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According to stereotype, spoken Australian English is thought to be highly colloquial, possibly more so than other spoken variants. Whether this idea is grounded in reality or not, a substantial number of publications aimed at giving an overview of Australian English have been published.
Many books about Australian vocabulary have been published, beginning with Karl Lentzner's Dictionary of the Slang-English of Australia and of Some Mixed Languages in 1892. Several similar books soon followed, including a relatively modest but authoritative work by E. E. Morris: Austral English: A Dictionary of Australasian Words, Phrases and Usages (1898).
After a long period of disinterest and/or antipathy, the first dictionaries of Australian English began to appear. In 1976, the Australian Pocket Oxford Dictionary was published, the first dictionary edited and published in Australia, by Graeme Johnston. In 1981, the more comprehensive ''Macquarie Dictionary of Australian English'' was published, after 10 years of research and planning. Updated editions have been published since and the Macquarie Dictionary is widely regarded as authoritative. A fuller Oxford Dictionary of Australian English has also been published.
Various publishers have also produced "phrase books" to assist visitors. These books reflect a highly exaggerated and often outdated style of Australian colloquialisms and they should partially be regarded as amusements rather than accurate usage guides.
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General vocabulary
This list is not intended to be comprehensive. Please see separate articles for Australian rhyming slang, Australian English terms for people, Australian English terms for food and drink, Australian rules football slang, and Australian military slang. Please note that a number of the words listed are very localised or almost obsolete today.
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A to D
A
aggro – aggressive or aggravation.
arsey - someone showing daring, audacity, and/or cheekiness or experiencing extremely good luck, particularly if this involves a near-miss to injury. In use since the 1950s. Derived from "tin arsed".
not being arsed - lack of interest, as in "I couldn't be arsed to do it". Also British English.
arvo – short for afternoon. In use since the 1950s.
B
bag - to denigrate. Also, an ugly woman, "What an absolute bag!" Both sense in use since the 1960s.
bags - to reserve, as in "(I) Bags the last frosty fruit(ice block)" or "can someone do the dishes?" "Bags not!". Also used in UK English.
bat - to masturbate, ("where are you going?" "for a bat" -"Batting off"). Not common.
beaut – adjective meaning great, terrific, "I've just bought a beaut new car". In use since the 1910s. Also, since the 1890s, as a noun, "What a beaut!"
beauty! – exclamation showing approval, often spelt as bewdy! (to represent Australian pronunciation). For example: "You bewdy!", which is roughly equivalent to "Fantastic!" or "Wonderful!". In use since the 1850s.
bickie – biscuit. Sometimes also used as a word for a cigarette lighter, after the manufacturer Bic. More recently this has become a slang word for the drug ecstasy, from the slang disco biscuit.
biff or biffo - brawl or fist fight
a brawl or heated argument (for example, "They were having a blue."), similar to the British word "barney".
an embarrassing mistake (for example, "I've made a blue.")
pornographic ("a blue movie")
offensive ("blue language")
someone with red hair and freckles (also "Bluey")
bludge – to shirk, be idle, or waste time either doing nothing or something inappropriate; also to live off others efforts rather than providing for one's self; Used to describe deliberately skipping school classes (Mainly by adolescents) (for example "Hey mate, can I bludge a smoke?", "I bludged 5th period last week!" or receiving welfare payments). (Compare bum)
bloody – "the great Australian adjective / adverb" (for example The price of fuel nowadays is bloody outrageous!) Also common in British English). Roughly translates as "very".
bloody oath – Used as an affirmative to a statement, often when something has been understated. Believed to date back to colonial times, from the expression "My colonial oath!" and then later "My Australian oath!"
blotto - drunk to the point of being incoherent and/or unable to stand ("He's blotto mate!").
bodged – inferior or poor quality, as in "That's a bodged paint job". Contraction of bodgie (similar to "botched") (see below, Old, Declining or Expiring slang.)
bottlo or bottle-o - (pronounced ) diminutive form of bottle shop
brick shithouse - (The appearance of) being strongly built ("... built like a brick shithouse"). From the chunky look of well-made backyard dunnies of pre-70's and rural housing.
