"Hired a brickie to build the retaining wall."
Where "Brickie" Comes From
Formed the same way as dozens of Australian trade nicknames, taking the job title "bricklayer" and clipping it to "brickie" with the friendly "-ie" ending.
This naming pattern runs right through the trades — "chippy" for carpenter, "sparky" for electrician — reflecting a broader cultural preference for informal, matey language even around professional titles.
How Aussies Actually Use It
Used exactly as you'd use "bricklayer," just with more warmth — "hired a brickie to build the retaining wall" sounds like an everyday conversation about renovations.
It's common on building sites and in casual chat about home improvements, where formal job titles rarely get used at all.
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