Australian Slang (strine)

Australian slang or ‘Strine’ has developed over the years to become a Creole in itself. That is to say that it has been codified (recorded officially). The keys to understanding Australian slang can be varied in that one way is to realize that Australians abbreviate most words that have more than one syllable. Another way is more ‘poetic’ in that they use metaphor to evoke an image which is humorous as well as self-explanatory. A third way of understanding ‘Strine’ is that Australians use rhyming slang. To illustrate:

Australians abbreviate! University has 4 syllables and this is much too long for the average Aussie so it becomes Uni. To understand it in a conversation you can discern it from the context. If an Aussie says I got a Science degree at Uni it is fairly obvious that University is meant. Another common abbreviation is “The protestors were rallying at the Demo.” This is the Australian form of demonstration. If an Australian tells you that something is suss, then he/she means that it is of questionable value, or ‘suspect’ or ‘suspicious’. Or an Aussie will suss something out, this means checking it to see if it checks out ok.

Master the abbreviations then you can move on to the Aussie Expressions. These are turns of phrase meant to evoke an image that generally shows its meaning. Aussies will say having a bash at something and this means that they will have a go or try at something. Don’t come the raw prawn means to warn someone off when they try to make unrealistic demands, or tell a fish story (pun not intended). These can be interpreted by understanding the imagery of the phrase, who wants a raw prawn (shrimp).

Continue to interpret the image. If someone has a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock, it means that they are a bit wacky, or weird, strange acting. When an Aussie tells you to Pull your head in, he means you have made an unbelievable suggestion and you should be silent. If an Australian tells you that Bob’s your uncle, it doesn’t mean that Robert is your father’s brother, but that everything will be alright. This was originally a British term, referring to Bob Salisbury, uncle of then British Prime Minister Balfour 1902-05, and has been adopted into Australian vernacular.

Australians also use rhyming slang and the key to understanding it is to work it out from the context. I have to go home to my trouble and strife, means going home to my wife. Get your plates of meat off the table, means get your feet off the table. To hit the frog and toad means to hit the road, and to have a Captain Cook means to have a look. So the things to remember are that Aussie slang can usually be interpreted from the context, or from its rhyme with a common word. There are numerous websites that feature dictionaries of Australian slang. For more ‘Strine’ and explanations of colloquialisms see this.