brunch - a late breakfast, usually eaten on weekends. A conjunction of breakfast and lunch = brunch.
buckley's – (originally "buckley's chance" and "buckley's and none"); something which has little or no chance of success, as in "You've got buckley's of getting there before the store closes." Origin uncertain, possibly a reference to an escaped convict, William Buckley, who was believed dead in 1803, but lived in an Aboriginal community for more than 30 years. Alternatively the expression may have originated with, or was influenced by, a Melbourne business known as Buckley and Nunn. Alternatively believed to be a reference to a rural hardware store, Buckley's. As in, "If you want nails, you've got two chances: Buckley's and none"
bundy! Run away from a situation to escape getting introuble or caught
originally a stopper in a cask; a synonym for "put" or "place"; as in "bung it in the oven" (also used in British English); also pretending as in "bunging it on"
not working, broken, impaired, injured or infected. From the Jagara (Aboriginal language) word for "dead".
rural Australia (not necessarily the Outback) and those who live in it
bush bashing - to drive through the bush in a 4WD (SUV). Also, used comically to describe a difficult walk (We had to go bush bashing through the park to get to Mick's place.)
bushfire - wild forest fire
C
cactus – non-functional. For example "This computer is cactus!"
carn – Assimilation of "come on!" Usually used to either goad someone "Carn, have another" or to cheer on a sporting team "Carn the 'Doggies!'"
chunder – to be sick/throw up, also as a noun to refer to vomit.
Clayton's – not the real thing, ersatz (from a brand of zero alcohol mixer, advertised as "The drink you have when you're not having a drink") less widely used than in New Zealand. Declining as the commercial has not played in many years.
crook – unwell; also unfair. For example "I am feeling a bit crook after that curry"; "That's a bit crook that they sacked you, Jim." Can also mean angry: "I'm really crook at you now mate."
cut – angry or upset. To be "half cut" means to be moderately drunk. To be "mad as a cut snake" means angry.
D
dead set – a certainty or indisputable fact "Boonie is a dead set legend".
dead soldier – empty beer bottle.
deadly – Aboriginal English – excellent.
devo – devastated, as in the saying "After her mother died, she was totally devo" or deviant, as in "what a devo".
der – exasperated acknowledgement "that's obvious" as in "Mum's gunna be crook that the window's broken." – "Well, DER!." Common in Victoria and New South Wales, especially among children. Also der brain, an idiot or fool (similar to "duh").
dekko - a look, to inspect something
dink – to give somebody a lift on the back of a bicycle. The term 'double-dink' is used in Northern and Western NSW.
dinkum – honest, genuine, real (OED). Probably not, as is often claimed, from the Cantonese (or Hokkien) ding kam, meaning "top gold". Most scholars believe dinkum was a dialect word from the East Midlands of England, where it meant "hard work" or "fair work", which was also the original meaning in Australian English.* The derivation dinky-di means a native-born Australian or "the real thing". Fair dinkum means "fair and square," i.e. honest. Can be shortened to "Dinks"
division – electoral district, equivalent to constituency in UK, electorate in New Zealand, riding in Canada (This term is formally used in the parliament but in general use the term 'electorate' is most common).
donk – refers to a combustion engine of any size, belonging to any type of vehicle. Commonly used in a statement such as 'Check out the size of that donk, it's massive!!
dob – to inform on. Personal noun: dobber or dibber dobber. The saying "dibber dobbers wear nappies" is commonly used by children.
doona – cf. British duvet. From the brand name "Doona"; cf. "dyne" with same pronunciation in Scandinavian languages. Originally the generic term was continental quilt. In South Australia and, to a lesser extent, Queensland the word quilt is used, and the term eiderdown (from the name of the eider duck) is also used.
doover – a placeholder, for an object whose name is unknown or forgotten, perhaps from "it'll do for now". for example "Do you know where I put that doover?" Also "doover-malaky," "doover-lacky" or "doover-whatsit."
duck's nuts - something that is perfectly suited. (Sometimes referred to as the "duck's guts" or "bee's knees")
durry – a cigarette, more specifically a roll up cigarette. Possible etymology: Durrie Rug, which is normally stored rolled up, from the Jaipur region of India.
