As Australian as a meat pie
Quintessentially Australian.
"As Australian as a meat pie."
Similes
Comparisons for how hot, busy, drunk or useless something is. Most start with as, like or busier than.
Blind as a welder's dog
Very drunk. Blind means drunk.
"Nah, I was blind as a welder's dog."
Busier than a barefoot centipede on a barbecue plate
Extremely busy and hopping from one thing to the next.
"Busier than a barefoot centipede on a barbecue plate."
Busier than a one-legged man at an arse-kicking competition
Extremely busy, with no hope of keeping up.
"Busier than a one-legged man at an arse-kicking competition."
Busy as a cat burying shit in concrete
Extremely busy.
"Not today, I'm busy as a cat burying shit in concrete."
Carry on like a pork chop
Make a big fuss or act silly.
"And he's carrying on like a pork chop."
Crook as Rookwood
Very sick. Crook means ill.
"Can't, I'm crook as Rookwood."
Cunning as a dunny rat
Sly and crafty.
"Cunning as a dunny rat, that one."
Done like a dinner
Completely beaten.
"Done like a dinner."
Dry as a dead dingo's donga
Extremely thirsty. Also used for weather that has not seen rain in months.
"Does a bear... yes. I'm dry as a dead dingo's donga."
Dry as a Pommy's bath mat
Extremely thirsty. The joke is that the English never bathe.
"Yep, I'm dry as a Pommy's bath mat."
Fit as a Mallee bull
Very fit and strong.
"Fit as a Mallee bull. Back on the tractor already."
Flash as a rat with a gold tooth
Showing off and very pleased with yourself.
"Flash as a rat with a gold tooth."
Flat out like a lizard drinking
Extremely busy. Can be sarcastic about someone who isn't busy at all.
"Flat out like a lizard drinking."
Frothing like a dog that ate a bar of soap
Extremely excited about something. Frothing on its own means very keen.
"Yep. Frothing like a dog that just ate a bar of soap."
Full as a fat woman's sock
Completely full, usually after a big feed. Sometimes used for very drunk.
"Can't. I'm full as a fat woman's sock."
Full as a goog
Completely full after eating, or very drunk. A goog is an egg.
"I'm full as a goog."
Go off like a frog in a sock
Get loud and rowdy, usually said of a party or a crowd. Also used for someone losing their temper.
"Went off like a frog in a sock."
Gone faster than a cold beer on a hot day
Disappeared or sold very quickly.
"Went faster than a cold beer on a hot day."
Gone faster than a fart in a fan factory
When a crowd of people leave all at once.
"Someone said "clean-up" and they were gone faster than a fart in a fan factory."
Grinning like a shot fox
Smug and very pleased with yourself.
"Won the footy tipping. Grinning like a shot fox all day."
Happier than a dog with two tails
Extremely happy.
"Happier than a dog with two tails."
Happy as Larry
Very happy.
"Happy as Larry."
Hotter than a two-bob pistol
Extremely hot.
"Hotter than a two-bob pistol."
Like a bandicoot on a burnt ridge
Lonely and miserable.
"Like a bandicoot on a burnt ridge."
Like a rat up a drainpipe
Very fast or very eager.
"Up there like a rat up a drainpipe."
Like a shag on a rock
Alone and conspicuous.
"Left me standing here like a shag on a rock."
Like a stunned mullet
Dazed and confused, staring blankly.
"Sat there like a stunned mullet."
Mad as a cut snake
Furious, or completely crazy.
"Yep. He's mad as a cut snake."
Mad as a gumtree full of galahs
Completely crazy.
"Mad as a gumtree full of galahs."
Mad as a meat axe
Crazy, or very angry.
"He's mad as a meat axe."
More front than Myer
Very cheeky or bold, with a lot of nerve.
"More front than Myer, that bloke."
More rooted than a five-year-old gum tree
Completely exhausted or broken. Rooted means stuffed; gum trees have very deep roots.
"After that double shift? I'm more rooted than a five-year-old gum tree."
Off like a bride's nightie
Leaving quickly.
"I'm off like a bride's nightie."
Off like a bucket of prawns in the noonday sun
A goodbye when you leave. Also used for food that has gone bad.
"Righto, I'm off like a bucket of prawns in the noonday sun."
Off like mum's pants on Father's Day
Leaving right now, in a hurry.
"Yep, I'm off like mum's pants on Father's Day."
Pissed as a nanna's mattress
Very drunk. In Australia, pissed means drunk and pissed off means angry.
"Pissed as a nanna's mattress."
Rare as rocking-horse poo
Almost impossible to find.
"On a Sunday? Rare as rocking-horse poo."
Rough as a pig's breakfast
Messy or badly done. Also used for someone who looks worse for wear.
"Rough as a pig's breakfast, but it'll hold."
Rough as guts
Unpolished or badly made.
"Rough as guts, but the view's great."
Running around like a blue-arsed fly
Rushing about frantically.
"Bev's been running around like a blue-arsed fly all morning."
Sadder than a Werribee duck
Very disappointed with how something turned out.
"Sadder than a Werribee duck."
Shoot through like a Bondi tram
Leave quickly.
"Shot through like a Bondi tram when the bill came."
Silly as a two-bob watch
Daft or erratic.
"Silly as a two-bob watch."
Slow as a wet week
Very slow or very boring.
"Slow as a wet week."
Stands out like dog's balls
Very obvious.
"Mate, it stands out like dog's balls."
Tighter than a fish's arse
Stingy with money.
"Tighter than a fish's arse, that one."
Toey as a Roman sandal
Restless or randy. Toey means nervous or keen.
"Storm's coming. He's toey as a Roman sandal."
Useful as tits on a bull
Completely useless.
"Useful as tits on a bull."
Weak as cat's piss
Weak. Usually a drink, sometimes a person or an excuse.
"Weak as cat's piss."
Wetter than a spastic's chin
Very wet.
"Yeah it's wetter than a spastic's chin out there."