by Gary Seeary
Nemesis: A long-standing rival, sworn enemy
No end of stick: No end of ribbing, constantly reminded
No qualms: No uneasiness or hesitation in doing something
Not know someone from Adam: To not know anything about a person
Off your own bat: Without assistance, independently; from cricket
Old biddy: Old woman
Old Dart: England
On the up: To be on the improve
Out of my league: To be out of reach, or unable to compete for something
Out of whack: Out of order, at the wrong time
Over the moon: Extremely happy, delighted
Pansy: Effeminate man or boy
Pay a pretty penny: To pay a lot
Phar Lap: Great Australian racehorse of the early 1930s; Maori for lightning
Pirouette: Turning on the spot, as in ballet
Pom: Common term for English people
Poppycock: To talk nonsense
Pork pie: Lie
Poser: Exhibitionist (see Show pony)
Prize Peacocks: Show-offs
Pro Bonos: Legal term for free or reduced fees for the public good; from Latin
Pugilist: Fighter/Boxer
Push: Common name for a street gang prior to World War Two
Put on the books: To get a job, usually permanent
Quid: Pound sterling
Raw nerve: To touch on a sensitive subject
Ripper: Very good
Rolly: A cigarette rolled by yourself
Roomy: A boarder
Royboys: Nickname for Fitzroy football club players (Australian Rules football)
Ruffle the feathers: To annoy or upset
Save your bacon: To save yourself from injury or harm
Scam: A dishonest scheme, a swindle
School of drinkers: Group of drinkers that buy (shout) each other drinks
Scrapper: Street fighter
Scream blue-murder: Scream wildly, as if being attacked
Settle a score: To get even or back at somebody
Shenanigans: Spirited fun and games, from Irish slang
Sheilas: Girls
Shifty bugger: Sly or cunning person
Shirkers: People who dodge or avoid work
Shoot through: To clear or take off
Shoot: Polite version of shit
Show a stiff upper lip: To be steady and determined in the face of danger; often in reference to English people
Show pony: Flamboyant person who loves to be the centre of attention
Shyster: Underhanded or unscrupulous person
Silver screen: Cinema industry; taken from the colour of the screens in early cinema
Skulduggery: Dishonest activity or behaviour
Splash out: To spend freely
Slouch hat: Australian army hat with the left side of the brim turned up
Smarmy: Smart-mouthed, smug, insincere
Smart-aleck: An irritating person that thinks they know everything
Smidge: A very small amount
Smoko: Morning or afternoon tea
Snoop: To pry, look into other people’s business
Soirée: An evening party, typically in a private house, for conversation and music; from French
Stick that in your pipe (and smoke it): Fun way of saying, you have to believe me
Stickybeak: To stick your nose in where it’s not wanted
Stitch someone up: To make someone appear responsible when they’re not
Strewth: From God’s truth, to express mild surprise
Struggletown: Referring to Richmond in Melbourne, poor working class area at the time
Swell: Good
Tableau: Painting, from French
Tackers: Young children
Tad: A small amount or go to a small extent
Take something to heart: To take something over personally or seriously
Tan their hides: Spank their behinds
Tanked: Drunk
Tee up: To arrange something for somebody
Test the water: Try something before committing
The Big Smoke: A big city like Melbourne or Sydney
The Children’s: The Children’s Hospital
The flicks: Cinema, movies, or pictures
The good oil: A good piece of advice
The Hun: German soldiers, from WW1
The Irish rising in me: The anger rising in me
The Jive: Popular dance style in the late 1930s
The matinée show: The early show
The safe: Refers to Coolgardie safe, box cooled by evaporation
Third wheel: Someone not required, getting in the way
Thread the spool: Thread film through a projector
Tiff: Small argument
To lead up the garden path: To lead with misleading or dubious information
Tomcatting: To chase females at night
Too right: Exclamation that means I agree
Toot: Toilet
Torched: To set fire to, especially in act of arson
Touched: Slightly mad, crazy
Trifle with someone: To not take someone seriously
Turf out: To throw out, chuck out
Turn the other cheek: To refrain from retaliating after being attacked
Turncoat: Traitor
Twig: To work it out
Two bobs worth: Opinion or advice; two shillings’ worth
Tykes: A small child, often cheeky
Uncalled for: A low act, unnecessary
Unsavoury type: Offensive, distasteful
Upstart: Overconfident, usually young person
Veldt: Field, Plains, from Afrikaner
Warts and all: Everything, including the imperfections
Wet behind the ears: Without experience, immature
White lie: Small lie, often used to avoid making things worse
Whiz-bang: Excellent or great; from WW1 ordnance that made a similar sound
Wigs: Lawyers, solicitors
Willing: Aggressive, willing to fight
Without further ado: Without fuss or delay
Wowsers: Straight-laced people, spoilsports
Yonks: A very long time
You don’t know the half of it: You don’t know how things really are
