No matter where you live, every country or state has its own set of slangs and colloquial terminologies.
Australia is one such continent where you can find a rich sense of slang words or nicknames. It is a continent of several famous Hollywood actors like Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, Heath Ledger, Chris, and Liam Hemsworth.
If you have heard them talking or have had a chance of living in Australia, you may have come across several terms that are unique to the Australian culture.
Although English is the language spoken throughout Australia, it is more popularly known as ‘Australian English.’ The Australia English takes vocabulary from many sources, including some dialects of British English, Gaelic or Polynesian languages, some Indigenous Australian words.
Broad and colorful Australian English has unique nicknames and slang that the locals use very regularly. Learning the Australian nicknames can win you bonus points among friends, business partners, boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse.
You can use these official nicknames in daily conversation with your Australian friends, family members, or lovers. Using these nicknames and slangs will make you feel like a true insider.
In this article, we have compiled a list of cute, funny, and the coolest Australian nicknames that you may use with your Australian peers, family members, and a girlfriend or boyfriend.
Popular Australian Nicknames
Australian slang, the use of certain words, nicknames, and phrases has become an iconic part of Australian culture. Slang is an integral part of Australian life and everyday culture. Australians, at times, tend to babble and have their unique way of pronouncing words. They take pride in their way of speaking and use their slangs quite often while conversing with one another. Here is a list of commonly used nicknames by Australians:
- Aussie/Ozzie: It is a nickname for Australians
- Ankle Biter: Used for little children.
- Bastard: It may be a term of endearment or an expression of resentment.
- Battler: A reputable, hardworking Australian.
- Billy lid: Another nickname used for a child.
- Bird: For a female, equivalent to the American word; chick.
- Bloke: A common and generic term for a man.
- Blobhead: An idiotic person.
- Bluey/Red: Redheads may be called like this.
- Bub: Generally used for a baby.
- Cops/Coppers: Policemen
- Hosties: It is used to address air hostesses.
- Mate: A term for friends.
- Oz: Australia in informal language is referred to as Oz.
- Pollies: Politicians are called as pollies is short.
- Posties: Postmen are referred to as posties.
- Truckies: Used for truck drivers
Aussie Nicknames for Couples:
There are many expressions used by Aussies for their significant other. They may vary from person to person. They usually have nicknames generally used by most English speakers like baby, bae, babe, honey, and darling, etc. Following is a small list of nicknames that we thought were a bit different and unique:
- Babe/Baby: It is used by both men and women to address their significant other. Aussies use it as any other English speaker would.
- Bae/Boo: These are pet names commonly used by Aussie couples. So, people in a relationship would use this with their partner.
- Bomb thrower: A term used for one’s wife.
- Cheese & Kisses: Used by Australian men for their wives.
- Dear/Darling: Another term of endearment for one’s partner.
- Boyfriend/Girlfriend: Popularly used to refer to someone’s significant other.
- Honey: Another popular pet name used by Australian couples while addressing one another.
- Hubby: Used by women for their husbands.
- Missus: Most commonly used by Australian men while referring to their wives.
- Partner: Used by people in a relationship.
- The trouble and strife: Simply meaning one’s wife.
Funny Australian Nicknames:
Aussies are good-natured people, but they love teasing their friends. The name-calling culture is specifically popular in Australia. Here is a list of words they use in daily routine in a funny way:
- Bludger: A lazy person who doesn’t like to work hard.
- Bogan: An unsophisticated, uneducated person.
- Cobber: An excellent friend.
- Dag: A nerdy, geeky, or socially awkward person.
- Dipstick/Drongo/Dickhead/Dropkick: A person who is an idiot or a fool.
- Feral: A Hippie or an unattractive person.
- Galah: A silly, stupid, or unintelligent person.
- Larrikin: A prankster, or a man who is always having a good time.
- Sheila: Used for a young woman.
- Sook: An overly emotional person.
- Sticky-beak: A nosy person.
- Sunshine: A weak or emotional person.
- Wuss: A coward or a soft-hearted person.
Fun Australian Phrases and Expressions:
Once you’ve been introduced to Australian slang culture, you’ll notice that they have some weird and fun phrases. Australians have their own unique way of speaking.
- Ace: If something is Excellent! Or Very good!
