100 Australian slang words and phrases – Updated 2021

When you learn English, you’re taught how to speak and write ‘proper’ English. Some people call this “Queen’s English” or “BBC English.” Then, when you travel to an English-speaking country, you may come across terms you’ve never heard before. 

The Encyclopædia Britannica defines slang as “unconventional words or phrases that express either something new or something old in a new way. It is flippant, irreverent, indecorous; it may be indecent or obscene.” Slightly confusing, right? So, that’s why we simply define slang as very informal language or specific words used by a group of people. Usually you’ll hear slang in spoken language. You can also come across it in SMS or social media. However, you don’t use slang in formal written work. 

As a non-native English speaker, when you use slang correctly (and in the appropriate situation), it can make you sound more natural in your speech. Also, it can show your understanding of English in a social context. For example, using slang with your mates (friends) is good. But if the conversation is more formal, you probably want to avoid slang words and phrases. 

So, try to make sure you use slang correctly. When you use it out of context or inappropriately, it sounds strange and could show that you don’t understand the language. Now let’s have a look at the 100 most common Aussie slang words and phrases. 

Read stories from 8 people who failed to understand an Aussie slang expression. 

When you’ve read of list of most common Australian slang words, or true-blue Aussie slang, you’re well on your way to understanding your Aussie mates. If you want to use slang correctly, check out the following examples. 

• No worries 

Let’s start with one of the most famous Australian slang phrases: 'No worries'. It’s said to be the national motto of Australia. This expression means “do not worry about it”, or “it’s all right”. It can also mean “sure thing” and “you’re welcome.” So, when you bump into a person on the train and you apologise, they may respond with “no worries”, meaning “it’s all right”. Just be careful “no worry” is not a phrase used in English. 

• Bush, Outback and Woop Woop 

Australia is big. And by big, we mean it’s the planet’s sixth largest country. However, most people live on Australia’s coastline. More than 85% of Australia’s 25 million population live in towns and cities on the eastern and southern coasts, in cities such as Sydney and Melbourne. When people refer to the “outback,” they mean the large expanse of uninhabited/sparsely populated area in the centre of the Australian continent. So, what’s the difference between “bush” and “outback”? The difference between outback and bush is that the outback is usually the remote and desolate areas of Australia. The bush is not the city, but towards the direction of the outback. It’s usually an area of natural woodlands, shrubs and undergrowth. So, you would drive from the city to the bush to the outback. Makes sense? Now, what about “woop woop”? You would say “he lives out woop woop,” meaning he lives in an isolated place or a destination outside of your local area, usually far away. 

• Drinks: From a “coldie” to the “booze bus” 

When you look through the list of 100 Australian Slang Words & Phrases, you’ll see a couple of slang words and phrases that relate to drinking alcohol. So, what do Aussies mean when they say: “Let’s grab a slab from the bottle-o later.” A “slab” is a quantity or beer, usually a box. You can buy this from a liquor store (Aussies call this a bottle shop, or “bottle-o”). Be careful not to drink alcohol and drive a vehicle. Australian Police are very strict, and you don’t want to get caught by a Booze Bus: a custom-built Police bus to check for intoxicated drivers on the road. 

• True-blue Aussies on Straya Day 

Australia has a rich history, dating back some 65,000 years. On 26th January every year, Aussies celebrate Straya Day (Straya short for Australia, because it’s how many Aussies pronounce Australia). Australia Day is the official national day of Australia, where we celebrate all the things we love about our country: the land, the sense of fair go, the lifestyle, the democracy, the freedoms we enjoy, but particularly our people. On Straya Day, most people get together with their relos or mates and cook true-blue Aussie tucker: snags on a barbie. Confused? Let’s translate that sentence: On Australia Day, most people get together with their relatives or friends and cook a genuine Australian meal: sausages on a barbecue.

We’ve shown you the 100 Australian Slang Words & Phrases. But what about slang words that are used around the world? Some of these new international slang words are used in Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada and the UK (and even in non-English speaking countries). 

Slang words or phrases develop over time. Some die out because nobody uses them anymore. Others don’t get used because people move on to a new slang word. Sometimes, slang words are so popular that they are absorbed into the common language. So, that’s how language grows and evolves over time. New words are added to the dictionary. At the same time, old ones disappear. What about new slang words in 2019 and 2020? Let’s check them out.

The IELTS Speaking test is supposed to represent a normal conversation between two people. So, you should avoid very formal language. For example, you don’t usually “furthermore” or “moreover” in every-day conversations. However, you probably also don’t want to use overly informal language. Some slang is probably too informal: if you tell your examiner “my friend threw me some shade,” he or she may not understand what you mean. 

You can get a higher IELTS band score if you show the ability to use idiomatic expressions appropriately, but perhaps stick with common idiomatic expressions that are well-known. We’ve provided some helpful lists with our Idioms A-Z: Explained.