Don't Spit the Dummy, It's Just Strine: A Guide to Australian Slang

Heading to the land of Oz, but you don't speak "Australian"? Verge covers the basics of Aussie Strine.

Australians speak English right? Well, mostly yes, but get out of the big cities and into some of the rural areas, and you might hear some unique vocabulary that can raise eyebrows and cause confusion for visitors who are unschooled in Aussie Strine.  For instance, what would you say to this?

Me and a couple of banana benders I haven't seen in yonks went into the bush, but the blowies and the mozzies were so bad that I nearly did me lollie.  One of me mates was whingin like an anklebiter.  I told him she'll be apples, but he was just standing there, doing the Aussie salute and looking like a stunned Mullet.

We all know the classic Australian greeting "G'day", and "no worries" is an original Aussie-ism that's now used all the time here in Canada.

Here's a few others to memorize so you can impress all your Australian mates.

Ace – Excellent

Bewdy – Good ‘beauty!’

Chewy – Chewing gum

Dead set – Certain, ‘really!’

Nick off – Go away

Owyagoin – How are you?

Waddayarekon – What do you think?

Arvo – Afternoon

Banana Bender – A person from Queensland

Bottlo, bottle shop – Liquor store

Do your lolly – Lose your temper

Ear basher – Someone who talks too much

Fair dinkum – The honest truth, true blue

She'll be apples – It will be fine

Aussie salute – Swatting at the flies or mosquitoes around your head

Your shout – Your turn to buy drinks

Pull ya head in – Mind your own business

And by the way, in Australia, a dummy is a baby's pacifier.  When a baby drops it, it usually becomes inconsolable, hence if you're having a dummy spit, you're carrying on like an inconsolable baby.

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