July 11, 2022

Greetings from Australia

Aussies often greet their friends and even people they don't know by saying "G'day" or "Ow ya goin mate". Our culture is generally relaxed and informal. (Yes, we do say "hello" too.) You'll often hear nicknames used between friends that may surprise you. Insults such as calling a friend a "wog" is sign of friendship and acceptance. These comments should not be taken negatively, but as an acceptable joke between mates.

The most used word listed below is "ta". It doesn't sound like much of a word. If you're used to hearing "thank you", you may need to listen closely to catch it. We may joke around, but we also politely say "ta".

Ga day or G'day	a friendly welcome, same as hello or hi. It's a shortened form of Good Day and pronounced as gidday. It can be used at night as well as during the day.
Cheerio	goodbye. Not to be confused with Cheerios which are cocktail sausages in Australia.
Hooroo	goodbye or see you later. Sometimes spelled "ooroo" and pronounced with and without the H
Toodle-oo	goodbye
Ow ya goin'	a friendly greeting, shortened from "how are you going"
Cheers	thanks
Ta	thank you
You right?	do you need any help?
Crikey
Aussie Salute	not actually words, but a gesture with your hand brushing flies away from your face
Tingle	will call you as in "I'll give you a tingle this arvo". In the USA you'd say "I'll ring you this afternoon."
Cooee	someone calling out so their voice can be heard over a distance
Ooroo