Australian Slang - Local Lingo
Unique Phrases - Memorable Quotes - O
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
OARSOME FOURSOME - nickname of Australian Olympic men's rowing crew
OCKER - rough uncultivated man, bogan
ODDIE - a halfpenny
OFF HIS KADOOVA - off his head; insane (1895)
OFF HIS SAUCER - tired, not in humour; out of sorts
OFF HIS CHOPS - intoxicated; c. 1960s
OFFSIDER - a bullock-driver’s assistant who walks on the off-side of the team and flogs the bullocks on that side when needed
OFFSIDER - work mate
OFF THE PLANET - taking drugs
OG - one shilling piece
OI! - call used to get someone's attention or to convey annoyance
OI! OI! OI! - Chanted three times after Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, - national sporting cry.
OK BOOMER - eye-roll put-down of Baby Boomer's lecturing of Millenials
OKEY DOKEY - ok
OLD BOMB - a car of ancient vintage
OLD CHEESE - mother
OLD COUNTRY - England
OLD DART - colonial settlers' country of origin, mostly from Britain
OLD HAND - Ex-convict c. 1860
OLDIES - parents
OLD LAG - ticket of leave holder; ex convict
OLD MAN - fully grown kangaroo; also known as boomer
OLD POT - rhyming slang. the old pot and pan - the old man = the old pot - and further the old better not or the old dash and dot
OLD SON - my fine fellow; an expression of patronage or contempt
OLIVER IN TOWN- Oliver used to mean moon. This expression meant it was unfavorable night for burglars
ON A GOOD WICKET - successful
ON A STICKY WICKET - in trouble
ON A STRING - trifling with someone (Franklin)
ONCE OVER - look over quickly
ON FOR YOUNG AND OLD - full scale fight
ON ME PAT - on my own; rhyming slang: Pat Malone=own)
ON THE BLINK - broken
ON THE BONES OF YOUR ARSE - destitute
ON THE CROSS - dishonestly come by; unlawful
ON THE MAKE - looking for profit or conquest
ON THE NEVER NEVER - unrealistic utopian future
ON THE NOD - without payment (Digger Smith, C.J. Dennis)
ON THE NOSE - smelly
ON THE NOSE - no good
ON THE NOSE - bad food (Army 1945)
ON THE OUTER - excluded
ON THE PEA - gone crazy (the result of sheep eating the poisonous Darling Pea plant)
ON THE PEAR - seasonal work eradicating prickly pear by poison from farmland
ON THE RAG - period
ON THE TURPS - drinking heavily, turps being abbreviation of turpentine
ON THE WALLABY TRACK - tramping the bush roads of the outback
ONE ARMED BANDIT - poker machine
ONE FOR THE FATHER, ONE FOR THE MOTHER AND ONE FOR THE COUNTRY - Treasurer Peter Costello on introducing the Baby Bonus in 2002
ONE FOR THE ROAD - the last drink at the pub before you leave
ONE STAR ARTIST - second lieutenant (soldier slang WW1)
ONE STAR PIP - second lieutenant (soldier slang WW1)
ONYA BIKE - Get on ya bike - tell someone to leave
ON YOUR PAT MALONE - on your own
ONYA - good on you
OPEN SLATHER - free-for-all; no rules
OPERA HOUSE LOTTERY - subsidised the building of the Sydney Opera House
OP SHOP - opportunity shop; second hand goods
OSCAR - money
OUR VISION IS TO LOOK THROUGH THE EYES OF OUR KIDS. WE ARE A LUCKY, PEACEFUL NATION. WE ARE AN UNSELFISH PEOPLE. THAT'S ONE OF OUR PROUDEST NATIONAL ATTRIBUTES. - General Sir Peter Cosgrove
OUT - bushranger term - to go out was to be at large in the bush
OUT OF THE BOX - very special
OUTBACK - interior of Australia; dry, unpopulated
OUTHOUSE - dunny
OUT-STATION - a sheep or cattle station away from the Head-station (Morris 1898)
OUT THE BACK - back yard, nearby
OUT TO IT - dead drunk
OVERPAID, OVERSEXED, AND OVER HERE - phrase thought to have originated in Australia during WWII in regards to American servicemen who arrived in the country shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbour by the Japanese
OVERLAND - across country
OVERLANDER - stockman who herds cattle over great distance before the days of railways
OVERLAND TELEGRAPH LINE - 200 km telegraph line that connected Darwin with Port Augusta in South Australia
OVER THE RIVER - signifying good-bye
OVER THE ROAD - across the street
OZ - Australia
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