Top 10 Best Slang Words in Australia in 2020
Australians are a hilarious bunch of humans with slang and expressions that many visitors to the country have never heard before. The Aussie language is much more than an accent but slang that has the ability to induce a very funny mental image. As a colourful and down-to-earth nation, it reflects in the language too. We look at some of the top 10 best slang words in Australia in 2020.
Top 10 Australian Slang and Expressions
1. Thongs
Aussies wear thongs openly in public, visible thongs! While you immediately envision half-naked men and women walking around with bare bottoms in their G-String panties, it is not what you think. Australians call their flip flops, thongs!
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2. Rock Up
Australians rock up somewhere! Beware, it has nothing to do with rocks like in stones. An Aussie doesn’t go somewhere, neither do they arrive, they rock up. They are going to rock up at a party or rock up late for work.
3. Reckon
How does an Australian ask someone, what do you think? Or what do you believe is true or false? They ask what do you reckon, or do you reckon its true? Reckon is their slang for think or believe.
4. Rug Up
When you are told during winter months to rug up, it doesn’t mean you need to get carpets in your home, it actually means that you must keep warm.
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5. Spitting the Dummy
When you or someone you know are spitting the dummy, it has got nothing to do with the pacifier a baby sucks, it actually means that you are throwing a tantrum.
6. Put a Sock in it
To put a sock in it has nothing to do with socks and shoes. If someone tells you to put a sock in it, they are firmly telling you to keep quiet.
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7. Legless
When someone in Australia is legless, they certainly aren’t amputees but rather very drunk.
8. Knackered
When an Aussie is knackered, you might think it is a disease or they have been hurt in an accident, but that is indeed the slang word for very tired.
9. Crikey
Another word that is also completely surprising and impossible to explain is the slang, crikey. This uniquely Aussie word means an explanation of surprise. If someone is surprised at something, they will call out the word, “crikey”!
10. Barbie
A Barbie in Australia does not necessarily mean the Barbie doll. If you are asked if you like a Barbie, you can say yes without feeling silly as a Barbie is in fact Barbeque. You can be invited for a barbie somewhere, or asked if you like a barbie?
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Final Thoughts
Australians have their language roots from British English but when you listen to an Aussie speak you can hear a mile away that they are NOT British, but true Aussies. When you visit Australia be prepared to experience some expressions and slang that you will only hear in Australia.
References
- https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/oceania/australia/ultimate-guide-aussie-slang
- https://www.australiaday.com.au/get-involved/aussie-slang-dictionary/
- https://www.studiesinaustralia.com/Blog/about-australia/the-modern-guide-to-aussie-slang
Main Image Source : Pixabay
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