mozzy/mozzie - mosquito
Nurofen – trademark brand and generic term for ibuprofen
occy strap – bungee cord, derived from “octopus strap”
Panadol – trademark brand and generic term for paracetamol
Premier – the head of government of a state, equivalent to a governor in the US
Prime Minister – the head of the federal government. While the Queen is legally Australia’s head of state, represented by the Governor-General (who is in any case appointed by the PM), in practice Australia is entirely independent and the Prime Minister is the nation’s leader
Red Rooster – roast chicken fast food franchise
refo – refugee; over the past twenty years refugee boat arrivals in Australia have played a significant (and disproportionate) role in domestic politics
RFDS – Royal Flying Doctor Service, an iconic non-profit medevac service for remote areas
SAS – Special Air Service; an elite special forces unit, named after the British SAS, not to be confused with the SES
sealed road – a bitumen or asphalt road, as opposed to an unsealed road of sand, dirt or gravel; equivalent to “metalled road” or “paved road”
servo – service station or petrol station
SES – State Emergency Service, a volunteer organisation which assists professional agencies during and after declared disasters, natural or otherwise. Recognisable by their orange uniform. Not to be confused with the SAS
smoko – smoke break (in the workplace); falling out of practice as smoking rates decline
stockman – mounted livestock worker on Outback cattle stations, i.e. a cowboy or cattle wrangler
sunnies – sunglasses
suss – suspicious, as in “it looked pretty suss”; also to infer or discover, as in “go and suss it out”
thongs – flip-flops, and the cause of many a humourous misunderstanding with Australian travellers overseas
tradie – tradesman, or more broadly any blue-collar worker
ugg boots – sheepskin boots traditionally considered daggy and associated with bogans; becoming popular overseas as a luxury fashion item, which Australians find hilarious
uni – university
unsealed road – a dirt, sand or gravel road, as opposed to a sealed road
VB – Victoria Bitter, Australia’s most popular cheap beer
WACE – Western Australian Certificate of Education; the high school exams and scores which determine university placement in the state of Western Australia
Woolworths or ‘Woolies’ – one of two dominant national supermarkets, the other being Coles