Australian slang is playful and fun, but it can be overwhelming if English is your second language. Some fluent English speakers that move to Australia can have trouble with the slang, too!

The best way to learn is to immerse yourself in the Australian way of life, so why not join one of UC’s cultural, sporting and academic clubs and societies? There’s also plenty of support available for international students. For instance, if you’re struggling with understanding your assessment requirements or using academic language, you can join a Study Skills program or chat to an ASK (Academic Skills and Knowledge) Advisor. 

For now, here’s an introductory list of Australian slang you may encounter while at uni. You’ll be chatting with your Aussie classmates in no time!

Canberra slang 

Belco: Short for Belconnen, a district in north-west Canberra

Bridge to Bridge Walk: A popular walk around Lake Burley Griffin

Brindies: The Brindabella Range

Civic: Canberra’s city centre

Coolo: The Cooleman Court shopping centre

EPIC: Exhibition Park - lots of events happen here

Lake G: Lake Ginninderra

Multi Culti: The nickname of Canberra’s annual National Multicultural Festival

The Lake: There are a few lakes around Canberra, but The Lake refers to Lake Burley Griffin.

In class

Arvo: Afternoon 

Biro: Pen

Breather: A quick break; ‘let’s take a five-minute breather’

Dob: To report someone by ‘dobbing’ them in 

Dunny/loo: Toilet

Fair go: A fair chance

Have a squiz: To quickly look at something

Journo: Journalist

No drama/no worries/no wuckas: No problem

Reckon: To think/agree; ‘yeah, I reckon so!’

Rubber: Eraser

Sickie: A sick day off work or class. If you ‘pull/chuck a sickie’, you’re taking a day off when you’re not actually sick

Uni: University

Wag: To skip class

Out to eat 

ATM: Cash machine (stands for Automatic Teller Machine)

Avo: Avocado

Barbie: Barbecue

Bickie: Biscuit (‘choccie bickie’ is a chocolate biscuit!)

Brekky: Breakfast

Cuppa: Cup of tea

EFTPOS: Machine for taking card payments (stands for Electronic Funds Transfer at Point Of Sale)

Flat white: Coffee containing steamed milk

Lollies: Sweets

Maccas: McDonalds

Sanger: Sandwich

Servo: Service station

Snag: Sausage

Spud: Potato

Veggies: Vegetables

Veggo: Vegetarian

Chatting with friends

Bail: To cancel plans

Beauty: Great; often expressed as ‘you beauty’

Bloody: Very; ‘it’s bloody hot today’

Bloody oath: Yes/of course

Buggered: Exhausted

Ceebs: Derives from the abbreviation "CBB", which stands for Can’t Be Bothered

Chock-A-Block/chockers: Full/busy; ‘the supermarket was choc-a-bloc/chockers’

Crook: Feeling sick. Also used to describe something dishonest or unsatisfactory.

Deadset: True

Defo/defs: Definitely

Derro: Derelict

Devo: Devastated

Flat out: Really busy; ‘I’m quite flat out at the moment’

G’day: Hello

Give someone a bell/a buzz: Call someone on the phone

Going off: Full/busy; ‘the club was going off. Also used to describe an angry person who’s yelling a lot; ‘he was going off’.

Good on ya/on ya: Good work

Heaps: A lot/very; ‘thanks heaps’/‘heaps good’

Iffy: Risky/unreasonable

Kiwi: A New Zealander. Also the name of a fruit and a bird.

Leg it: To walk/run

Loaded: Wealthy/rich

Mate: Friend (though it is often used between colleagues and even strangers!)

Ripper: Something/someone that is particularly good

She’ll be right: Don’t worry about it

Sick: Awesome; ‘that’s so sick!’

Stoked: Happy/satisfied

Struth: Short for ‘that’s the truth’, an exclamation expressing agreement

Suss: Suspicious. To ‘suss something out’ means to look into something.

Woop Woop: Middle of nowhere 

On the weekends

Bathers/cozzies/togs: Swimsuit

Bucks: Dollars

Budgie Smugglers: Speedos

Brolly: Umbrella

Chemist: Pharmacy

Daks: Trousers (‘tracky daks’ are sweatpants/tracksuit pants)

Esky: An insulated container that keeps food and drinks cold

Footy: (Football (AFL/Aussie Rules)

Mozzie: Mosquito

Rellie / Rello: Relatives

Runners: Trainers/sneakers

Straya: Australia

Sunnies: Sunglasses

Thongs: Flip Flops

True Blue: Authentically Australian

U-ey: To take a U-Turn, especially while driving