This article does not aim to teach you everything about how Australians or Aussies (as they would also like to be referred to) speak. We just want to share you some Australian slang- words and phrases that Aussies use quite often so that once you go on a vacation or possibly migrate to the Land Down Under, you will not feel so out of place.
Australian English, as we all know, has quite a bit of a difference from American English but as of present, because of globalization and the fact that a lot of Aussies have moved away from their rural ways of living, the Australian folk have learned to adopt numerous American terms. Still, Aussies have viewed that their slang is uniquely Australian and therefore, considered to be a significant aspect of their culture. Travelers and tourists seem interested in Australian slang too since there seems to be quite a lot of books about them. As mentioned earlier, though Aussies view that their slang is uniquely Australian, a lot of them did not originate in Australia but rather in European countries such as Ireland & England. That is why some British or Irish terms would seem familiar to Australians and vice versa. But although they do have similar slang expressions, it does not mean that these words or phrases mean the same thing. But once you step foot in Australia, better be careful when using these words or phrases. In fact, better not use them at all because the locals will most likely think that you are mocking them instead of trying to speak like them.
Australians are already used to a lot of accents so if you travel there and English is a language you can speak fluently, speaking clearly would be the best advice we can give. As a standard greeting, you can tell an Aussie “G'day” or “How yagoin'”. If in a fast food restaurant like McDonalds, you can request for chips instead of fries and if you want to eat them at your hotel, order them take- away instead of to go.
Due to its diversity and the vocabulary used, Aussie slang can even be considered by many as almost a language in its own right. Australians love playing with words and most of the time, in order to explain things, they use shortened terms. The roots of their words may have been British English but it has certainly evolved and Australians made sure to make a language the can call their own. Some slangs or phrases might just be easy to understand such as “roo”, which is short for kangaroo. But it may also be a good idea to share to you guys some words that have a different meaning so they should be avoided. A good example would be to avoid the term “fanny pack” because the word “fanny” in Australia actually refers to the female genitalia. Instead, use the term “belt bag”. The alphabet is also pronounced differently.
So if you ever travel or move to Australia, be sure to take with you a dummy guide for Australian slang so you will feel right at home once you land.