10 most annoying Aussie slang words revealed

Slang is an integral aspect of Australian culture. Whether you're having a smoko at work or catching up with mates at a weekend barbie, every conversation is littered with colloquialisms that only Aussies understand.

But not all slang words are appreciated equally, as language learning platform Preply discovered after surveying 1,500 Australians about their attitudes towards Aussie vernacular.

The study has revealed the 10 most popular and most annoying Australianisms according to a range of people aged 16 to over 55, with some very surprising results.

Most popular Aussie slang words

1. Mate

Meaning: friend.

Unsurprisingly, 77.95 per cent of Aussies feel confident dropping "mate" in a sentence. Oldies are particularly fond of the word, with 81.20 per cent of over 55s using it in everyday conversation.

2. Thongs

Meaning: Flip-flops.

Aussies are really into "thongs", with 75 per cent of people saying the slang word is their favourite.

3. Sunnies

Meaning: Sunglasses.

Two syllables are better than three, according to 74 per cent of voters.

4. Brekkie

Meaning: Breakfast.

Just like "sunnies", the word "brekkie" is favoured by 74 per cent of people.

5. Arvo

Meaning: Afternoon.

If you don't hear this expression every day, are you even in Australia? It's a favourite for 72 per cent of Aussies.

6. Servo

Meaning: Service station.

Aussies love a short cut, so it makes sense that 72 per cent of us enjoy using this word.

7. Smoko

Meaning: Cigarette break.

Popular with 67% of respondents, "smoko" has come to encompasses any break from work, whether or not any smoking is done.

8. Bottle-o

Meaning: Liquor store, bottle shop.

Cheers to the 66 per cent of people who enjoy a visit to their local "bottle-o".

9. Outback

Meaning: Australia's vast, largely unpopulated interior.

Interestingly, 64 per cent of people voted "outback" as their favourite Aussie colloquialism.

10. Bogan

Meaning: An uncultured or unsophisticated person.

When describing certain Aussies, sometimes only the word "bogan" will do, at least according to 62 per cent of voters.

Most annoying Aussie slang words

1. Sheila

Meaning: Woman or female.

"Sheila" has been deemed the most irritating Aussie slang word, with 31.71 per cent of voters saying they dislike it. The fact that more women (32.96 per cent) than men (27.24 per cent) find the word bothersome is unsurprising, given that it can be seen as derogatory.

2. Crikey

Meaning: An exclamation of surprise.

Crikey! Who would've guessed 23 per cent of voters would choose this as their most disliked Aussie slang word?

3. Cake hole

Meaning: Mouth.

Those who love this phrase might suggest 23 per cent of voters shut their cake holes. To be fair though, this one isn't strictly Australian.

4. Mate

The most popular Aussie slang word also appears on the most annoying list, with 20.79 per cent of voters giving it a thumbs down. Interestingly, more men (24.25 per cent) than women (19.93 per cent) find "mate" irritating.

5. Bogan

Another word to appear on both lists, "bogan" is disliked by 20 per cent of voters (possibly bogans themselves).

6. In the nuddy

Meaning: Naked.

This phrase might be too childish for 20 per cent of those surveyed.

7. Bonzer

Meaning: Great, awesome, first-rate.

Is the fact that this word is rarely used anymore the reason 18 per cent of people don't approve of it?

8. Barbie

Meaning: Barbecue.

You won't catch 17 per cent of respondents using the word "barbie" in place of barbecue.

9. Brekky

Despite its high ranking on the list of most popular Aussie slang words, 17 per cent of voters can't stand hearing people say "brekky".

10. Sunnies

Another dual listing. It appears 17 per cent of people would prefer you say "sunglasses" instead of abbreviating the word.

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