Aussie Slang: Words Every New Migrant Should Know

Everyday Essentials

• Arvo — afternoon. "See you this arvo" means this afternoon
• Brekkie — breakfast
• Servo — petrol station (service station)
• Bottle-o — liquor store (bottle shop)
• Macca's — McDonald's
• Woolies — Woolworths supermarket
• Coles — pronounced exactly as spelled, the other major supermarket
• Rego — vehicle registration
• Sunnies — sunglasses
• Thongs — flip-flops (NOT underwear!)

Social & Workplace

• G'day — hello, good day
• How ya going? — how are you? (not asking about transport)
• No worries — no problem, you're welcome, it's fine
• She'll be right — everything will be okay
• Fair dinkum — genuine, real, honest
• Mate — friend, but also used for strangers
• Reckon — think, believe. "I reckon it'll rain" = I think it'll rain
• Heaps — a lot. "Heaps good" = very good
• Keen — interested. "Are you keen?" = Do you want to?
• Dodgy — suspicious, poor quality, unreliable
• Bogan — unsophisticated person (can be affectionate or insulting)

Food & Drink

• Barbie — barbecue
• Snag — sausage
• Cuppa — cup of tea or coffee
• Tucker — food
• BYO — bring your own (alcohol to a restaurant)
• Flat white — espresso with steamed milk (Australia's signature coffee)
• Long black — double espresso with hot water (like an americano)

Pro Tips

Australians shorten almost everything and add -o, -ie, or -y. Afternoon becomes arvo, breakfast becomes brekkie, electrician becomes sparky. When someone says "yeah nah" they mean no. When they say "nah yeah" they mean yes. "How ya going?" is a greeting, not a real question — just reply "good thanks, you?" Understanding these basics will help you navigate social situations and feel more at home in Australia.