Where "Avo" Comes From
First recorded in Australian print in the 1960s, "avo" follows the legendary Australian linguistic rule: take any word, chop off the end, and slap on an "-o" suffix (just like arvo, servo, and smoko). Australia's national obsession with the fruit eventually birthed the global cultural phenomenon of "smashed avo on toast"!
"I'll have the eggs on toast with a bit of avo, thanks."
How Aussies Actually Use It
Avo is the word most Australians use for an avocado, on menus and in conversation. If you order brunch at a cafe, you will see it everywhere.
It is best known from "smashed avo", the cafe favourite of mashed avocado on toast. You can also add it to a burger, a salad or a sandwich.
See also: Smashed avo (smashed avocado on toast), Brekkie (breakfast).
Say It Like an Aussie
Say it: AV-oh.
In conversation:
- Smashed avo on toast, thanks.
- Grab two avos for the guacamole.
- Are these avos ripe yet?
Good to know: Don’t mix it up with “arvo”. An avo is an avocado, and an arvo is the afternoon.
🎓 Want to sound like a true Aussie?
Watch Down Under English on YouTube for real Australian pronunciation, slang lessons, and culture.
Watch on YouTube →