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E to K
E
electorate – electoral district/division.
emu bob – the duty given to enlisted men in the military, of picking up cigarette butts lying around barracks and parade grounds. The term arose by the similarity between a person bending over to pick up litter and the distinctive bob that emus make when picking at the ground. The term is primarily used in military circles but in recent years its usage has broadened. It was also used up until at least the last 5 years by Scouts and Cub Scouts for the same activity. The term emu parade, meaning the collection of all types of litter, enjoys wider usage. The term emubob is still used among Australian Army Cadets to describe the duty of moving through an area in extended file to pick up rubbish.
F
fag – a cigarette, in common with British English. Due to American media influence this term can also refer to a homosexual man.
fair dinkum – see dinkum.
fair enough – "I don't see a problem with that". (Can be used as a replacement for 'OK')
fair go – request for a reasonable opportunity to complete a task, "Fair go, mate".
feral - of a domesticated animal that has gone wild (e.g. a "feral cat"; a brumby is a "feral horse"). Likewise, someone or something that's mad and displays out of control behaviour not normally associated with them (e.g. "Stevo went feral and punched a cop"). Can also describe food that is no longer suitable for consumption.
flat out - busy (e.g. "I'm flat out like a lizzard drinking")also; moving as fast as possible (e.g. "i'm running flat out", "she (a car) flattened out at 190 (km/h)")
to sell something ("Where's your car?" "I flogged it off to Mick")
to steal something ("Where did you get the car?" "I flogged it off Mick")
to treat something roughly ("Why is your car dented?" "I took it out bush gave it a flogging")
to beat someone up ("Did you see the bruises on Mick's face?" "Yeah he copped a real flogging")
footpath – any well-used walkway, but in particular a paved walkway running parallel to a street or road, and known in other countries as a sidewalk or pavement.
fuck-all - none, nothing or extremely little ("I've got fuck-all beer left mate") or no chance ("The lions have fuck-all chance of winning this season"). Often put in the phrase "You've got two chances: Fuck-all and none." Can be modified to "three fifths of Fuck All" to add emphasis ("The lazy bludgers done three fifths of fuck-all"). Also Sweet F-A is common and sometimes Sweet Fanny Adams.
fugly - Fucking ugly. Usually a term of astonished admiration, often applied to less than beautiful dogs: "That's one fugly dog you've got!" But it can be used of people, in a derogatory sense.
G
gammon or gammon job (mainly used in the Northern Territory and Far North Queensland) – A word derived from a similar sounding Aboriginal word meaning "invented" or "not true". As in "that's gammon mate" or "no mate, that's a gammon job there".
garn – assimilation of go on or short for going, for example garn y'mongrel (that is go on you mongrel). See carn.
ganda also spelt gander - to take a look at something. As in 'let's go take a gander next door.'
g'day – the typical Aussie greeting, short for good day. Generally a Broad Australian or working class/ blue collar greeting.
cheap cask wine, also can mean the bag containing the wine also know as a goon bag
another name for a man, woman, or animal with an ape appearance
goonah – Aboriginal word meaning fæces. Used in general English in parts of Australia with a large Aboriginal population, including the Northern Territory (universally used), and in sections in other states.
grouse – great. Common in Victoria
gun – excellent ability; "he's a gun footballer". Derived from shearing – the fastest shearer in the shed was the 'gun-shearer'. Can also be applied to other things, to call them above-average, "that was a gun match".
H
Hills Hoist – a type of rotary clothes-line; Hills was the designer and original manufacturer of the rotary clothes-line.
Harold Holt - Salt. No longer commonly used but is still understood to mean salt by most Australians. Also to disappear; "He's done a Harold Holt", or 'He has disappeared', referring to the Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt who disappeared while swimming at a beach in 1967.
heaps - A lot of something; "I can't go out, I have heaps of homework", or an intensifier similar to 'very'; "I was heaps pissed last night".
holey dooley - A term used when something out of the ordinary happens.
how ya going- how have you been/how are you doing
humpy - small Aboriginal shelter, or any temporary outdoor shelter
I
idiot box – a television set.
