Doona or quilt? Togs v bathers? 12 terms lost in translation between Australian states

When it comes to Australian dialect, there’s some pretty big differences between states that’ll leave your interstate counterparts scratching their heads and saying ‘whaaaat?’

Doona v quilt, bathers or togs?
When it comes to Australian dialect, there’s some pretty big differences between states that’ll leave your interstate counterparts scratching their heads and saying ‘whaaaat?’.

Here’s 12 terms that are lost in translation and might make you sound like you’re speaking a different language when you visit another state or territory.

What would you call this fried potato?

What you call this could identify which Australian state you are from. Picture: Will Hunter

If you answered potato scallop: Congratulations, you’re in the majority, but people from Victoria and SA won’t have a clue what you’re talking about.

ACT: Potato scallop

NSW: Potato scallop

QLD: Potato scallop

SA: Potato cake/Potato Fritter

TAS: Potato scallop/Potato cake

VIC: Potato cake

WA: Potato scallop

What piece of swimwear is this model wearing?

If you are a Queenslander, you would call all swimwear for men and women – both one piece and bikinis – togs. Picture: Supplied

Hint: The answer is not bikini. If you live in Queensland she is wearing a pair of togs.

But if you’re from central and western Australia, it’s bathers.

ACT: Cozzies

NSW: Swimmers/Cozzies

NT: Bathers

QLD: Togs

SA: Bathers

TAS: Bathers

VIC: Togs/Bathers

WA: Bathers

What would you call these biscuits?

What would you call these popular cracker-like biscuits? Picture: Alistair Brightman

Savoy and Jatz are technically two different types of cracker biscuits produced by Arnott’s. When Arnott’s joined with Brockhoff in 1960 both Savoy and Jatz were kept, despite the similarities.

Savoy contains golden syrup and “Savoy” is embossed on the biscuits, whereas Jatz has a plain design.

ACT: Jatz

NSW: Jatz

NT: Jatz

QLD: Jatz

SA: Jatz

TAS: Savoy

VIC: Savoy

WA: Jatz

‘What are these poles that hold transmission lines called?

What is the pole called which holds up power lines? (Image/Josh Woning)

SA is an outlier here - referring to them as ‘Stobie poles’ while the rest of Australia generally refer to them as power poles or telegraph poles.
The term ‘Stobie pole’ was coined after a steel and concrete pole was designed by James Cyril Stobie, who joined the Adelaide Electric Supply Company in 1916, in response to the state’s lack of termite-resistant hardwood.

What do you call the item which you spread across the top of your bed?

What do you call this?

Doona, quilt, duvet ... or even a bedspread or blanket - depending on where you are in Australia, the term varies.
Queenslanders call it a doona while South Australians refer to it as a quilt.
Start a discussion between residents from both these states about it and it’ll quickly turn into a heated debate with Queenslanders firing back ‘a quilt is a blanket your grandma knits!’

If you were to drink from this device, what would you call it?

What do you call this? Picture: Supplied

Most of Australia agrees: This generation calls this a bubbler.

ACT: Bubbler

NSW: Bubbler

NT: Bubbler

QLD: Bubbler

TAS: Drinking fountain

VIC: Drinking tap/Taps

WA: Drinking fountain

SA: Drinking fountain

These students start primary school next year but they have entered the school system this year. What year level are they in?

If you live or have lived in Queensland since 2007, when it was first introduced, you would call this year level what? Picture: Supplied

If you find yourself wearing a maroon jersey in May and you are often heard yelling “QUEENSLANDER”: Then you would say these pupils are in “prep”. But ACT and NSW call it Kindergarten and SA calls it ‘reception’.

ACT: Kindergarten

NSW: Kindergarten

NT: Transition

QLD: Prep

SA: Reception

TAS: Prep

VIC: Prep

WA: Pre-primary

What would you call this piece of meat?

How would you describe this type of meat? Picture: Supplied

Those living on the eastern seaboard are once again in the majority here, with devon being the preferred word for this slice of cold meat. But South Australian’s call it ‘fritz’.

NSW: Devon

QLD: Devon

SA: Fritz

TAS: Devon/Luncheon/Belgium sausage

VIC: Devon

WA: Polony

What would you call this delightful bird?

What would you call this native Australian parrot? Picture: Supplied

Almost all of Australia would call this bird a cockatiel, except for WA.

ACT: Cockatiel

NSW: Cockatiel

NT: Cockatiel

QLD: Cockatiel

SA: Cockatiel

TAS: Cockatiel

VIC: Cockatiel

WA: Weiro/Weero

Scientific name: Nymphicus hollandicus

Wiradjuri name: Quarrion

If you were to accidentally step on this piece of grass, what would you say you stepped on?

What type of prickles would you most commonly stand on here in Queensland? Picture: Adam Yip

If you’re in Queensland you would say you stepped on a “bindi”. Spelling varies a bit, depending on what state you are from, with WA being the outlier - describing the grass as a “prickle”. It’s also worth mentioning Bindi Irwin was named after one of Steve Irwin’s crocodiles, not named after the common weed.

ACT: Bindi

NSW: Bindy

QLD: Bindi

SA: Bindi/Prickle

VIC: Bindy

WA: Prickle

What would you call the drink this child is holding?

If you grew up in Queensland, you would be familiar with the popping sound the empty box makes when jumped on at big or little lunch. Picture: Supplied

Most of Australia would agree: This is a popper. The name originates from “Popper Juice”, a brand of fruit juice in a small container produced by Golden Circle.

NSW: Popper

NT: Popper

QLD: Popper

SA: Fruit Box

TAS: Fruit Box

You have rubbish lying around your home and it is too big to put in the bin. Where do you take it?

Where do you take your overflowing rubbish? Picture: Tertius Pickard

This centre is officially called something along the lines of a waste transfer station, or if equipped in more recent years, a recycling centre, but almost all of Australia prefers to shorten it to either a dump, or a rubbish tip.

ACT: Tip/Dump

NSW: Tip/Dump

NT: Tip

QLD: Dump

SA: Tip

TAS: Tip

VIC: Tip

WA: Dump

Do you know of any words we may have missed? Let us know in the comments below.