Australian Words and Phrases Americans Just Don’t Understand

Vomit, as a verb or noun. It may derive from a character named Chunder Loo of Akim Foo in a series of early 20th-century shoe polish ads. Another theory is that it comes from a seafaring term, “Watch under!” cried out by sailors who were throwing up over the side to warn those on the lower decks.

A friend, a buddy. Possibly from a Yiddish word, “khaver,” comrade, which would have reached Australia via immigrants from London.

Don’t try to fool me. The term apparently originated in the Australian armed forces during World War II, but the etymology is uncertain.

An unfashionable or socially inept person; a nerd. Dags are also clumps of wool matted with dung around a sheep’s rear end.

Also dacks. Trousers. Possibly rhyming slang for “slacks,” or a reference to the British menswear company Daks. Trackie- or tracky-daks is a tracksuit. To dak someone is to pull their pants down as a prank.