G’day to the Land Down Under
About Australia Day
- Australia Day is celebrated every year on January 26.
- Australians use this day to reflect on, respect, and celebrate their country’s history.
- Change the date movements call for moving the national holiday to a different day so that every Australian can have a special day to take pride in the place they call home.
Celebrating Australia Day with Australian English
G’day mate! Every year on January 26, Australians get together and throw a shrimp on the barbie to commemorate their beautiful country. To celebrate the land down under, we decided to share some fun facts and help you get familiar with a few common words and phrases.
Five Fascinating Facts about Australia
- Australia’s history began more than 65,000 years ago with the First Nation Australians.
- It is the smallest of the seven continents. However, it can also be considered the largest island in the world.
- 80% of its animals are unique to Australia.
- Speaking of animals, the box jellyfish, which are found in the waters off Northern Australia, are responsible for more deaths than snakes, sharks, and saltwater crocodiles combined.
- Nearly half of the entire population of Australia lives in three cities: Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
Australian Words and Sayings
1. Good on ya!
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“Good work” or “well done”
2. (to) crack open a tinny
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(to) open a can of beer
3. No worries, mate, she’ll be right!
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Suggests that everything will turn out fine in the end
4. G’day!
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General greeting like “hi,” “hello,” and “hey”
5. Mate
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Friend
6. Brekky
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Breakfast
7. Thongs
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Flip-flops
8. Barbie
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Barbecue
9. Crickey
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An expression of surprise
10. Having a whinge
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(to) complain
Writing—the Australian Way
If you’re taking a trip to the land down under soon, you might want to familiarize yourself with these common Australian words and sayings. You can bookmark this page, print it and keep it with you, or try out LanguageTool. This intelligent online editor supports several dialects of English, including Australian English. No worries, mate, she’ll be alright, and you’ll be speaking (and writing) like an Aussie in no time.