs
Buzz off ....... depart
Can't kill it with an axe ........ something which appears indestructable
Can't kill it with a stick ........ as above
Carry on like a pork chop ........... make a big fuss
Chew the fat ....... discussion
Chief cook and bottle washer ....... In charge
Christmas on a stick ...... think highly of self
Chuck a reggie ......... have a tandrum
Chuck a wobbly ....... have a tantrum
Clap trap ........ utter nonsense
Clapped out .......no longer any good
Coat hanger , the .......... The Sydney Harbour Bridge
Cock and bull story ...... A tale of lies from beginning to end
Cock arse about .......... Procrastinate or back to front
Cop the crow ...... get the worst end of the deal
Come a cropper ..... have an accident
Couldn't give a rats arse .. don't care , not interested in the slightest degree
Crook as a dog ...... feeling very ill
Cunning as a dunny rat ....... astute or sly
Dead set ...... really
Dogs are biting .... sore feet
Done like a dogs dinner ...... bested convincingly
Down the Gurgler ............ something has failed
Down the plug hole ............failure , loss
Dragging the chain ........ moving or working slowly
Dressed to the nines ...... dressed and groomed to your best
Drinking with the flies .... drinking alone
Driving the Porcelain bus ........... vomiting
Eat a horse, and chase the rider ......... very hungry
Emma Chisit ........ how much is it ?
Emu parade ...... to have a clean up
Even Blind freddy could see that ! ........what someone would say to you, if you are not understanding or have missed something obvious
Fair dinkum ....... seriously , genuine or Australian
Fair crack of the whip ..... requesting someone gives a fair go , an equal chance
Fair go mate ! ........ Someone is not doing or saying the right thing
Fair suck of the sav ........someone is not letting you do or say something
Fart arse around ........ not coming to the point or doing the job
Feeling butchers .... unwell
Flash as a rat with a gold tooth ........... dressed and groomed nicely
Flash in the pan ...... one off event , out of the blue
Flat out like a lizard drinking .......... doing something very fast or very busy
Fly by nighter ....... a person or business whos intention it is to trade and then disappear quickly (often involves illegal activities )
Fiddle fart around ....... not doing the job or coming to the point
Preparing for the olympics Thorpy says... Iam as fit as a mallee bull
Fit as a mallee bull ......... very well , very fit , very strong
Full ....... drunk
Full as a fairies phone book ....... no room left
Full as a goog ........ eaten too much
Full of it ........ speaking absolute rubbish
Full of yourself ...... placing too much emphasis of your own importance
Garbage guts .... someone who eats to excess
Gave someone the razz .... stirred them up
General dogs body ....... a rousabout , lacky , a person expected to do many jobs many of them meanial
Get a grip ........... stop being overly emotional
Get a grip on yourself ...... as above
Get a wriggle on ........ hurry up
Get your arse in gear .....hurry up
Get your act together ..... be sensible
Get your rocks off ........ enjoy yourself
Give someone curry ..........give someone a piece of your mind or a hard time verbally
Give it a bash ........ try something new
Give it a burl ......... try something new
Give it a whirl ...... attempt something new
Give something the once over ,.........examining something
Glad rags ............ best clothes
God's great garden .... Australia
Go have a butchers .... go to look at something
Go butchers hook ........ be very angry
Go for broke ....... last ditched effort , bet everything
Going like a blue-tail fly ............doing something very fast
Go like the clappers....... go very fast
Gone a gutser ..... fallen over
Gone walkabout ...... wandered off somewhere or lost
Good looking sort ........ admiring a woman
Good set of snarlers ...... prominant teeth
Gotta go and lay some Telecom cable ..... going for a poo
Gutter Snipe ......... dirty child
Gutsy effort ...... tried hard
Hair pin bend ....... a very tight corner in the road which doubles back forming a U shape
Happy as Larry ........ very content
Happy as a pig in sh*t ........ very content
Happy as a sandboy ............very happy
Happy clapper ......... born again christian
Happy little vegimite ....... contented , pleased
Has to run around in the shower to get wet .......... a way of describing someone who is very thin
Have a coldie ......... drink a beer
Have a cold one ..... drink a beer
Have a cuppa ................have cup of tea or coffee
Have a go ya mug ....... telling someone to try harder (often yelled out at sporting events)
Have a quiet one ..... to have an alcoholic drink
Have kangaroos in the top paddock ..... crazy
Haven't got a Brass Razoo....... No money
Haven't got 2 cents to rub together .... broke , no money
Have someones guts for garters ..... very angry
Hoe the boots in ...... in a fight and kicking
Hope your chooks turn into emus and kick your dunny down ..... a curse (immortalised in song ... who wrote that ? ... help please)
Hows Tricks ? ........... How are you ? How is everything ?
Howsit going ..............How are you ?
How ya goin ? ........... How are you ?
Hugging the toilet bowl ........vomiting
In like Flynn ..... jumped at an opportunity ( can have sexual overtones )
In the club ..... pregnant
In the lock up ..... in gaol ( jail )
It's a Broken packet of biscuits ......... looks good on the outside, but is a mess on the inside
Its a bit tricky ....... temperamental , difficult
It would kill a brown dog ....... very potent
Just down the road a bit ...... a distance from a couple of hundred metres to a couple of hundred kilometres
Keen as mustard .... very eager (Keen's is a brand name for mustard and curry powder)
Knee high to a grasshopper ..... a child , small of stature
Knocked off ...... finished work for the day
Knocked it off .....stole it
Knock one back ...... have a beer
Knock shop ..... brothel
Knuckle sandwich ...... a punch in the mouth
Like a fish on a hook ...... addicted to something , caught up in something (often illegal) , deeply involved , having someone exactly where you want them .
