Australian Lingo and Slang Trivia

1. What on earth is an "Ambo" in Australia?

From Quiz Pardon, What Was That Again 2

Answer: An ambulance officer

Now referred to as paramedics, ambulance officers was the general term for these invaluable medical personnel for years - or, as referred to in Australia, Ambos. A great percentage of the work carried out by these healthcare professionals falls into the emergency category. They're the ones that rush to the scene of any accident or national disaster, often putting their own lives on the line while saving the life of hundreds of others on a yearly basis. They're true champions.

From Quiz Australian Colloquialisms Part 2

Answer: The remote outback to keep the dust out of their eyes

In the outback the crows fly backwards to keep the dust out of their eyes. The phrase comes from the Folk song, written and sung by an Aboriginal itinerant worker, Dougie Young, to entertain his friends at the end of the day's work. His anthropologist friend, Jeremy Beckett, convinced Dougie to record some of his songs in 1963. The song has since been covered by Gary Shearston, Athol McCoy, Chad Morgan and Roger Knox. (Question by Miker68).

From Quiz Australian Colloquialisms

Answer: A soldier

Originally the term "digger" referred to the miners, but the current context of the word coincided with, firstly, the 2nd Boer War where the Australian soldiers, as ex-miners, earned a reputation as being quick in digging a defense dugout regardless of the terrain. With WWI the term "digger" became a term for the Australian and New Zealand corps and has become linked to the ANZAC legend "embodying the qualities of 'endurance, courage, ingenuity, good humour, and most importantly mateship'".

From Quiz The Wit, Irony and Sarcasm of Australian Nicknames

Answer: Blue

Just about anyone who has red hair will be called "Blue" sometime in their life if they are an Australian. Australians have a real propensity for naming people with the opposite attribute to the physical attribute that is "highlighted". 'Ginger', 'Sunburn' and 'Angry' all imply 'red' so these names are not suitable as they are too obvious. 'Blue' is opposite to 'red' so is the obvious choice. Anyone named 'Curly' is bald and 'Lofty' is for shorter people. 'Rowdy' is for shy people - I am sure you are getting the idea. In Australia, when Richard Branson wanted a name for his new Virgin airline, he held a competition for the best name. Seeing the planes were painted a bright red, the winner was the person who named the company "Virgin Blue".

From Quiz Australian Words and Sayings

Answer: See you this afternoon

Confusing, isn't it? Australians have a tendency to add an O or an E to the ends of some words. Arvo translates to afternoon. Then we have the bowlo (the bowling club), a journo (a journalist), a barbie (barbecue), footy (football) and so on. Or they apply nicknames (to just about everything) which are the opposite of what the person or object really is - such as calling someone Blue (when he's a redhead), Shorty (if he's tall) or Skinny (if he's fat) etc. If you concentrate hard, you can usually figure out what they are really saying. Hopefully. NOTE: I'll use "he" in all these examples. It's preferable to using "he or she". So take it to mean either gender.

From Quiz Australian Slang

Answer: Australian Rules Football

Australian Rules football, about which I know nothing, consists of two teams of eighteen players each endeavouring to score the most points by the conclusion of a game. Players are allowed to kick, hand pass to another player (which means hitting it with a closed fist as it is balanced on the other hand), or run with the ball, but, when doing the latter, either have to bounce it or touch it on the ground as they run towards the goal posts. They're not allowed to just hang onto it and gallop up the length of the field. The thing that distinguishes Aussie Rules from other football leagues is the ball-up. That is when an umpire (usually) bounces the ball so hard into the ground that it bounces high into air and the first player to leap up after it, like a salmon after a fly, gains possession of same. That is one of the reasons Australian Rules Football has been given its mocking nickname by fans of the other football leagues in this country. I don't see the connection myself, but that doesn't matter.

From Quiz Let Stalk Strine: Aussie Slang for New Chums

Answer: as full as a goog

Another phrase that's becoming popular in the same circumstances is "as full as a doctor's wallet". Goog (sounds like 'good') is Aussie slang for egg. On its own it is rarely used these days except in this expression or in baby talk where an egg might be referred to as a googy egg. The word is thought to be derived from the northern English slang word 'goggle' meaning egg. The simile is also used to describe a person that is drunk. However, I do like the sound of my alliterative creation "fuller than a fat fox". I think I'll try and introduce it!

From Quiz Huh, What Do You Mean?

Answer: An unpleasant person

This saying is usually applied to anyone who disagrees with the yobbo's values, but can also be applied to anyone who really is a pretty grim piece of humanity.

From Quiz Aussie Slang

Answer: billy

Coffee drinking has become more popular, with coffee shops opening everywhere in Australia. But when you're out on the track and stop on the side of the road for a cuppa, put on the billy (tin can). A few Aussies still boil the billy.

From Quiz I Wanted to Write You a Letter, But...

Answer: First Tuesday in November

The Melbourne Cup is run at Flemington Race course in Melbourne on the first Tuesday in November, over a course of 3200 metres.

