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SHORT THE STACK
Abbreviations

Shortening words has become a distinctive feature of typical Australian slang. These abbreviations are called Diminutives. The abbreviated words allow people to make their conversation less official and stringent. There are no such emphatic ups and downs as it is in American English and in general, a more relaxed manner of speech can characterise it. Slang abbreviations help speakers sound more friendly-like and familiar.

In Australian English, diminutives are usually formed by taking the first part of a word, and adding an a, o, ie, or y. Alternatively in some cases no ending may be added. The form of a diminutive is arbitrary but the usage follows strict rules. For example:
  • Diminutives are not used creatively. For example, an ambulance paramedic is called an ambo, and is never pronounced ambie or amba.
  • The use of the -ie ending, for example in bikie (a motorcycle club member), does not carry a connotation of smallness or cuteness as it does in other English dialects.

Some diminutives are almost always used in preference to the original form, while some are rarely used. Others might be restricted to certain demographic groups or locations. The use of diminutives also evolves over time with new words coming into use and falling out of favor. Some diminutives have become so common that the original form has fallen out of common usage.


A
  • Abo, an indigenous Australian. From Aboriginal. Considered offensive.
  • Aggro, aggressive, aggravated or angry
  • Ambo, an ambulance paramedic
  • Arvo, afternoon
  • Avo, avocado
  • Aussie, Australian
  • Straya, Short for Australia

B
  • Barbie, a barbecue, the cooking apparatus itself or the event of cooking food on a barbecue
  • Beauty, Beaut, or Bewdy, beautiful.
  • Biffo, a fight
  • Bikie, a member of a motorcycle club, with a connotation of involved in criminal activity.
  • Boardie, a boardshort, worn by surfers
  • Bottlo, a bottle shop or alcohol store
  • Bowlo, a lawn bowling club
  • Brekkie or Brekky, breakfast
  • Budgie, a budgerigar. Called a parakeet in the US. Male swimming briefs are called budgie smugglers.

​C
  • Cab Sav, Cabernet Sauvignon wine
  • Chalkie, a teacher. From chalk used on blackboards.
  • Chardy, chardonnay wine
  • Chewy, chewing gum
  • Chippie, a carpenter. From wood chips
  • Chockers, full to overflowing, derived from "chock-a-block"
  • Chockie, chocolate
  • Chrissie or Chrissy, Christmas
  • Ciggie, a cigarette
  • Convo, conversation. Used more often in text than speech.
  • Croc, a crocodile
  • Cuppa, a cup of tea or coffee

D
  • Deli, a delicatessen
  • Dero, a poor (often homeless) person, from derelict
  • Devo, devastated, to be very upset over some event
  • Deso, a designated driver, refraining from alcohol
  • Doco, a documentary
  • Dodge, dodgy or suspicious.
  • Durrie, a cigarette


E
  • Esky, a portable insulated container. From the Eskimo brand, which was later shortened to esky.

F
  • Firie, a firefighter
  • Footy, football which may refer to the sport of football, the ball itself, or a specific game.
  • Freshie, a freshwater crocodile, as opposed to a saltie - a saltwater crocodile.

G
  • Garbo, a garbage collector
  • Goon, Box wine

J
  • Jocks, men's briefs (underwear), from the brand name "Jockey"
  • Journo, a journalist

K
  • Kanga, a kangaroo
  • Kero, kerosene
  • Kindy, Kinda or Kinder, kindergarten

L
  • Leftie, a person with left wing views
  • Lezzo, a lesbian
  • Liftie, a skie lift operator
  • Lippy, a lipstick
  • Lappy, a laptop computer

M
  • Maccas, McDonald's fast food restaurant
  • Melbs, Melbourne
  • Metho, methylated spirits
  • Mo, a moustache
  • Mozzie, mosquito
  • Mushie, mushroom
  • Muso, a musician

P
  • Parma, Parmi or Parmy, depending on area, for Parmigiana, a pub staple
  • Paro, Paranoid.
  • Pav, pavlova
  • Pinko, a person with left wing views
  • Pokie, a poker machine
  • Pollie, a politician
  • Pom or pommie, a pejorative term for English people
  • Postie, a postman or postwoman
  • Povvo or Pov, a poor or cheap person. From poverty
  • Preggo or preggers, pregnant
  • Prezzies, gifts, presents
  • Probs, probably, also used for problem in the phrase "no probs"
  • Prozzies, prostitutes

R
  • Ref, referee (noun), or to referee a game (verb)
  • Reffo, a pejorative term for a refugee
  • Reso, a reservation
  • Rellie or Relo, a relative
  • Rents, parents
  • Roo, a kangaroo

S
  • Saltie, a saltwater crocodile, as opposed to a freshie, a freshwater crocodile
  • Salvos, Salvation Army. The term is used officially by the Salvation Army in Australia.
  • Sanga or Sanger, a sandwich. Originally sango, but evolved to its current from by the 1960s.
  • Savvy B, Sauvignon Blanc wine
  • Selfie, a self-shot photograph.
  • Semi, a semi-trailer truck, also a semi-final
  • Seppo, a pejorative term for an American.
  • Servo, a petrol station, service station
  • Shottie, a shotgun; also the act of riding in the front passenger seat of a vehicle, sometimes announced as "I call shotgun/shottie", to indicate that a person has claimed this seat.
  • Sickie, a sick day. Often with a connotation of there being insufficient medical reason for missing work
  • Smoko, a smoking break while at work. Since smoking has been banned in many workplaces, a smoko has come to mean any rest break at work.
  • Schmick, stylish, well tailored, well made, also used ironically
  • Snag, Sausage
  • Spag bol, Spaghetti Bolognese
  • Sparkie, an electrician. From sparking, electric arcing
  • Stubby or Stubbie, a small, wide bottle of beer
  • Subbie, a subwoofer speaker or a subcontractor
  • Sunnies, sunglasses
  • Surfie, a surfer
  • Suss, suspicious.
  • Swaggie, a swagman

T
  • Tellie or Telly, a television
  • Tinnie, historically referred to a beverage can(usually a beer can) but today generally refers to an aluminium flat-bottomed boat. From tin can
  • Tradie, a tradesperson
  • Trackies, track pants or a tracksuit. Track pants are also known as trackie dacks, dacks being a colloquial word for trousers.
  • Toonie, Toongabbie, a historic suburb in Western Sydney
  • Towie, tow truck or a tow truck driver
  • Truckie, a truck driver
  • Turps, alcohol, from turpentine, a toxic solvent historically used to adulterate gin. Usually used to say a person is "on the turps" (drinking heavily).
  • TV, a television, a common word outside of Australian English
  • Typo, a typographic error

U
  • U-ey ,U'ie (you-eee) To turn 180 degrees when driving a vehicle, U-Turn.
  • Ump or Umpie, an umpire at a sporting game
  • Undies, underwear. This word is used widely outside Australian English.[35]
  • Uni, university
  • Ute, an abbreviation of "utility"; a passenger vehicle with a cargo tray in the rear.

V
  • Veggie or vegie, vegetables, generally not a vegetarian
  • Veggo, a vegetarian, never a vegetable

W
  • Wheelie bin, a household waste bin on wheels
  • Wino, an alcoholic, from wine
  • Woolies, Woolworths supermarkets
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