strewth!it's the

The Illustrated Dictionary of
Australian English

Words and Phrases in Afferbeck Lauder

Pa

pack a wallop
having a strong impact
Strewth, this home-brew packs a wallop!
See wallop for more terms.
pack of galahs
group of disliked people
Eolophus roseicapillus The bird referred to is the grey‑backed, pink‑breasted cockatoo Eolophus roseicapillus.
first recorded in the 1850s
packing shit
being very scared
paddock
1 an australian rules football oval
2 a spectator 's enclosure at a racetrack
first recorded in the 1850s
paddock-basher
an old car, generally unregistered
Used for driving around paddocks or the bush.
panel van
a vehicle like a station wagon
 With a single row of seats for the driver and passenger. Also called a panno or shaggin' wagon .
pants man
a womaniser
pansy
effeminate male
papers
cigarette papers
Known in Tas as tissues.
Papunya Tula
an australian aboriginal modern art movement
Papunya Tula is an artist cooperative, owned and operated by Aboriginal people from the Western Desert of Australia.
From Papunya, NT, where the movement began and Tula, a nearby hill and Honey Ant Dreaming site — the first painting was called Honey Ant Dreaming.

The style is based on traditional body and sand painting associated with Dreamings but with a characteristic dot and circle imagery developed from a desire to eliminate sacred-secret symbols.
Popularly referred to as “dot painting ”, credited with bringing Aboriginal art to world attention
Also known as desert art.
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Flag formed in 1972
para
very drunk
Aussie abbreviation of paralytic
pash
long passionate kiss
pass in your marbles
to die
Pat Malone
alone
I went to the pub on my Pat Malone
See drinking with the flies and Jimmy Woodser for similar expressions.
rhyming slang: pat malone for alone
pav
pavlova
 Named after Anna Pavlova(1881-1931), the Russian ballerina who toured down under in the 1920s.
Her favourite dessert was a soft-centred meringue topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit.
aussie & kiwi slang
 

Pe

peanut paste
peanut butter
The states of Qld, WA, and SA used to have legislation that prevented the word butter being used for non-dairy products.
pearler
1 something exceptional or superlative
Her new dress was a real pearler.
2 in cricket, a very good delivery
perform
to throw a temper tantrum since the 1890s
perk
any fringe benefit of a job
If you want your share of perks, learn the ropes, and all the lurks. A shortened form of perquisite, commonly found in association with the word lurk.
perv
1 to look lustfully at someone
I was perving on the barmaid.
2 a sexual pervert
Rack off, you dirty old perv.
3 an attractive person
The new barmaid is a bit of a perv.
4 to look at or gawk, not in a sexual way
They were perving at the couple fighting.
5 an act of voyeurism
I'm just having a bit of a perv.
pester
to annoy someone
petrol head
a car enthusiast
 

Pi

pick a winner
to pick a large piece of snot from the nose with your finger
Referring to infantile games of snot comparison.
pigs arse
strong disagreement
Pigs arse! I won't do that …
pike
1 to let down or abandon someone
Don't pike on me now.
2 to go back on an arrangement
He piked out on the deal.
piker
someone who doesn 't want to fit in with others socially
pill
a football aussie rules and rugby slang
pineapple ∼ get the rough end of the pineapple
get a raw deal, be treated badly
ping
1 to penalise for an infringement of the rules
I got pinged for a high tackle.
2 of a racehorse , to put on a sudden burst of speed
Turning on to the straight, she pinged for the finish.
pissant
1 in a negative sense , an annoying little bastard
I'm sick of pissant politicians.
2 in a positive sense , a small but aggresive person
Hence the phrase game as a pissant, meaning very brave.
3 drunk as a pissant
Means extremely drunk.
4 to waste time in frivolous activity
We were pissanting around.
since the 1940s
piss
1 urine , urination
I'm hangin' for a piss.
2 alcohol , especially beer
Let's go to the pub and get on the piss.
2 a party where there is plenty of alcohol
What a piss up, there was heaps of grog!
3 a very easy task
It's a piece of piss to do that…
4 a piss-take
We were just taking the piss.
It is recommended that no piss be taken until you know your friend well and understand what makes them laugh or angry.
Then you take the piss and so help them feel better about whatever is troubling them in their life.
Targets of a piss-take are expected to reply in kind. An insulting joke in return increases an Aussie's appreciation of you.

5 used as an intensifier
That was piss-awful!
6 a substitute for the word hell
He scared the piss out of me.
piss away
to waste or squander
He pissed away his inheritance.
An alternate expression is piss it up against the wall.
piss in my pocket
to act ingratiatingly
Stop pissing in my pocket!
since the 1940s
piss it in
to win easily
First time we played we pissed it in.
piss on
to defeat
Last time we played they pissed on us.
pisser
1 lavatory
Hang on, I'm just going to the pisser.
2 something very funny
That story is an absolute pisser!
plant
to hide
Referring to articles, animals, etc, often stolen.
colonial flash language
play funny buggers
fool around
plonk
wine , often inexpensive
From the French vin blanc, meaning white wine.
See cask, red ned, and goon for more information.
since wwii
 

Po

pokies
gambling machines in a club or pub
polly
politician aussie diminutive
pom ∼ pommy
a person from england
Originally derisive, the term is now sometimes bestowed affectionately.
Here's my mate, the pommy bastard!
pommy's towel
extremely dry
Dry as a pommy's towel!
pong
bad smell
poofter
homosexual male
porky
a lie , an untruth rhyming slang: pork pie for lie
pork chop ∼ carry on like a pork chop
to make a fuss, to behave in a silly or excited way
first recorded in 1975
port
suitcase , school bag
A contraction of the word portmanteau.
aussie contraction
possie
a position
You get the drinks, I'll grab a good possie.
aussie diminutive
postie
postal delivery worker
aussie diminutive
pot
1 a small draught beer
beer Served in a 285ml glass in Qld and Vic.
See beer for more information.
2 marijuana
marijuana See yarndi for more information.
pox doctors clerk
flashy overdressing
He was dressed up like a pox doctors clerk.
It is hard to explain why this little-known and uncommon employment group is a byword for flashy overdressing.
prang
a motor vehicle accident
prezzies
gifts , presents aussie diminutive
prothonotary
one of the principal officials of a supreme court
Who has a responsibility to issue writs, and also has some judicial powers.
 

Pu

pub
 any hotel
public servant
a person employed by a government authority
In colonial times a convict was often called a public servant, and this was later applied to anyone who worked for the government. In 1843 Charles Rowcroft in Tales of the Colonies wrote:

I must warn you that we never speak of the ‘convicts’ in this country by that term. We always call them ‘government men’ or on some occasions ‘prisoners’, but we never use the term ‘convict’ which is considered by them as an insulting term.

pull your socks up
improve personal performance
punt
1 to bet
At the races or the tab, aussies love to get on the punt!
2 to make an attempt
The equivalent of have a go.
3 a type of kick in footy
Abbreviated form of drop kick & punt.
pussyfoot around
trying too hard not to offend
put the shits up
alarming someone
put the wind up
urging someone
 
strewth! it's the

The Illustrated Dictionary of
Australian English

Words and Phrases in Afferbeck Lauder