| SA (n) | abbreviation for South Australia |
| sack, to (v) | to fire someone "The boss sacked him for taking too many sickies." |
| salad (n) | sandwich topping: lettuce, tomato, shredded carrot, etc. |
| saltie (n) | saltwater crocodile |
| Salvos, Sally Ann (n) | Salvation Army |
| sandgroper (n) | Western Australian |
| Sandman (n) | Holden panel van, a favorite car of surfers in the 1980s |
| sandwich (n) | small finger sandwiches, big ones are called rolls |
| sanga, sanger, sarnie, sammos (n) | sandwich |
| sarvo (n) | this afternoon contraction of this arvo |
| sausage sizzle (n) | weenie roast, cooking hot dogs on a BBQ |
| scab duty (n) | picking up rubbish at school for punishment |
| scheme (n) | plan (no negative connotation) "We're on scheme water." |
| schmick (adj) | something that's real good "That's schmick!" |
| schnitzel (n) | breaded fried meat |
| school leaver (n) | high school graduate |
| schoolie (n) | high school student in final month of final year |
| schoolies week (n) | spring break for school leavers |
| schooner (n) | pint of beer (Queensland, Victoria), half-pint (South Australia) |
| scoob (n) | marijuana cigarette |
| scorching (adj) | fast |
| Scotty (adj) | 's got no friends and never will |
| Scouts (n) | co-ed scouting in Australia, no Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts |
| scratchies (n) | instant lottery ticket |
| screamer (n) | party lover, easy drunk |
| sealed road (adj) | paved road |
| SEATS (n) | Stock Exchange Automated Trading System replaced the "cry-out" trading on the share (stock) exchange floor. |
| see your last gum tree (v) | to die |
| semibrieve (n) | whole note (music) |
| semiquaver (n) | sixteenth note (music) |
| seppo (n) | an American (rhyming slang) Yank rhymes with septic tank, seppo is short for septic, hence seppo. |
| series (n) | Used to describe each season of a TV show. "The second series of "Friends" start tonight." |
| serve (adj) | a serving "I'd like a serve of rice." |
| serve (v) | to tell one off "I served them up." |
| serviette (n) | napkin |
| servo (n) | service station |
| set down (v) | seated (courts) "The jury was set down last week." |
| settlement (n) | escrow (real estate) "The property is in settlement." |
| sex-worker (n) | prostitute |
| shadow government (n) | the minority party shadow ministers in Parliament a shadow minister is appointed for every actual minister |
| shag (v) | to have sex |
| shaggin' wagon (adj) | panel van |
| shaping up a beaut (adj) | turning out nicely |
| shares (n) | stocks (stock market) also known as: share market |
| shark biscuit (n) | novice surfer |
| sheety (n) | sheet metal worker |
| sheila (n) | young woman From Gaelic shaler. |
| she'll be right (adj) | it'll be OK |
| shickered (adj) | drunk From Yiddish. |
| shift (v) | to move something, also to move house "They shifted from Perth to Sydney." |
| shifter (n) | wrench (tool) |
| shiraz (n) pronounced: sheer-ahz |
sirah (wine) |
| shirt lifter (n) | gay man |
| shirty (v) | to get upset "Don't get shirty." |
| shit house (n) (adj) | poor quality, toilet |
| shocker (adj) | a surprise "His appearance was a bit of a shocker." |
| shockies (n) | shock absorbers |
| shonky (adj) | dodgy, cheap, not right, unreliable |
| shot though (v) | to leave quickly "He was late for the plane, so he shot through the meeting." |
| shopping centre (n) | equivalent of an American mall In Australia, a mall is a shopping street, closed to car traffic. |
| shopping town (n) | shopping center |
| shops (n) | stores "I'm going to the shops." |
| shorie (adj) | shore or beach dive (Scuba diving) |
| short and curlies (adj) | pubic hairs "She got him by the short and curlies." |
| short listed (adj) | finalist "She was short listed for the Booker Prize." |
| short of numbers in the Upper House (adj) | stupid, low I.Q. |
| short soup (n) | wonton soup (Chinese restaurant) |
| shout (v) | to buy a round of drinks, to pick up the tab "It's my shout." |
| show pony (n) | show-off "He's a show pony." |
