Australian Slang A - C

akubra

typically Australian wide-brimmed hat (Trademark)

artesian well

a well from which the water is forced up out of the ground by natural pressure

aussie

someone from Australia

aussie salute

the characteristic waving of the hand to chase away flies that continually and annoyingly buzz around one's face

back o'Bourke

back of beyond; in the middle of nowhere; a country area where few people live; the Outback

banana bender

someone from Queensland

banjo patterson

Andrew Barton "Banjo" Patterson (1864-1941) famous poet, journalist and horseman, author of Waltzing Matilda 

barbie = barbecue

1)  a metal frame for cooking food on outdoors; a grill pan

2)  an outdoor party with food from the barbie

bastard

general form of address which can mean many things, from high praise or respect (He's the bravest bastard I know) to dire insult (You rotten bastard). Avoid if unsure.

big smoke

a city

billabong

a river's elbow that has been left behind when the river changes course but still fills up in the wet.

billy

a tin container used to boil water for tea over a fire

bitumen

surfaced road

bloke

an Australian male

bloody

very = used to emphasise what you are saying, it is not always meant rude

blowies

blow flies = a fly that lays its eggs on meat or wounds

boomerang

a curved flat wooden instrument used by Aborigines for hunting

bottle shop

liquor shop; a place to buy alcoholic drinks

brumby

wild horse

budgie

budgerigar, a small brightly-coloured bird that people keep at home as a pet, but also can be seen in the Outback

bull bar

outsize front bumper on a car or a truck as ultimate barrier against animals on the road

bull dust

fine, powdery and sometimes deep dust on outback roads, often hiding deep holes and ruts that you normally wouldn't drive into

bush

country; anywhere away from the city

bush tucker

fruits and anything edible you'll find in the nature

bushranger

Australia's outlaws, Ned Kelly was the most famous

BYO

Bring Your Own (booze to a restaurant, meat to a barbecue etc.)

camp oven

large, iron-cast pot with a lid, used for cooking in an open fire

chips

french fries, pommes frites

city slicker

s.o. who lives and works in a city and has no experience of anything outside it

claypan

a clay-covered depression which holds water after rain

coathangar

the Sydney Harbour Bridge

cobber

a word meaning a friend, used especially by men talking to other men

cockroach

s.o. from New South Wales

cocky

a small-scale farmer, a term generally referring to a grain grower

community

small townships which belong to a group of Aborigines

coolabah tree

an eukalypt that grows along rivers

corroboree

Aboriginal dance; any large and noisy gathering

corrugation

surface of an unsealed road which has the shape of corrugated iron

counter meal

pub meal

creek

a small narrow stream or river

crow eater

s.o. from South Australia