Like a fish out of water ....... awkward , uncomfortable , not fitting in
Like a rat up a drain pipe ........leave in a hurry
Like a shag on a rock ............ alone , out of place
Little Aussie battler ....... someone who works very hard , not earning a lot of money , shows integrity , honesty and compassion , would give to others even when there is little to give
Lower than a snakes belly .........despicable
Make a big song and dance ...... make a fuss
Missed the bus ...... to late for something
Molly Dooked ...... left handed
More arse than class ...... lucky
More arse than Jessie's bull ..... lucky
Mr Plod ..... policeman
Mutton dressed up as lamb ....... an older person trying to look very young
Need to go ...... need to go to the toilet
Nit pick .......... find fault in the smallest things
No flies on you ........ you can't be fooled
Not the full quid ....... of less than average intelligence
Not worth a Brass Razoo ........ Worthless
Not worth a pinch .......... worthless
Off the beaten track ..........on a road not used very much, a back road or track or in a remote part of Australia
Off like a brides nightie ............leave very quickly
Off like a bucket of prawns in the hot sun ..... leaving very quickly
Off like a shot ........ leave in a hurry
Old fart ........ someone a little older than yourself or an older person you do not like
Old geezer .... affectionate term for the elderly
One and a half axe handles across ...... precise measurement for the female buttocks
One armed bandit ............ poker machine
On ya ! ....... that's great , you've done well
Out the window ....... lost opportunity
Peeved ....... annoyed
Piece of piss ......... easy
Pigs ........... that's a lie
Pigs eye ..... no way , rubbish
Pissed as a nit ...... very drunk
Pissed as a parrot .........drunk
Pissed off ............very angry or annoyed
Pissing in the wind ... wasting your time , a pointless exercise
Plant someone ....... to bury a person (funeral)
Playing pocket billiards .............. male with in hand in his pocket adjusting genitals
Podgy dodger ........ cattle rustler ( thief)
Pull up Stumps ......... move house , changing address
Pull your head in !............mind your own business !
Pull the belt in ................stop spending money
Pull your socks up................try harder
Put the bite on someone ............ ask for money
Put the squeeze on someone ...... pressure them
Put up or shut up ............. back up what you are saying or keep your opinions to yourself
Put your money where your mouth is .... back up what you are saying with a bet
Quick as a flash ......... astute or fast
Rafferty's rules ........ no rules at all
Ridgey didge .......... true
Rip off .......cheat
Rip snorter ..... excellent , very funny
Sausage Short of the barbecue ........short of brains
See youse ( or yas)....... see you all later , Goodbye
She'll be apples ....... everything will be fine , no problem
Shoot through ..... leave
Shoot through like a Bondi tram .... leave in a hurry
Short arms long pockets ....... someone will not part with their money , a miser
Silly as a two bob watch ........crazy
Silly as a wheel ....... crazy
Skin flint ................. a miser
Slap dash ........ haphazard , performed below standard in a disinterested way
Slippery character ......... not to be trusted
Someone Kaks themselves ........ they are very frightened
Something got up your nose ..... annoyed or angry
Spit it out ........ come straightout and say it !
Smart arse ....... know it all person
Snag Short of a barbie............ not very smart
Snake in the grass ........ a sly person , a betrayer
Snow dropper ..... someone who steals clothes from a clothesline
Spitting chips ...... very angry
Squashed like a maggot ...... conquered
Stick in the mud .... a wowser , someone who is very staid
Stick it in the boot ...... place something in the boot (trunk) of a car
Sticky beak .... take a look or pry
Stir the possum ........ liven things up
Stone the crows !!.... exclaimation of frustration or disbelief
Sydney or the bush ...... All or nothing
Take a Leak ............. go to the toilet
Take a squizz .... have a look
Talking a mile a minute ....... talking too much or very fast
Talking on the porcelain telephone ...........vomiting into a toilet
The place is an arm pit .... it's terrible
The Pot calling the kettle black......... adverse statement made by someone in reply to a comment from a person who is in a similar or worse situation
The town bike ....... woman of loose morals
Tickled pink .......... very happy
Tough as old boot leather .......... need I say more ?
Trying one on ....... trying to get away with something
Trying to get into someones pants ............ making sexual advances
Tyre kickers ........ people who look with no intention of buying
Ugly as a box of Blowflies ..... that's about as ugly as it gets
Under the weather ...........unwell , ill
Up a Gum tree ........ in all sorts of trouble
Up and down like a whores draws ...... restless or fluctuating
Up the duff ....... pregnant
Up the spout .....pregnant
Vaccinated with a gramophone needle ....... someone who talks a lot
Well stacked ............ large breasted woman
White ants in the billy ....... crazy
Wouldn't shout if a shark bit ya ...........a person who will not take their turn buying a round of drinks
Yer bloods worth Bottling! .........someone has done something good for you.
You little Bottler ............delight, something has gone the way you want
You little ripper ....... very good , excellent
Zebra crossing ..... broad black and white lines painted on a road to mark a pedestrian crossing
