Illustrated Dictionary of Australian English

Words and Phrases in Afferbeck Lauder

Da

dack
1 trousers
Generic use of a trademark.
2 to pull someone's pants down
I was dacked in front of everyone. aussie slang since the 1960s
dad & dave
a shave
After the two comical characters created by Steele Rudd in the late 19th century. Sometimes used to mean grave. rhyming slang: dad and dave for shave
dag
1 a character
Someone eccentric but entertainingly so. first recorded in 1916
2 a socially awkward person, usually an adolescent
Someone who doesn’t buy into fashion and is hopelessly resigned to being themselves. popular since the 1960s
3 a lump of excrement-matted wool on a sheep's rear
The word was originally daglock, from a British dialect. borrowed into aussie english in the 1870s
Commonly used in the phrase rattle your dags. first recorded in the 1980s
daggy
out of fashion, uncool
I'm wearing my old dacks; they're not too daggy, are they?
dags
comfortable old clothes
Usually worn around the house.
dagwood dog
a battered sausage fried on a stick
Also called a pluto pup, or in SA, a dippy dog.
dam
an artificial pond with earth walls
A classic australianism.
Outside Australia it refers only to the wall.
damages
cost or expense
damper
a kind of bread
Traditionally baked in the ashes of a camp-fire, served with a mug of billy tea. first recorded in the 1820s
dandy
a container of an individual serving of ice-cream

Used in SA, elsewhere known as a dixie.
sa slang
dardy
something cool
Originating from south-west WA Aboriginal peoples.
This word has been adopted by non-Indigenous Australian teens, particularly in the skateboarding subculture. Many Australian teens also use the word to describe something worth buying.
south-west wa aboriginal nation
Dapto briefcase
a cask of wine
Used in Wollongong NSW, after the township of Dapto.
Also called a Bellambi handbag.
nsw slang
darl
darling
Also in the form: Hurry up darls, we'll be late aussie slang since the 1930s
Darwin rig
mens' formal dress in the top end
Essentially there is no need for a jacket. The collar and tie is replaced with an open-necked shirt, long trousers are replaced with shorts and long white socks. Stubbies and t‑shirts are out.In recent years standards have been more relaxed. It may now incorporate thongs as footwear but they must be high quality ‘double pluggers’.
Also called a territory rig.
nt slang
Darwin stubby
an exceptionally large bottle of beer
Created by Carlton United Breweries (CUB) when it began brewing NT Draught in 1957.
While more recently made Darwin stubbies hold a mere two litres of beer, they originally held the equivalent of six regular-size stubbies. The oversize bottle was used because of the logistics of shipping bottles large distances.
In May 2015 CUB announced that they will no longer brew NT Draught on a regular basis.
nt
date
anus
David Murrays ∼ no David Murrays
no worries
From a well-known furniture store in Adelaide.
sa rhyming slang
Dawn Service
a commemorative ceremony
Held at dawn on Anzac Day, April 25.
It is the anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli of the ANZAC troops in 1915. first recorded in the 1920s

De

dead horse
tomato sauce
rhyming slang: dead horse for sauce
deadly
excellent, fantastic, cool
Deadly is used by many Aboriginal people to mean excellent, or very good, in the same way that wicked is by many young English speakers.
She was a deadly spunk in an even deadlier skirt.
The word has crossed-over into the speech of white adolescents, especially in the Northern Territory. The Deadlys began as an informal celebration and awards night for Indigenous musicians and broadcasters held in 1995, to mark the first 12 months of broadcasting for Indigenous music radio program, Deadly Sounds.In June 2014, the funding was cut by the Abbott Government, with funding phased back to $1 million and no funding provided for future years. In November 2017, the National Dreamtime Awards were launched to fill the void in recognising indigenous achievements as a result of the cessation of the Deadly Awards.
aboriginal english slang since the 1980s
deadly treadly
a bicycle
Lacking in accessories such as brakes, lights, etcetera.
ocker slang
dead set
1 without a doubt
I'm dead set against it
2 totally , utterly
He's a dead set nong.
3 honestly , fair dinkum
Dead set!
deadshit
an annoying person
dead'un
a horse that is deliberately run to lose
racing slang
dekko
a close look
Originally British army slang from India, from the Hindi dekho
aussie slang since the 1950s
deli
a delicatessen
In SA, WA, Qld, and elsewhere a deli is a milk bar or corner store, rather than a shop selling expensive food items.
aussie slang since the 1970s
der
a mocking exclamation indicating stupidity
Representing the natural exclamation of a brainless person attempting to think.
A der brain is a fool or an idiot.
aussie slang since the 1970s
dero ∼ derro
a person without a home , job , or property
aussie slang since the 1960s
desert art
a style of modern australian aboriginal art
Originating at Papunya, NT in the early 1970s.

