Top 10 Aussie sayings and what they mean

Aussies have a unique way of speaking. We like to shorten words and love nothing more than adding extra letters at the end of words where they might not be needed (like the prime example of righto).

This relaxed nature also extends into some of our commonly used slang words and phrases, which can be confusing for some of our international visitors and friends. That’s why we’ve created a handy overview of the top 10 Aussie slang sayings and what they actually mean to get you talking like an Australian in no time.

1. “Tell him he’s dreaming!”
   Made popular by the iconic Australian movie, The Caste, this term is typically used when talking about someone who is offering a good or service with unrealistic expectations.
2. “Have a good one”
   A good what, you might say? Have a good one means to have a nice day. This is a common caravan park saying and something you might hear fellow camp mates say often.
3. “Dog’s breakfast”
   This term refers to something being an absolute mess, and has absolutely no relation to a dog’s actual breakfast.
4. “Woop woop”
   No, woop woop is not a real place. This phrase is commonly used when talking about a location, like “oh, that campsite is in woop woop!” and it means the middle of nowhere.
5. “Spit the dummy”
   This is another phrase you might hear in the caravan park, particularly when it comes to couples setting up the van, as to ‘spit the dummy’ means behaving bad tempered or having a tantrum, like a child.
6. “Happy little Vegemite” or “As happy as a pig in mud”
   Both of these phrases refer to someone being incredibly happy. The first comes from a radio and TV ad campaign from the iconic Aussie spread Vegemite, while ‘as happy as a big in mud’ refers to the contented look pigs have while rolling in mud.
7. “A chip off the old block”
   This saying is used when describing the likeness of a child to their parent
8. “Carrying on like a pork chop”
   This means that someone is making a fuss.
9. “An absolute ripsnorter”
   Sometimes said as “an absolute ripper” or “an absolute pearler”, this phrase means exceptionally good. It can be used to describe a day with good weather, or a sporting performance.
10. “You beauty”
    This phrase is usually used when someone is excited about something, like when your sporting team wins a big match.