- Arvo: A term for the Afternoon.
- Aussie salute: A pure Ozzie term used for brushing away flies with one’s hand.
- Barbie: A short form of Barbecue.
- Bathers: A word used for a swimming suit.
- Big Smoke: While referring to a big city like Sydney or Melbourne.
- Bizzo: An expression to say mind their own business.
- Bush: It means the Countryside or the Outback.
- Bloody: Used to extenuate a point
- Bottle-O: Liquor Shop, or a place to buy alcohol.
- Brekky: Short for Breakfast.
- Can’t be Stuffed: When one can’t be bothered.
- Chockers: If there is no room to move because there are a lot of people.
- Crikey/Blimey: An expression of utter surprise or amazement.
- Crook: If one is sick or unwell.
- Cuppa: A cup of tea.
- Dunny: Toilet
- Deadset: If something is genuine or authentic.
- Defo: Short for Definitely.
- Devo: Short form of Devastated.
- Exy: For something expensive.
- G’Day: Commonly used by Australians instead of Hello! Or Hey!
- Good on, Ya! Used instead of well done or a good job. It can also be used in a sarcastic way of telling someone they messed up.
- Go Off: If an event is in full swing, or lively.
- Macca’s: An Aussie term for McDonald’s.
- No Worries: To tell someone no problem or a way of saying it’s ok.
- Off the Rocker: Acting crazy.
- Piss Fartin Around: When someone is procrastinating.
- Rack off/Get Stuffed: To tell someone to piss off.
- Servo: Generally used for a garage or a service station.
- Sook: If a person is crying or is upset.
- Spit the Dummy: When a person throws a tantrum.
- What’s the John Dory? When requesting for gossip.
- Whinge: When someone is complaining or whining.
Now, as you have the idea of how Australians interact with each other in a casual way, make cool nicknames for your Aussie friends and make your bonding stronger.
Tell us which nickname you like the most and share if you know more.
I was born in South London from cockney parent.
Real cockney rhyming slang was originally use to prevent the peelers ..police knowing what was said it was their own secret language. Therefor they did not say the whole rhyme so ‘ apples and pears..stairs was going up the apples…Lets have a butchers…butchers hook….
Therefore most people use cockney rhyming slang incorrectly it is not.
I spent 5 years in NSW and 32 years in country Victoria and love Australia and am a citizen, but don’t copy cockney and make a mess of it please, stick with my beloved ‘yewy’ and ‘bog standard’, prezzie, chrissie sickie etc
Lots wrong in this – e.g. a dag is someone who is funny and a lovely person to hang out with -a bit of a card or a hard case -not a geek or nerd. I don’t know where you are getting your info from but it’s wrong. (I’m an Aussie living in Queensland but also lived in New South Wales for years).
Do Aussies use “la” at the end of a woman’s name as a term of endearment? Note: I am NOT referencing use of the infamous
“Sheila” but other given names where they will add a “ la” or am I making that up, please?
Ex. My name : Kay
would be Kayla??
Australians haven’t used rhyming slang like ” Trouble and strife ” for about 100 years.
If you say “Blimey” in Australia people will laugh at you.
If you pronounce Aussie with an s sound instead of a z sound we will cringe.
If you wish to try an attempt at an Australian accent please take the time to listen to an actual Australian and not someone like an American or British stand up comedian or actor…….you will only embarrass yourself…..like they do.
I know a heap of people who use rhyming slang like ‘hit the Frog and Toad’ and ‘Trouble And Strife’ and im an aussie from NSW
I’m Aussie and I’ve met heaps of fellow Aussies who use “Trouble ‘n’ Strife” as a joke when talking about their wife, and “blimey” is a common Aussie word that my family, friends and myself use.
I lived across the road from a Yank and a Canadian who both used Aussie coloquilisms in their everyday speech; it never sounded odd – but that might be due to them not trying to mimic Australian pronounciation when pronouncing our slang.
Its only weird when foreigners stereotype the Aussie accent whilst trying to wrap their tongues around our words.
I grew up in Melbourne, have travelled this land a bit and now live 120km away from the city in rural Vic. Rule of thumb for Australia seems to be that the further you get from the cities, the greater the variance in regional patois and dialectal idioms.