Australian slang starting with S

282 Aussie words and phrases beginning with S. Page 1 of 3: from salmon gum to slip rails.

• salmon gumA eucalypt (Eucalyptus salmonophloia) of the Western Australian wheatbelt and goldfields, with smooth bark…
• saltbushAny of various hardy, salt-tolerant shrubs, especially species of Atriplex, that grow in arid inland…
• saltieA saltwater (estuarine) crocodile.
• SalvosThe Salvation Army; a Salvo is one of its members.
• sandgroperA person from Western Australia.
• sandshoeA light canvas shoe with a rubber sole; a sneaker or plimsoll.
• sandy blightA painful inflammation of the eyes, such as conjunctivitis or trachoma, that makes them feel gritty…
• sangaA sandwich. Also used of a sausage in bread at a barbecue.
• s'arvoThis afternoon.
• sausage rollIn Australian Rules football, a goal.
• sausage short of a barbieNot very bright; slightly lacking in intelligence or common sense.
• sausage sizzleA barbecue where sausages are cooked and sold in a slice of bread, typically to raise money for a school…
• savA saveloy: a seasoned, bright red, precooked sausage, often eaten hot at sporting events.
• savvy bSauvignon blanc wine.
• scabTo cadge or scrounge something, usually a small item such as a cigarette or a few dollars.
• scaffyA scaffolder.
• scaleTo ride on a train, tram, bus or ferry without paying the fare. A person who does this is sometimes called a…
• scarce as rocking-horse manureExtremely scarce or rare.
• schmickSmart, stylish or in excellent condition.
• schmiddyA beer glass, or the measure it holds, of roughly 350 ml, sitting between a middy and a schooner in size.
• schnittyA schnitzel, especially a crumbed chicken schnitzel as served in a pub.
• schoolA group of drinkers who take turns to shout rounds. A group gathered to play a gambling game, especially…
• School of the AirA system of distance education for children on remote stations and in outback communities, originally…
• school soresImpetigo, a contagious bacterial skin infection common among young children.
• schooliesThe week or so of celebrations taken by school-leavers after their final exams, typically at a beach resort…
• schoonerA large beer glass, 425 ml in New South Wales; the size and name vary between states.
• sconeThe head. To 'do your scone' is to lose your temper; to be 'off your scone' is to be crazy.
• scratchieAn instant lottery ticket from which you scratch off a coating to reveal whether you've won.
• screamerIn Australian Rules football, a spectacular high mark, usually taken by leaping onto an opponent's back or…
• scribbly gumAny of several eucalypts with smooth, pale bark marked by zigzag 'scribbles' made by the larvae of a small…
• scrubLand covered with dense, stunted trees and shrubs; rough, uncleared bush country.
• scrub bashingForcing a way through dense scrub, on foot or in a vehicle.
• scrubberA domestic animal, especially a bullock or horse, that has run wild in the scrub; hence, an inferior or…
• scungyDirty, grubby or unpleasant; mean. A 'scunge' is a dirty or unpleasant person, or grime.
• sea changeA move from the city to a coastal town for a quieter lifestyle; someone who does so is a sea-changer.
• see you round like a rissoleA jokey way of saying goodbye; see you later.
• send her down, HughieA call for heavy rain, especially from farmers in a drought.
• seppo derogatoryAn American.
• serveA harsh telling-off or verbal attack, usually 'give someone a serve' or 'cop a serve'.
• servoA service station; a petrol station.
• set shotIn Australian Rules football, a kick at goal taken from a standing start after a mark or free kick.
• shackA modest holiday house, typically on the coast or by a river or lake, often simply built and with few…
• Shaky IslesNew Zealand.
• shame jobIn Aboriginal English, an embarrassing or humiliating situation; often used as an exclamation.
• shanghaiA child's catapult or slingshot.
• shantyA rough bush hotel or grog shop, often unlicensed.
• shark baitA swimmer who goes out alone beyond the safe area or the other swimmers.
• shark biscuitA beginner surfer, especially a child on a bodyboard.
• sharpieA member of a 1960s–70s youth subculture, mainly in Melbourne, known for cropped hair with long back, tight…
• ShazzaA nickname for someone called Sharon; also used as a stereotypical name for an ordinary Australian woman.
• she-oakAny of various Australian trees of the genera Allocasuarina and Casuarina, with drooping, jointed…
• shed handA worker in a shearing shed who picks up and throws fleeces, sweeps the board and does other general jobs.
• sheepoIn a shearing shed, the worker who keeps the shearers' catching pens filled with sheep.
• sheep's backUsed in 'riding on the sheep's back': describing Australia's former economic prosperity, which depended on…
• Sheffield ShieldThe main interstate first-class cricket competition in Australia.
• sheilaA woman or girl. Somewhat dated, and may be considered disrespectful by some.
• shelfA police informer. As a verb, to inform on someone.
• she'll be rightEverything will be fine; don't worry. Sometimes implies a casual, careless attitude.
• shelliteA light petroleum spirit used as a solvent and cleaner and as fuel for camping stoves and lamps.