| sick (adj) | good "Hey, mate, that's sick!" |
| sickie (n) | sick day "He's taking a sickie to go surfing." |
| side (n) | team (sport) "The Australian side won the game." |
| Silk (n) | court lawyer, Queens Council or Q.C. (from the silk robes worn in court) "He and his fellow Silks attended court" |
| silly season (adj) | The time from just before Christmas through Australia Day (Jan. 26), when everyone is on holiday and little gets done business-wise. |
| silverside (n) | corned beef "We're having silverside for tea." |
| sin bin (n) | penalty box in Rugby League |
| singlet (n) | tank top (clothing) "He wore a singlet to the beach." |
| sink a few (v) | to drink a few beers |
| sister (n) | nurse (not necessarily of a religious order) |
| sit (v) | to take an exam "I'm to sit the exam." |
| sixty-sixes and ninety-nines (n) | quotation marks also called inverted commas |
| skim the discs (v) | to turn the brake rotors (automotive) |
| skint (adj) | broke, out of money |
| skite (v) | to brag |
| skittled (v) | physically knocked over "He got skittled by the car." |
| skiver (n) | person who dodges work |
| skivvy (n) | long sleeve crew neck shirt |
| skull (v) (pronounced skol) |
to chug a beer |
| sky show (n) | fireworks show |
| slab (n) | case of beer also carton, box |
| slabbed (v) | Being penalized for a mistake by having to buy beer for everyone (a slab is a case of beer). "The director slabbed the cameraman when his mobile rang in the middle of a take." |
| slash (v) | to urinate "Hold my beer while I take a slash." |
| slate (v) | to criticize "She slated me for being late." |
| slater (n) | sow bug, wood lice |
| sledge (v) | to make a derogatory remark, often amongst sports competitors, heckling |
| sleep out (n) | sleeping porch |
| slip, slap, slop | slip on a shirt, slap on some sunscreen, slop on a hat. Slogan from advertising campaign to counter the intense effects of the Southern Hemisphere sun. Australia is the skin cancer capital of the world. |
| sloppy joe (n) | sweatshirt |
| SLSC (n) | Surf Life Saving Club local volunteer beach lifesaving service |
| smack (v) | to spank someone |
| smash (n) | car accident |
| smash repairs (n) | auto body repair shop also panel beaters |
| smoko (n) | a work-break: cigarette, coffee, tea, etc. "I'm going for a smoko." |
| snag, snagga (n) | sausage The Aussie hot dog: grilled, not boiled. |
| snog (v) | to kiss |
| soapies (n) | soap operas on TV |
| Socceroos (n) | Australia's national soccer team. |
| soft-roader (n) (adj) | light duty 4WD "The RAV4 is comfy, but it's really just a soft-roader." |
| soft toy (n) | stuffed toy |
| solicitor (n) | a lower-level lawyer who specializes in contract law and may appear in lower courts gives legal advice and draws up legal papers, appoints a barrister for court cases |
| sook (n) | wimp |
| sorted (v) | to arrange, fix, or solve something "Did you get your taxes sorted?" |
| spaghetti bolognaise, spag bol (n) | spaghetti in meat sauce |
| spanner (n) | wrench (tool) |
| spares (n) | parts (machinery) |
| sparky (n) | electrician |
| spat it (v) | was very surprised From spat the dummy. A dummy is a baby pacifier. |
| speckie, speccy (n) | spectacular "The sky show was speckie!" |
| speech marks (n) | quotation marks, also inverted commas |
| spew (v) | to throw up |
| spewing (adj) | very angry |
| spider (n) | soda with ice cream on top, like a float originally brandy and lemonade |
| spinner (n) | the pitcher in the game of cricket |
| S-pipe (n) | elbow pipe (plumbing) |
| spirit of salts (n) | hydrochloric acid |
| spit the dummy | to get upset A dummy is a baby pacifier. |
| spivs (adj) | assholes |
| splash the boots (v) | urinate |
| splashed out on (adj) | overspent "i really splashed out on her present." |
| spoof (adj) | semen stains |
| sport | sports no "s,"one of those Aussie plural things |
| spotties (n) | driving lights, spotlights |
| spotto (adj) | spotless "i want the house spotto by the time I get back." |
| spread (n) | plasterer |
| spring onion (n) | scallion, green onion |
