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Slang is an integral aspect of Australian culture. Whether you’re having a smoko at work or catching up with mates at a weekend barbie, every conversation is littered with colloquialisms that only Aussies understand.
But not all slang words are appreciated equally, as language learning platform Preply discovered after surveying 1,500 Australians about their attitudes towards Aussie vernacular.
The study has revealed the 10 most popular and most annoying Australianisms according to a range of people aged 16 to over 55, with some very surprising results.
Most popular Aussie slang words
1. Mate
Meaning: friend.
Unsurprisingly, 77.95 per cent of Aussies feel confident dropping “mate” in a sentence. Oldies are particularly fond of the word, with 81.20 per cent of over 55s using it in everyday conversation.
2. Thongs
Meaning: Flip-flops.
Aussies are really into “thongs”, with 75 per cent of people saying the slang word is their favourite.
3. Sunnies
Meaning: Sunglasses.
Two syllables are better than three, according to 74 per cent of voters.
4. Brekkie
Meaning: Breakfast.
Just like “sunnies”, the word “brekkie” is favoured by 74 per cent of people.
5. Arvo
Meaning: Afternoon.
If you don’t hear this expression every day, are you even in Australia? It’s a favourite for 72 per cent of Aussies.
6. Servo
Meaning: Service station.
Aussies love a short cut, so it makes sense that 72 per cent of us enjoy using this word.
7. Smoko
Meaning: Cigarette break.
Popular with 67% of respondents, “smoko” has come to encompasses any break from work, whether or not any smoking is done.
8. Bottle-o
Meaning: Liquor store, bottle shop.
Cheers to the 66 per cent of people who enjoy a visit to their local “bottle-o”.
9. Outback
Meaning: Australia’s vast, largely unpopulated interior.
Interestingly, 64 per cent of people voted “outback” as their favourite Aussie colloquialism.
10. Bogan
Meaning: An uncultured or unsophisticated person.
When describing certain Aussies, sometimes only the word “bogan” will do, at least according to 62 per cent of voters.
Most annoying Aussie slang words
1. Sheila
Meaning: Woman or female.
“Sheila” has been deemed the most irritating Aussie slang word, with 31.71 per cent of voters saying they dislike it. The fact that more women (32.96 per cent) than men (27.24 per cent) find the word bothersome is unsurprising, given that it can be seen as derogatory.
2. Crikey
Meaning: An exclamation of surprise.
Crikey! Who would’ve guessed 23 per cent of voters would choose this as their most disliked Aussie slang word?
3. Cake hole
Meaning: Mouth.
Those who love this phrase might suggest 23 per cent of voters shut their cake holes. To be fair though, this one isn’t strictly Australian.
4. Mate
The most popular Aussie slang word also appears on the most annoying list, with 20.79 per cent of voters giving it a thumbs down. Interestingly, more men (24.25 per cent) than women (19.93 per cent) find “mate” irritating.
5. Bogan
Another word to appear on both lists, “bogan” is disliked by 20 per cent of voters (possibly bogans themselves).
6. In the nuddy
Meaning: Naked.
This phrase might be too childish for 20 per cent of those surveyed.
7. Bonzer
Meaning: Great, awesome, first-rate.
Is the fact that this word is rarely used anymore the reason 18 per cent of people don’t approve of it?
8. Barbie
Meaning: Barbecue.
You won’t catch 17 per cent of respondents using the word “barbie” in place of barbecue.
9. Brekky
Despite its high ranking on the list of most popular Aussie slang words, 17 per cent of voters can’t stand hearing people say “brekky”.
10. Sunnies
Another dual listing. It appears 17 per cent of people would prefer you say “sunglasses” instead of abbreviating the word.
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