J
jet – To go somewhere in a hurry – "I've got to jet off mate"
K
kick on – partying on after a discotheque or night club has finished, usually involving more drinking and/or drug taking.
kenoath - contraction of "fucking oath"
knackered – see buggered.
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L to P
L
light globe – the common name for light bulbs. Globe is no longer commonly used in this sense outside Australia. "Bulb" is sometimes also heard in Australia.
M
manchester – household linen
mangkin - a common, often Western Australian expression used to describe the behaviour of someone on drugs. Usually magic mushrooms, which are native to Western Australia.
mate – Usually, a great friend "He was my best mate...". Sometimes used to address a person whose name is not known "Got an extra fag mate?" . Can be a person you are annoyed with: "Listen Mate, if you don't shut your flippin' gob..." A highly nuanced term.
mozz – or "to put the mozz on". This term is used as an alternate form of "jinx".
mungin' - (pronounced ) To chow down heavily on food (example; "He's really mungin' that burger!"). It can also be used to describe oral sex (example; "I was mungin' on her").
munted – either broken, mangled or state of inebriation, generally from drugs. To munt can also mean "to vomit".
muntyhead – one who likes to get "munted".
N
natio - Short for nationality, for example "What natio are you mate?".
no worries – used in place of you're welcome, no problem, that's all right, etc. Often "no worries mate" or shortened to "nurries"
no wuckin' furries – a spoonerism of no fuckin' worries, has the same usage as no worries. Used where the original version might be regarded as offensive. Sometimes shortened to no wuckers.
O
off your tits – to be extremely drunk or otherwise intoxicated (e.g. "you were absolutely off your titties last night, what did you drink?")
P
pearler – an excellent example of something (e.g. mate, that new car of yours is a pearler.).
pez – something of poor value or percieved to be less worthy than others. Someone who acts in a negative way "He was being pez", derived from Peasant.
piss in the woods - simple, easy.
pissed – drunk; may also refer to being angry (often as "pissed off"), pissed meaning angry is used in US as well.
piss-fart around – to waste time (for example we piss-farted around for a couple of hours at the beach; Stop piss-farting around and do your work.).
piss off – telling a person to get lost. Can also mean to leave "I'm going to piss off soon"
piss-up – a drinking session (we're heading down the pub for a piss-up) or a party/get-together – usually one where excessive alcohol consumption is expected (piss-up at Jack's place tonight!). Sometimes heard in the description couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery i.e. disorganised and/or ineffectual.
piss-weak – a general purpose negative with meanings including weak (this coffee's piss-weak), ineffectual or pathetic (that engine's piss-weak) and unfair (that was a piss-weak decision). Also "piss-poor"
pissing down – used to describe heavy rainfall.
poofteenth - A miniscule amount, a smidgen.
port – any form of hand luggage, especially a school bag, only used in Queensland and to some extent in New South Wales. From the word "portmanteau".
pov/povo – used to describe someone or something that looks cheap. Comes from the word Poverty
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Q to Z
R
ratshit – something that is broken or not working properly. "The engine's ratshit". Alternatively, extremely drunk.
similar to "beauty". Something that is excellent. "What a ripper of a goal that was!" or "you little ripper". Possible etymology; from rippa - Japanese (りっぱ), meaning splendid, fine or elegant. Possibly from Japanese pearl divers living in Australia during the late 19th Century.
also used as code for "going to the strippers". Bloke - "I'm going to the ripper's tonight."
rip-snorta - Most commonly used to described a person breaking wind "What a rip-snorta." However other uses to describe something as good, are also commonly used.
rort – a scam, especially the exploitation of rules or laws; used mostly to describe the actions of politicians. (Also lurk as a noun.)
rough as guts - rough or bumpy, usually used in cars, "the engine is rough as guts, mate" or for travelling "this road is rough as guts".
