Greetings
How ya going?
A greeting — answer 'Yeah good, you?'
Hello / how are you. Universal, and not a question about your trip.
Daily life
Togs
Rhymes with 'dogs'
Swimwear. Queensland and WA say togs, Melbourne says bathers, Sydney says cossies. Nobody says swimming costume.
Port
'Have you got your port?'
A school bag or suitcase — from 'portmanteau'. Genuinely Queensland-only; say it anywhere else and you get a blank look.
Go card
'Touch on with your go card'
South East Queensland's transport card. Since every fare is a flat 50 cents, a bank card works just as well.
Queenslander
KWEENZ-lan-da
A raised timber house on stumps with wide verandahs and space underneath. Cool in summer, freezing in July, and never insulated.
Servo / bottle-o
SERV-oh, BOTTL-oh
Petrol station / liquor shop. Alcohol is not sold in supermarkets — you go next door to the bottle-o.
Stinking hot
Said from November to March, accurately
The humid summer that defines Brisbane. Locals plan around it: outdoors early, indoors from 11 to 4, back out at dusk.
Chuck a U-ey
CHUCK a YOO-ee
Make a U-turn. You will hear it constantly in a city built around river bends and one-way bridges.
Social
The Valley
Fortitude Valley
Brisbane's nightlife precinct. It has a legislated Special Entertainment Precinct status, which is why live music runs late there and not elsewhere.
Emergency
Cyclone season
November to April
The storm and cyclone window. Brisbane rarely takes a direct cyclone hit but regularly takes the rain, and the flooding that follows.
Triple zero
Dial 000 for police, fire or ambulance
The emergency number. Say 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Some of this may be out of date.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.