Australian Slang - Local Lingo
Unique Phrases - Memorable Quotes - K
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
KANAKA - labourer from the South Seas
KANGAROO - Australias leaping marsupial and national icon
KANGAROOS - Australia's Rugby League team, first formed c. 1908
KANGAROO LOOSE IN THE TOP PADDOCK - intellectually challenged
KANGAROO FEATHERS - 1. a tall tale. 2. an impossible thing.
KANGAROO FEATHERS - Emu feather attached to the slouch hat of the light horse men, became a symbol of the light horse, inseparable from its legend. Appreciating a practical joke, when asked about their plumes, First AIF light horsemen pulled many legs by replying that they were, in fact, "kangaroo feathers"(AWM) (WW1)
KANGAROOING - hunting kangaroos
KANGAROO MILE - a distance longer than an actual mile because of adverse conditions. Coined by David Burn in 1842
KANGAROO TAIL SOUP - soup made from the kangaroo tail
KARK IT - die
KATHLEEN MAVOURNEEN - an habitual criminal with an indeterminant sentence (criminal slang 1950s)
KEEP THE BASTARDS HONEST - Slogan for the Democrat Party coined by leader Don Chipp - the bastards being the major parties and politicians in general.
KEEP YOUR SHIRT ON - don't get angry
KELPIE - great Australian sheep dog; short haired Australian bred dog from Scotch collies in 1870s NSW, sometimes with part dingo; term derived from Scottish term for a spirit or ghost
KENTUCKY SHOUT - Dutch treat
KERR'S CUR - Gough Whitlam's reference to Malcolm Fraser in 1975
KERO - Kerosene
KIBOSH - prevent from
KICK ABOUT - to loaf or hang about (Digger Smith, C.J. Dennis)
KICK ARSE - overpower, succeed
KICK IN FOR A PRESSIE - contribute to gift
KICK OFF - to commence
KICK ON - to continue to party
KICK THE BUCKET - to die
KIDDING - deceiving
KILLER - the straw that broke the camel's back
KILLING IT - winning, doing well
KING-PIN - the leader; the person of chief importance
KIP - take a nap
KIPPER - an Englishman; an English sailor (naval term)
KIPSIE - a house; the home
KITE - criminal class word meaning cheque
KIWI - a New Zealander
KNACKERED - very tired
KNICKERS – female underwear
KNOCK - criticise
KNOCK-ABOUT - A man hired on a sheep or cattle station to do odd jobs and are employed by the week
KNOCK BACK - refuse something; a refusal for closer intimacy, usually from a woman
KNOCK BACK - reversal of fortune
KNOCK BACK A FEW - drink a large amount of alcohol
KNOCK DOWN A CHEQUE - a cheque handed over to the publican when drinks are called for the bearer and his friends until he is told he has drunk out his cheque
KNOCKED - wounded (soldier slang WW1)
KNOCK 'EM DOWN BUSINESS - auctioneering
KNOCK IT OFF - stop doing that
KNOCK OFF - poor copy of an original
KNOCK OFF TIME - time to finish work
KNOCKED DOWN - to be introduced to a girl (1929)
KNOCKED UP - pregnant
KNOCKER - one who disparages or cut down others
KNOCK YOURSELF OUT - go ahead and do it
KNUCKLE SANDWICH - punch in the mouth
KNUT - a flash person
KOOKABURRAS - Light Horse men
KOORI - one of the Aborigine's preferred names for their own people
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