S
satched - from "saturated", to be extremely wet, usually from being caught in the rain. "Five minutes after the rain started I was completely satched!!"
to take something with no direct recompense, somewhat like bum or cadge (UK), "I made some conversation, scabbed a fag, and then left"
a union worker who goes to work when the company is on strike.
a non-union worker that breaks picket lines to work when the normal workers are on strike.
one who is tight with money or possessions. (S/he's a bit scabby)
an unattractive woman. A rough or unkempt woman.
holding someone back by the neck or garment. To wring someone's neck.
scrag fight - a fight between two women, usually physical.
sealed road – a road covered in bitumen, equivalent to paved road in British English.
servo – the accepted abbreviation for a service station. (The equivalent of a gas station in North America.)
shame or shame job – based on Aboriginal culture, where shame is a major factor, the word and phrase has been adapted in to general English in areas with a large Aboriginal population. As in "oh shame job man" and "shame, shame". Usually used by school-aged children.
she'll be right - general pacifier indicating 'it will be okay'. "My car's buggered." "Just a gasket, mate. She'll be right.".
sheltershed – in most States a simple detached building for the protection of school children from hostile weather. Also known as a lunch shed, weather shed or undercover area.
shit-hot – exclamation, excellent
shit-house – originally a term for a toilet, but now a generic descriptor meaning something that is badly done or made, or bad in general, as in "The Eagles played shithouse last weekend". Rarely, abbreviated to shouse.
shits - can be used in several expressions including: shits me (or more strongly shits me to tears) and gives me the shits all meaning a combination of "annoys me" and "makes me angry."
shout – to treat someone or to pay for something, especially a round of drinks, as in "Cough up, Bill — it's your shout", "Let's go for a coffee: my shout".
shonky – poorly made or of low quality. Also dishonest.
sick – very good; usually intensified in the phrase fully sick.
sickie – a day of absence from work, sometimes due to feigned illness. To "chuck a sickie" is to partake in such a day.
slaughtered - either extremely tired or drunk
smashed considerably drunk . Also see pissed.
smoko – a short break from work, named for a "smoking break" but synonymous with coffee break. Used to describe any short break from work or activity, even if it does not include smoking.
spare – very angry or upset e.g. "He went spare."
spanner – as in British English, a tool used for adjusting bolts, equivalent to the North American wrench. However in Australian English it can also can be a derogatory remark, e.g. "that guy is an absolute spanner". Similar to tool.
spewin – (short for spewing) angry/dissapointed eg. "I can't believe I missed the footy last night, I was so spewin!".
spit the dummy – To throw a temper tantrum. Refers to a baby who becomes so angry, that the baby spits the dummy (pacifier) out of its mouth.spruik – cf. British flog. To promote or sell something.
squiz – To have a look, as in "Let's take a squiz at the new house".
stella - Good, something your pleased with, also may mean thanks - for example, "that was a stella show"
stickybeak – to nose around, as in "I'll go to Fred's place and have a stickybeak around the back."
Strine – a word used to describe Australian spoken English. From the Broad Australian pronunciation of "Australian". Strayan is an alternative. In the same vein, Straya is an attempt to express the pronunciation of "Australia".
stung - hung over or disappointed.
suspicious or suspect. That food looks a bit sus ie that food looks a bit suspicious or off.
to figure something out, or to uncover something/someone. Eg. I finally sussed out the crossword, I finally worked out the crossword; or I sussed out that James was smoking marijuana, I found out that James was smoking marijuana.
to have something worked out, to have a plan. Don't worry, I've got it all sussed out.
T
ta - thank you, derived from infant translation.
tall poppy syndrome - the name given to the attitude taken by common people of resenting those who, due to social, political or economic reasons act egotistical and flaunt their success without humility. (e.g. Person A - "what do we do to tall poppies?", Person B - "we cut off their heads.")
thingo, thingamajig or thingameebob – a placeholder word for an object whose name is unknown or forgotten. Thingie and whatsit are also used with this meaning.
toey - to be on edge, nervous, distracted or horny. "Dude, I'm a bit toey!" Also slang for a Tow Truck Driver
too right – that is correct. Bloke A:That Nicole Kidman's a top lookin' sheila. Bloke B:Too right she is mate.