| springy (n) | short wetsuit (shortie) |
| spruik, spruiker (n) | to promote; a huckster, pitchman, super salesman |
| sprung (v) | caught doing something wrong |
| squatter (adj) | large landowner from early times government tenant |
| squiz (v) | to look "Take a squizz at that hoon." |
| stall (n) | row of seats in a theater |
| standover man (n) | thug, strong-arm man, enforcer |
| stands out like a shag on a rock (adj) | it's obvious |
| stands out like dogs' balls (adj) | it's obvious |
| starkers (adj) | naked |
| station (n) | large grazing property Bigger than a ranch; we're talking tens of thousands of acres. |
| steady on | get real |
| Steak and Kidney (n) | Sydney (rhyming slang) |
| steamer (n) | full-length one-piece wetsuit "The water is cold; I'm going to wear my steamer." |
| stickybeak (n) (v) | nosey person, busy body, looky-loo "He's a stickybeak." "I'll have a stickybeak at that display home." |
| stock take (n) (v) | inventory "Myer are having a huge end of year stock take sale." |
| stockman (adj) | station hand, cattle herder |
| Stolen Generation (n) | Referring to the generation of Aboriginal children of mixed-blood who were forcibly taken from their families and raised as domestic servants. Most never saw their families again. This is blamed for the breakdown of the Aboriginal family. It is considered by most Australians as a national tragedy and disgrace. |
| Stone the crows! | "I'll be darned!" "Wow!" |
| stonkered (adj) | drunk "I'm stonkered." |
| stood down (v) | laid off, forced to resign "They were stood down without pay." |
| stores (n) | supplies "The stores were delivered to the clinic." |
| stoush (n) | a fight |
| strap on the nosebag (v) | to eat (a nosebag is used to feed a horse when it's hooked to a wagon) "The executives had a long meeting, then proceeded to strap on the nosebag." |
| strata, strata-titled (n) | condominium style ownership "He sold his strata home at the beach development." |
| stretcher (n) | cot "The toddler slept well on the stretcher." |
| Strewth! | it's the truth, from "God's truth!" "Strewth, I'm dry!" |
| strides (n) | trousers |
| strife (adj) | trouble "That old car gave him strife." |
| Strike a light! | expression of amazement |
| Strine (n) | The word Australian, spoken with a thick accent. "That bloke speaks fair dinkum Strine." |
| stripey (adj) | striped "He wore stripey trousers." |
| stroppy (adj) | in a bad mood |
| stubby, stubbies (n) | bottle of beer, also short-short pants |
| stubby holder (n) | can cooler |
| stuffed (adj) | tired, also something that's broken "I'm stuffed." "That car is stuffed." |
| stuffed up, I'll be (adj) | expression of surprise |
| stumps (n) | The upright sticks in a cricket wicket, the posts that hold up a building |
| suit hire (n) | tuxedo rental |
| sultanas (n) | seedless raisins In Australia, raisins are larger dried grapes with seeds. |
| summonsed (v) | to receive a legal summons strange suffix |
| sunnies (n) | sunglasses |
| superannuation, super (n) | retirement fund |
| supply bill (adj) | budget or appropriation bill in Parliament |
| Supreme Court (n) | state superior court where serious crimes are tried |
| surfies (n) | surfers |
| surf lifesaver (n) | beach lifeguard (see SLSC) |
| surf ski (n) | small, sit-on-top ocean kayak |
| surgery (n) | doctor's clinic/office |
| suss (v) | suspicious |
| suss out (v) | find out information |
| swag (adj) | a lot of something, plenty "The new Ford has a swag of extras." |
| swag (n) | traditional Aussie sleeping roll used in the bush; a Matilda, as in "Waltzing?" bedding and padding inside a heavy canvas sack |
| swagman, swaggie (n) | tramp, hobo |
| Sweet Fanny Adams | nothing, (actually f**k all, FA, or Fanny Adams) |
| sweets (n) | dessert |
| swimming costume, swimmers (n) |
bathing suit "She put on her swimmers." |
| swings and roundabouts (adj) | checks and balances |
| swish (adj) | good, in fashion (no gay connotation) "You look swish." |
| switched on (adj) | tuned in "He was switched on about the issues." |