Greetings
How ya going?
A greeting, not a question about your journey — answer 'Good, you?'
Hello / how are you. The universal Australian opener.
Daily life
Hook turn
Signposted 'RIGHT TURN FROM LEFT ONLY'
Melbourne's inverted right turn: you wait in the far LEFT lane, then swing across once the lights change, so trams aren't blocked. Roughly thirty CBD intersections.
Myki
MY-kee — 'touch on with your myki'
Victoria's transport card. You touch on for trains and buses, and on trams you touch on but never off.
Bathers
BAY-thers
Swimwear. Queenslanders say togs, Sydneysiders say cossies — the word maps your origin instantly.
Servo / bottle-o
SERV-oh, BOTTL-oh
Petrol station / liquor shop. Supermarkets can't sell alcohol here, though the bottle-o is usually attached to one.
Four seasons in one day
Said with resignation, usually correctly
Melbourne's weather genuinely swings 15°C in an afternoon when a cold front crosses from the Southern Ocean. Layers, always.
Food
Potato cake
Ordered at the fish and chip shop
A battered slice of potato. Say 'potato scallop' and you've announced you're from Sydney or Brisbane.
Parma
PAR-ma — never 'parmi' here
Chicken parmigiana, the standard pub meal. South Australians say parmi and Victorians will correct them.
Social
The footy
'Going to the footy'
Australian Rules football, never rugby. In Melbourne it is the default weekend topic and the club you support is genuine identity.
Work
Grand Final Friday
The Friday before the AFL Grand Final
A public holiday that exists only in Victoria, for a football match. Book nothing that day and expect the city to stop.
Emergency
Triple zero
Dial 000 for police, fire or ambulance
The emergency number. State which service you need; 112 also connects from any mobile.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.