traficator – blinkers, car indicators
U
U-ie – (pronounced ) a U-turn. Often used in a phrase like "Chuck a u-ie here, Bill" (make a u-turn here, Bill). U-bolt or U-burn are also used, albeit less commonly, as metaphors for the same motoring manoeuvre.
un-Australian – considered to be an example of unacceptable behaviour or policy in Australia or undertaken by Australians particularly when it violates cultural or traditional values. (funnily enough, this term rarely seems to be used by anyone outside of politics or current affairs shows.)
unco to be clumsy and uncoordinated
W
wag or wagging – to skip school or work to do something else on someone else's time
wing - used instead of pass or give, as in "Wing us a smoke, mate." Also 'to wing' means to undertake a task unprepared.
whinge - similar to crying, but more commonly used for adults. In particular a "whinger" is someone who disagrees in an annoying fashion.
woop-woop (pronounced ), the back of Bourke or beyond the Black stump – a generic far-off place (for example out past woop-woop); similar to Timbuktu or Waikikamukau
Y
yabby - a small Australian freshwater crayfish (from Wembawemba)
youse – plural of the pronoun you.
yeah bebe -used when something extremely awsome occurs (e.g. Luke passes a maths exam and yells "Yeah bebe.")
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Old, declining or expired slang
Many distinctive Australian words have been driven to or near to extinction in recent decades under the homogenising influence of mass media and imported culture, because of changes in fashion, or have fallen into disuse as society changes. Those who like or use these words regret their passing but informal vocabulary is by nature ephemeral. Others who use these words do so ironically.
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Rhyming slang
A common feature of traditional Australian English was rhyming slang, based on Cockney rhyming slang and imported by migrants from London in the 19th century. Rhyming slang consists of taking a phrase, usually of two words, which rhymes with a commonly used word, then using the first word of the phrase the represent the word. In recent years this feature of Australian English has declined under the impact of mass popular culture.
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Term pertaining to specific topics
Australians use many unique terms to refer to items of clothing and various vehicles. There are also a number Australian English sporting terms. There are a number of terms which refer to body parts, refer to the toilet and what one does there and which have a sexual connotation; many of these can tend to cause offense. It is also common amongst Australians to shorten the names of places, people, companies, etc. Some of these terms are regional others are in relatively widespread use. Many terms derive from company or brand names others derive from rhyming slang or the use the use of diminutives.
Australians use a variety of colourful terms to refer to people. These terms may indicate such things as the person's ethnicity, the place where the person resides, the social status of the person, the person's behaviour, etc. Many of these words occur in other English dialects, especially New Zealand English, whilst others are unique to Australian English.
Where foodstuffs are concerned, Australian English tends to be more closely related to British than to American vocabulary. In a few cases, however, Australian English uses the same terms as American English, whereas the British use the equivalent French terms. This is possibly due to a fashion that emerged in mid-19th Century Britain of adopting French nouns for foodstuffs. There are also occasions when Australians use words or terms which are not common in other forms of English except sometimes in New Zealand English.
There is some regional variation when it comes to Australian English terms for food and drink. For example the term for processed pork can vary from state to state and even from city to city. Other terms which vary significantly from state to state are the terms for beer glasses.
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is made up of the Australian Army, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Each have their own distinct traditions but share a defence force culture. This culture includes Australian military slang. Some words, such as digger, meaning a soldier, have become widely used by Australians in general. However, most slang used in the ADF is restricted to its personnel, or is widely understood outside Australia.
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Animals
blowie – the common blow-fly
croc - short for crocodile
feral - of a domesticated animal that has gone wild (e.g. a "feral cat"; a brumby is a "feral horse"). Likewise, someone or something that's mad and displays out of control behaviour not normally associated with them (e.g. "Stevo went feral and punched a cop"). Can also describe food that is no longer suitable for consumption.
mozzie (or mozzy) – a short term for mosquito
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Money
big bickies - a large sum of money, expensive, well-remunerated
blue swimmer – a ten dollar note (they are blue in colour)
lobster or red lobster - twenty dollar note (red in colour)
pineapple – a fifty dollar note (which have a yellowish green colour)
grey nurse - a one hundred dollar note (no longer used since introduction of green polymer $100 note in 1996)
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See also
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