What is slang?
A type of language consisting of words and phrases that are regarded as very informal, are more common in speech than writing, and are typically restricted to a particular context or group of people.
When do you use slang?
Slang is very informal language. It can offend people if it is used about other people or outside a group of people who know each other well. We usually use slang in speaking rather than writing. Slang normally refers to particular words and meanings but can include longer expressions and idioms.
There are lots of slang words that you should learn when you live in Australia / Canada / United States.
100 Slang Words & Phrases
Slang word – A Cold One
Meaning: Beer
Slang word – Arvo
Meaning: Afternoon
Slang word – Aussie Salute
Meaning: Wave to scare the flies
Slang word – Avo
Meaning: Avocado
Slang word – Bail
Meaning: To cancel plans
Slang word – Barbie
Meaning: Barbecue
Slang word – Bathers
Meaning: Swimsuit
Slang word – Beauty
Meaning: Great!
Slang word – Billabong
Meaning: A pond in a dry riverbed
Slang word – Billy
Meaning: Teapot (in the outback on the fire)
Slang word – Bloody
Meaning: Very
Slang word – Bloody oath
Meaning: Yes! Or “That’s very true”
Slang word – Bludger
Meaning: Someone who’s lazy
Slang word – Bogan
Meaning: Someone who’s not very sophisticated
Slang word – Booze Bus
Meaning: Police vehicle used to catch drunk drivers
Slang word – Bottle-O
Meaning: Liquor shop: a place to buy alcohol
Slang word – Brekky
Meaning: Breakfast
Slang word – Brolly
Meaning: Umbrella
Slang word – Budgie Smugglers
Meaning: Speedos
Slang word – Bush
Meaning: “Out in the bush” or away from civilisation
Slang word – Choc A Bloc
Meaning: Full
Slang word – Biccy
Meaning: Biscuit
Slang word – Chook
Meaning: Chicken
Slang word – Chrissie
Meaning: Christmas
Slang word – Cobber
Meaning: Very good friend
Slang word – Coldie
Meaning: Beer
Slang word – Coppers
Meaning: Policemen
Slang word – Crikey
Meaning: an expression of surprise
Slang word – Crook
Meaning: Being ill (I’m crook); a criminal (he’s a crook)
Slang word – Dag
Meaning: Someone who’s a bit of a nerd or geek
Slang word – Daks
Meaning: Trousers
Slang word – Deadset
Meaning: That’s true, or true!
Slang word – Defo
Meaning: Definitely
Slang word – Devo
Meaning: Devastated
Slang word – Drongo
Meaning: a Fool, ‘Don’t be a drongo mate’
Slang word – Dunny
Meaning: Toilet
Slang word – Durry
Meaning: Cigarette
Slang word – Esky
Meaning: An insulated container that keeps things cold
Slang word – Facey
Meaning: Facebook
Slang word – Fair Dinkum
Meaning: Honestly? Or, Yes honestly!
Slang word – Flannie / Flanno
Meaning: flannelette shirt
Slang word – Flat out
Meaning: Really busy
Slang word – Footy
Meaning: Football (AFL / Aussie Rules)
Slang word – G’day
Meaning: Hello
Slang word – Galah
Meaning: Not being bright, also a stupid person
Slang word – Gnarly
Meaning: Awesome
Slang word – Going off
Meaning: Busy, lots of people
Slang word – Good On Ya
Meaning: Good work
Slang word – Goon
Meaning: Wine in a box
Slang word – Hard yakka
Meaning: Hard work
Slang word – Heaps
Meaning: Loads, lots, many
Slang word – Hoon
Meaning: Hooligan or a very bad driver
Slang word – Iffy
Meaning: Bit risky or unreasonable
Slang word – Knickers
Meaning: Female underwear
Slang word – Lappy
Meaning: Laptop
Slang word – Larrikin
Meaning: Someone who’s always up for a laugh
Slang word – Lollies
Meaning: Sweets
Slang word – Maccas
Meaning: McDonalds
Slang word – Manchester
Meaning: Sheets / Linen etc
Slang word – Mate
Meaning: Friend
Slang word – Mozzie
Meaning: Mosquito
Slang word – No Drama
Meaning: No problem / it’s ok
Slang word – No Worries
Meaning: No problem / it’s ok
Slang word – No Wucka’s
Meaning: A truly Aussie way to say ‘no worries’
Slang word – Outback
Meaning: The interior of Australia. Even more remote than “the bush”
Slang word – Pash
Meaning: To kiss
Slang word – Pissed Off
Meaning: An offensive/vulgar way of saying you are very annoyed
Slang word – Piss Up
Meaning: A party, a get together and in Australia
Slang word – Pissed
Meaning: Intoxicated, Drunk
Slang word – Piss Off
Meaning: An offensive way to tell someone to go away or get lost.
Slang word – Rack Off
Meaning: The less offensive way to tell someone to go away or get lost.
Slang word – Reckon
Meaning: For sure
Slang word – Rellie / Rello
Meaning: Relatives
Slang word – Ripper
Meaning: ‘You little ripper’ = That’s fantastic!
Slang word – Rooted
Meaning: Tired or Broken
Slang word – Runners
Meaning: Trainers, Sneakers
Slang word – Sanger
Meaning: Sandwich
Slang word – Servo
Meaning: Service Station / Garage
Slang word – Sheila
Meaning: A woman
Slang word – Sick
Meaning: Awesome; ‘that’s really sick mate’
Slang word – Sickie
Meaning: A sick day off work
Slang word – Slab
Meaning: A carton of beers
Slang word – Snag
Meaning: Sausage
Slang word – Stoked
Meaning: Happy, Pleased
Slang word – Straya
Meaning: Australia
Slang word – Stubby
Meaning: A bottle of beer
Slang word – Stuffed
Meaning: Tired
Slang word – Sunnies
Meaning: Sunglasses
Slang word – Swag
Meaning: Single bed you can roll up, a bit like a sleeping bag
Slang word – Tea
Meaning: Dinner
Slang word – Tinny
Meaning: Can of beer or small boat
Slang word – Thongs
Meaning: Flip Flops
Slang word – True Blue
Meaning: Genuinely Australian
Slang word – Tucker
Meaning: Food
Slang word – Two Up
Meaning: A gambling game played on Anzac day
Slang word – U-IE
Meaning: To take a U-Turn when driving
Slang word – Up yourself
Meaning: Stuck up
Slang word – Woop Woop
Meaning: Middle of nowhere “he lives out woop woop”
Slang word – Ya
Meaning: You
Slang word – Yous
Meaning: Plural of you
IELTS Vocabulary
Top Tips & Tricks for Taking the IELTS