Also known as Papunya Tula
aboriginal australia

Di

dial
the face
dice
to throw away, discard, reject
The bookie diced his sheets when he saw the copper approaching.
dick daks ∼ dick togs
a brief men's swimming costume
See speedos for a full set of synonyms.
dickhead
an unpleasant or despicable person
A term of abuse, it is mainly used when the dickhead is absent.
didgeridoo
the oldest wind instrument on the planet

It has been suggested that this must be a borrowing from an Aboriginal language but it is not. The name probably evolved from white people's ad hoc imitation of the sound of the instrument.

There are numerous names for the instrument among the Aboriginal peoples of northern Australia, none of which closely resemble the word didgeridoo. In everyday conversation bilingual Aboriginal people will often use the word interchangeably with the instrument's name in their own language, for example yidaki in Yolgnu language
aussie slang
dig
1 an innings in cricket
2 a cutting or sarcastic remark
digger
1 any australian soldier
Originally a goldminer, then applied to soldiers from WWII.
2 a form of casual address
Especially to older men, often abbreviated to Dig
digger hat

an australian army slouch hat
dill
a fool or simpleton
aussie slang since the 1940s
dilly bag
a small handwoven bag used by aborigines
Hence, a toiletries bag or similar.
From the Aboriginal language Yagara, from the Brisbane region.
ding
a dent
Especially in a car panel or surfboard.
dingbat
an eccentric, peculiar, or stupid person
A mild insult, originally US slang from the 1870s.
aussie slang since the 1910s
ding-dong
1 a strenuously contested fight
There's a ding-dong behind the pub!
2 powerful
I've got a ding-dong headache…
dingo
1 the native dog
A wild dog, Canis lupus dingo, brought to Australia about 4000 years ago by Indonesian seafarers. Usually tawny-yellow in colour, with erect ears, a bushy tail and distinctive gait, and with a call resembling a howl or yelp rather than a bark.
It is endangered by hybridisation with feral domestic dogs.
2 a threat to australias prosperity
A menace to pastoralists, to be trapped, shot, or poisoned at every opportunity; an animal detested by all, with a bounty on his head.
3 a coward
Any cowardly human, who refuses to face his responsibilties or his opponents, is a dingo.
To turn dingo on someone is to betray them. aussie slang since the 1860s
dingo's breakfast
a piss and a good look around
In other words, no breakfast at all.
Also called a bushman's breakfast.
dink
to carry a second person
On a bicycle or horse.
Same meaning as barie
dinkum
genuine, true
A dinkum Aussie
Appeared first in the phrase fair dinkum in 1881 in Britain, in 1890 in Australia, and as a separate word dinkum, from 1905.
From Derbyshire and Lincolnshire dialects, meaning work or due share of work.
Altered variously to dink, true-dinks, and dinky-di.
aussie slang since 1905
dinky
of small size, dainty
dip out
1 to opt out or not join in
Sorry, I'll have to dip out of the next beer.
2 to miss out on an opportunity
I waited for the free lunch, but dipped out.
3 to fail
Johnno dipped out in the first round.
dipstick
a loser, an idiot
dip your lid
to lift your hat as a mark of respect
Hence, to show admiration, as in I dips me lid.
An allusion to the Sentimental Bloke by C.J. Dennis who dips his lid upon first meeting his lady-love Doreen the sentimental bloke was published in 1915
dirty
1 angry, seething
He was dirty on me for not inviting him.
aussie slang since the 1960s
2 to betray or cheat
He did the dirty on me.
british slang since the 1910s
3 as emphasis
A dirty big black snake.
ocker slang
dishlicker
a racing greyhound
Or any dog.
divvy
1 a dividend, payout, or collect
2 a portion of profits
Hence, to divvy up  means to share out.
divvy van
a police van
For conveying persons in custody.
So called because of the dividing section which separates the police from the prisoners.
dixie
a container of an individual serving of ice-cream
Known as a dandy in SA.

