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The Aussie strain of the English language is arguably one of the world's most inventive. The inventive nature can be attributed to Convicts who created new words and expressions to add colour to their conversations or to conceal their ideas from the authorities.

Linguistic history

Nearly two generations of “settlers” after the First Fleet arrived in Australia 1788, 87 per cent of the population were either Convicts, ex-Convicts or of Convict descent. With such strong convict foundations, it was inevitable that Australia's linguistic traditions would be Convict inspired. By 1869, Marcus Clarke described how locals devised language to `convey a more full and humorous notion of all his thoughts' or to conceal `the idea he wishes to convey from all save his own particular friends'.

One of the most notable methods of concealment was rhyming slang. Originally invented by the cockney English, it was brought to Australia by Convicts. Basically, rhyming slang is the use of  two or more words, the last of which rhymes with the intended word. For example,  plates of meat are feet. However there are some variations.  The most common variation is to drop the rhyming word altogether. So you could simply ava captains (have a look). Sometimes when the rhyming word is dropped, the remaining word takes on a plural form for no logical reason.  A third step is to abbreviate (or corrupt) the first word, so that not only is the rhyming word gone but the first word in the phrase is corrupted. *see more examples below.

Via the use of rhyming slang and linguistic invention, the Convicts were able to make the authorities the butt of their ridicule, but without the authorities realising it. A good example of this can be found in the memoirs of Captain James Rowntree:

"On Monday of this week a Welsh convict named Jones called me "a Fair Dinkum Arsehole". Such insolence and was about to pistol whip him when Jones quickly started rambling. The funny thing was that it turns out that "Fair Dinkum" actually reverses the insult which follows. By calling me "a Fair Dinkum arsehole" he was saying that I am, in some way, the farthest thing possible away from an arsehole. Feeling quite chuffed with myself I refrained from beating the man. I have decided to play along with their folly. In the last few days I have been called a "Fair dinkum Prick", Dick, Asseshead, Cows Tit and some really vulgar words that I would not put to paper. It has taken time but I have finally gained respect from these horrid convicts " 12th February, 1839

Rhyming Slang examples

Apples and pears - Stairs. 

Bat and ball - Stall (your car). 

Billy lid -  Kid. 

Burke and Wills - Dills. 

Don't be a Burke - Don't be a dill

Butchers - Crook or look. (From butcher's hook.) 

Charlie - Woman. (From Charlie Wheeler. Wheeler (pronounced wheelah) rhymes with sheila.)

Dog's eye - Meat pie. 

Ducks and drakes - The shakes. 

Farmer Giles - Piles (haemorrhoids). 

Frog and toad - Road. 

Gin sling - Ring. (Yeah, gimme a gin on the dog. )

Goose neck. - Cheque. 

Horse's hoof - Poof (homosexual). 

Jack and Jill - Restaurant bill or, depending on context, contraceptive pill. 

Joey Blake - Snake. 

Johnny Horner - Corner. 

Loaf -Head. (From loaf of bread. )

Morton Bay fig - Wig. 

Oxford scholar - Dollar. 

Pot of good cheer - Beer. 

Reg Grundys - Undies. 

Steak and kidney - Sydney. 

Seppo - Yank. (From Septic Tank)

Trouble & strife - Wife. 

Wally Grout - Shout

Warwicks - Arms. (From Warwick Farm, a racecourse in south western Sydney. )

COLOURFUL EXPRESSIONS:

Scarce as rocking-horse manure

About as welcome as a turd in a swimming pool

Rattle your dags (get a move on)

A feed, a frostie and a feature (food, beer and sex)

Bald as a bandicoot

As lonely as a country dunny

As mad as a gumtree full of galahs

Flash Language used by Convicts

  awake- to something aware of what's going on

old chum/new chum - originally referring to fellow prisoners in a jail or hulk

do the trick - originally referring to a successfully accomplished robbery or other such illegal business

fence - receiver of stolen goods

frisk - search gammon deceit, pretence, plausible language

kid - young child, especially a boy who thieves at an early age

plant something - hidden or concealed racket particular kind of fraud

on the sly - secretly snitch on someone tell on someone

swag - bundle