• shepherdIn Australian Rules football, to legally block an opponent to protect a teammate who has or is going for the…
• SheppShepparton, the regional city in northern Victoria.
• sherbetA beer; usually in the plural, 'a few sherbets'.
• SherrinAn Australian Rules football; strictly, the brand used in the AFL.
• shicerAn unproductive mine or claim that yields no gold. A swindler or welsher; a worthless person.
• shickerAlcoholic drink. 'On the shicker' means drinking heavily, and 'shickered' means drunk.
• shingle shortUsed in 'a shingle short': slightly mad or not very bright.
• shinglebackA slow, stumpy-tailed skink (Tiliqua rugosa) of southern and western Australia with large, rough, cone-like…
• shiny bumAn office worker or public servant, especially one regarded as doing nothing useful; originally a soldier…
• shiraleeA swag; figuratively, a burden.
• ShireThe Sutherland Shire, in Sydney's south; often used as shorthand for its beachside, suburban lifestyle.
• shirtfrontIn Australian Rules football, to bump an opponent hard, front-on, in the chest; hence, to confront someone…
• shitcan vulgarTo criticise harshly; to disparage.
• shithouse vulgar(adjective) Very bad; terrible. (noun) A toilet, especially an outdoor one.
• shitkicker vulgarSomeone who does menial, low-status work; the most junior person in a workplace.
• shivooA party, celebration or noisy gathering; sometimes a brawl.
• shoeyThe act of drinking beer or champagne out of a shoe, usually as a celebration.
• shonkyDishonest, unreliable or of poor quality.
• shook onKeen on; infatuated with (someone or something).
• shoot throughTo leave, especially quickly or without telling anyone.
• shoot through like a Bondi tramTo leave very quickly.
• short blackA single shot of espresso coffee served without milk.
• shoutTo pay for drinks or food for someone else, especially a round of drinks. Also a noun, as in 'it's my shout'.
• show ponyA show-off; someone more interested in looking good than doing the job.
• showbagA bag of sweets, toys and samples sold at an agricultural show, such as the Royal Easter Show or the Ekka.
• shrapnelLoose change; small coins.
• shrewdieA shrewd or cunning person.
• shrimp on the barbieA phrase associated with Australia overseas, meaning to put a prawn on the barbecue; Australians themselves…
• sickieA day off work claimed as sick leave, often when the person is not actually sick.
• silent copA small raised metal dome in the centre of an intersection, once used to guide traffic turning right.
• silky oakA tall tree (Grevillea robusta) of eastern Australia with fern-like leaves and golden-orange flowers, prized…
• silly as a two-bob watchVery silly or foolish; crazy.
• silly as a wheelExtremely silly or foolish.
• Silver CityA nickname for Broken Hill, New South Wales.
• silvereyeA small olive-green songbird (Zosterops lateralis) with a ring of white feathers around each eye, common in…
• silvertailA wealthy, privileged or socially prominent person; a snob.
• sing outTo call out or shout; to let someone know. Also a noun, as in 'give us a sing-out'.
• singletA sleeveless undershirt or vest, often worn on its own as a work or summer top.
• sink the slipperTo attack someone, physically or verbally, especially when they are already down; to put the boot in.
• siphon the python vulgarOf a man, to urinate.
• six-bob-a-day touristA WWI Australian soldier, so called because AIF privates were paid six shillings a day, generous by the…
• six o'clock swillThe rush to drink as much as possible between finishing work and the 6 p.m. closing of hotel bars, which was…
• skerrickThe smallest scrap or bit; usually in the negative.
• skillionA lean-to or outbuilding with a single sloping roof attached to a larger building; also the roof itself…
• skimpyA barmaid who serves in lingerie or a bikini, especially in Western Australian mining and country pubs.
• skin nameIn many Aboriginal communities, a name that shows which kinship group (section or subsection) a person…
• skinnerIn racing, a winner at long odds that few punters backed, leaving the bookmakers well ahead.
• SkippyA kangaroo. Used, sometimes jokingly and sometimes disparagingly, by Australians of migrant background for…
• skiteTo boast or brag. Also a noun for a boaster.
• skivvyA close-fitting, long-sleeved knitted top with a high rolled neck; a turtleneck.
• skullTo drink a full glass or can of beer in one go without stopping.
• slabA carton of 24 cans or bottles of beer.
• slab hutA rough bush hut built from split timber slabs, usually with a bark or corrugated-iron roof.
• slagTo spit, especially to hawk up phlegm. Also a noun for the spit itself.
• slanterA trick, swindle or dodge; something crooked or fake.
• slaterA woodlouse; a small grey crustacean with a segmented shell, found under logs, stones and pot plants.
• sledgingInsulting or taunting an opponent to unsettle them, especially in cricket.
• sleepoutA verandah or porch that has been enclosed to use as a bedroom.
• slingA bribe, kickback or tip, especially one paid to police.
• sling offTo mock, jeer at or make disparaging remarks about someone; usually 'sling off at'.
• slip railsMovable rails in a fence that can be slid out to make a gateway.