Do

do
1 a festivity or party
We're having a big do next week.
2 to injure
He did his ankle jumping from the train.
3 to spend all your money
He did his dough at the races.
4 to be admirable
Used as a compliment or statement of phrase, as in
You'll do, mate!  or How about that fullback? He'll do me!
5 to assault or beat up
As in the term do over.
Originally a Kiwi term from the 1860s.
aussie slang since the 1940s
do a Melba
to return from retirement multiple times

Alluding to the opera singer Dame Nellie Melba, who famously gave a number of farewell performances.
dob
1 to inform on
A cardinal sin. Aussies are noted for a deep-seated reluctance to report any fellow citizen to anyone in a position of authority. Police, bosses, foremen, wives, etc, must do their own detecting.I'll tell you if you promise not to dob me in.Hence, a dobber is a telltale or informer.
2 to contribute funds to a collection
I dobbed in twenty dollars for her present.
aussie slang since the 1950s
doctor
a cool southerly sea breeze
One that blows after a hot day in the south-west of WA.
In Perth it is known as the Freemantle Doctor.
dodger
1 bread
2 an advertising leaflet
aussie slang since the 1890s
dodgy
1 suspicious, underhand
He's one of those dodgy salesmen.
2 unstable, unreliable
Those foundations look a bit dodgy.
doer
a hard and keen worker
A terms of respect, the opposite of a bludger.
aussie slang since the 1900s
dog
1 an informer
2 a prison warder
underworld slang
dog & bone
telephone
rhyming slang: dog & bone for phone
dog fence
the longest continuous barrier on earth
Also called the dingo fence, it keeps these predators in the north away from sheep country in the south. It stretches 5,614 kms from Jimbour on the Darling Downs, ending above the Great Australian Bight near Nundroo. It is a pest-exclusion fence that was built to keep dingoes out of the relatively fertile south-east part of the continent (where they had largely been exterminated) and protect the sheep flocks of southern Qld. Although the fence has helped reduce the loss of sheep to predators, the exclusion of dingoes has allowed for increased pasture competition from rabbits, kangaroos and emus. Sheep are also being lost to increasing numbers of feral dogs. See rabbit‑proof fence for a similar fence constructed during the 1880s
dog's eye
a meat pie
rhyming slang since the 1950s: dog's eye for pie
dog's balls
something obvious
It sticks out like dog's balls!
dog's breakfast
a mess
dog tied up
an unpaid debt
aussie slang since 1905
dole
social security benefits for an unemployed person
dole bludger
a derisive term for an unemployed person
Especially one who does not make an attempt to find work.
See bludger for more.
aussie slang since the 1970s
do like a dinner
to vanquish
aussie slang since the 1840s
dolled up
dressed attractively
dong
to hit or punch
I donged him on the head.
aussie slang since the 1910s
donga
a temporary dwelling
Hence, a demountable building, especially in a mining area.
donkey vote
a stupid vote
In a parliamentary election, voters numerically rank each candidate in order of preference.
Voters who merely number the candidates in the order they are listed on the ballot paper (without regard for the merits of the candidates) are said to be casting a donkey vote.
aussie slang since 1962
donkey-lick
to defeat with ease
aussie slang since the 1890s
donk
the engine in a car, boat, etcetera
doona
a quilted bedspread
Originally a trademark, now used generically.
Elsewhere called a duvet.
A doona day  is a kind of sanctioned sickie when you slop about the house in pyjamas and snuggle up on the couch with your doona.
doover
a utility term for anything
Originally Aussie military slang from World War I.
Also expanded to dooverlackie.
do the bolt
to run away or abscond
do your dough
lose all your money
The phrase to do your dough, usually by gambling, is an Aussie original. Dough was originally US slang from the 1850s.
aussie slang since the 1920s
down the gurgler
irretrievably lost or destroyed
aussie slang since the 1970s
down under
australia
men at work down under
Also used of NZ and of Australia & NZ together.
since the 1880s