From Quiz Aussie lingo, then and now

Answer: cooee

Is also used as a measurement of distance, as in the saying "not within cooee".

From Quiz Australianisms 1

Answer: Are you telling the truth?

I have been told that "Aussies" are pretty hard to comprehend, when speaking "Aussie". I couldn't imagine why.

From Quiz Australianisms

Answer: sixpence

The term "zack" was popular in the 40s and 50s. Other money terms were a "2 bob" -2 shillings, a "trey bit" - threepence and a "deener" - a shilling.

From Quiz Raw Prawns and Dead Horse

Answer: Don't try to trick me

Don't come the raw prawn is a colourful expression that originated in the armed forces during World War II. It is also sometime used more playfully, suggesting that the person being addressed is acting in a foolish manner.

From Quiz Aussie Slang Change A Word

Answer: Tacker

Acker, a noun, is either an academic (also acca) or a pimple (abbreviated from acne)! Tacker, a noun, is a young kid (originally British, specifically Devon and Cornwall dialects).

From Quiz Strine Time!

Answer: A cheap cask of wine

This term refers to cheap cask wine reportedly used, specifically, in and around the South Coast of New South Wales. More than just tongue in cheek!

From Quiz Aussie Lingo Fun

Answer: Graciously accept and say you like sugar in your tea.

If you prefer milk or cream in your tea, then you'd want a white cuppa. If you prefer your tea without milk or cream, then your cuppa would be black. In polite circles, and good restaurants, one is served the tea and allowed to add milk and/or sugar to one's own taste.

From Quiz Great Aussie Insults

Answer: sandwich

The Aussie version of "not the brightest crayon in the box" or "not the sharpest knife in the drawer". The sandwich was created, according to legend, by the Earl of Sandwich who, in the 1700s, ordered a servant to bring him two slices of bread with a piece of roast meat between them.

From Quiz Aussie A's (Strine That Is!)

Answer: A Tasmanian

Tasmanian's are apple-eaters because Tasmania is the 'Apple Isle'! The Granny Smith apple, one of my favourites, was first grown (by accident) in Eastwood, New South Wales in the 1860's and they hold a Granny Smith Festival every year and one of our fellow Quizzylanders tours with a theatre group sharing the Granny Smith history! Thanks to Elle81 for this info!

From Quiz Colourful Aussie Lingo!

Answer: A can of rum and cola

Specifically in Queensland, a Black Rat is a can of Bundy (Bundaberg Rum) and cola!

From Quiz Journey Of Australian Slang

Answer: Down Under

That's because Australia is on the other half of the globe from America (home to the Yankees). Residents of other Northern hemisphere countries also often use this term in reference to Australia. The band Men At Work sang a song called "Down Under", which was a huge hit in 1980. "Great Southern Land" was also a hit song by another band, Icehouse.

From Quiz Aussie Slang

Answer: A person from Queensland

Banana Bender is also the name of a company that caters to backpackers with hostel-like accommodations.

From Quiz The Australian Language

Answer: Cactus

On the fritz means to be clapped out or broken, as does cactus. The term seems to have its origins in the introduction of the Cactoblastis moth to control the introduced pest, the prickly pear (a type of cactus) during the 1920s. The success of the control led to something that had been wiped out as being cactused, which shortened to cactus.

From Quiz Aussie Lingo

Answer: doing something extremely fast

With lizards being a food staple of so many Australian carnivores, they get down to that water hole, and then get out of there as quickly as possible!

From Quiz Much, Much, More Aussie Lingo!

Answer: A twenty dollar note

Due to its red colour, the Australian twenty dollar note is referred to as a 'Rock Lobster' (particularly in Queensland) or even a 'Redback'. The fifty dollar note is sometimes called a 'Yellow Belly' - can you guess why?

From Quiz Much More Aussie Lingo

Answer: Bum

Well, an ass is a relative of the donkey (although the similar-sounding arse can be used as a strine reference to this part of the body); posterior may be used in polite company; and as for funny bone, well, in that refers to a completely different part of the anatomy!

From Quiz Aussie To English Translation

Answer: He just lost on the poker machines

The 'one armed bandit' refers to the old style poker machines with the pull arm on the side. If an Aussie loses money, he will refer to it as being 'robbed' although no theft has taken place.

From Quiz Australians Sure Talk Funny

Answer: 'You can't fool me, pal!'

Also can be said 'Don't try to pull the wool over my eyes'. A prawn is a small saltwater crayfish, and is green when uncooked.

From Quiz Tough Aussie Slang

Answer: the Black Stump

Some doubt exists over its location; jointly claimed by Merriwagga and Hillston in New South Wales and Blackall in Queensland, it is the 'back of beyond'. The Merriwagga story tells of a farmer who went to work, and on arriving home, found his house burnt and the remains of his wife looking like a 'black stump'.

From Quiz Aussie Facts 1

Answer: Holden cars

This slogan was part of a television advertisement and is now used to represent Australians way of life.

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Last Updated Dec 21 2024 5:46 AM

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