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Yep, that’s right. ‘Pass the dead horse’ actually means something to Australians – something other than walking by/picking up and moving a horse carcass.

‘Dead horse’ is Australian rhyming slang for ‘tomato sauce’. There are a lot of examples of rhyming slang – ‘Joe Blake’ for snake, ‘trouble and strife’ for wife – but these are rarely used today by Australia’s younger generations, especially not in the cities.

Nevertheless, there are quite a few Australian slang terms that are used by everyone – young and old. Here is a smattering of the most common Aussie slang, some terms more regional than others. Hopefully by learning these you’ll save yourself from the otherwise inevitable awkward moments…

AFL = Australian Football League

arvo = afternoon

Aussie = Australian

Aussie Aussie Aussie, oi oi oi = a patriotic chant used particularly at sporting events

Aussie rules = AFL football

barbie = barbeque

barrack = cheer someone/something…