Dr

drag the chain
to lag behind
Originally from the shearing sheds, a term for the slowest shearer
aussie slang since the 1910s
drinking with the flies
drinking alone
See Pat Malone for a similar expression.
drop-kick
an unpleasant, contemptible person
He's a real drop-kick.
From the Aussie Rules term for a drop-kick and punt.
rhyming slang: drop-kick and punt for cunt

A Dictionary of Australian Colloquialisms

by G.A. Wilkes

  • Dropkick

    Someone of low intelligence or abilities.

drongo
a fool, a stupid person, a simpleton
Originally an RAAF term for a raw recruit, derived from the name of a well-credentialled racehorse who could do just about anything…except win a race. He was retired in 1925 after thirty-seven starts led to thirty-seven losses.
aussie slang since the 1940s
drop bear
a native marsupial
A large, arboreal, predatory marsupial, Thylarctos plummetus, related to the koala.
Around the size of a large dog, having coarse orange fur with some darker mottled patterning.
A hazard in most cities, towns, and the bush, it appears yearly on 1st April. They hunt by ambushing unsuspecting tourists, dropping as much as eight metres from trees to attack, waiting up to four hours to make a surprise kill. aussie slang since the 1960s
drop the kids off at the pool
a euphemism for defecation
drum
reliable news or information
What's the drum for the next race?
Roughly equivalent to oil.
aussie slang since 1910
drover
someone who herds cattle or sheep
For the drovers life has pleasures, that the townsfolk never know.
clancy of the overflow by a.b. paterson
dry as a dead dingo's donger
extremely thirsty
coined by barry humphries in the 1970s

Du

duck's disease
shortness of stature
duck's guts ∼ duck's nuts
a very good thing
ducks on the pond!
female approaching !
A warning cry that a woman is approaching a traditionally all-male environment.
It is a reminder that men should modify their language and behaviour to avoid giving offence. sunday too far away 1975First used in shearing sheds, now heard elsewhere, especially in a pub.
duckshove
to evade a responsibility
duco
the paintwork of an automobile
A trademark registered in 1927, now used generically.
dud
1 a loser
That guy is an absolute dud.
2 to swindle or cheat
After they left with my money I realised I had been dudded.
3 something that is malfunctioning
Your car is a dud.
duds
trousers
Hang on while I get me duds on.
aussie slang since the 1920s
duff
1 to steal cattle
Colonial Australian slang.
2 to make an error
It was an easy putt, but he's duffed it.
3 to be up the duff
To be pregnant.
dummy ∼ spit the dummy
have a tantrum
dumper
a wave in shallow water
One which crashes down instead of breaking evenly from the top.
dunny
a lavatory

Iconic Australiana, originally located some distance outside the house it served.
Hence To be all alone like a country dunny  is to be entirely alone. aussie slang since the 1840s
durry
a cigarette
Short for ‘Bull’ Durham, a brand of rolling tobacco, and hence originally a roll-your-own cigarette.
Originally used by the Australian Defence Forces to refer to a rollie, but is now also applied to tailor‑mades throughout the nation.
aussie diminutive since the 1940s

A Dictionary of Australian Colloquialisms

by G.A. Wilkes

  • Durry

    A cigarette

    From the Hindi word dhurri, a cotton carpet of Indian manufacture.

Australian Defence Forces slang, first recorded in 1941.

dust up
a fight or mellee
it's the

Illustrated Dictionary of Australian English