Where "Bugger all" Comes From
First recorded in late 19th-century military and colloquial speech, "bugger all" is shared across Australian and Commonwealth slang as a down-to-earth intensifier for zero. In Australia, it is used casually across kitchen tables and construction sites without any true profanity or malice, simply stating a plain fact: nothing at all!
"There's bugger all in the fridge, so we'll have to get takeaway."
How Aussies Actually Use It
Bugger all means almost nothing, as in "I did bugger all today" or "he earns bugger all". It is common in everyday Australian speech.
It is mild swearing. It is fine with friends and family, but best avoided in formal situations, at job interviews or around young children.
See also: Buggered (exhausted, or broken).
Say It Like an Aussie
Say it: BUG-er-awl.
In conversation:
- I did bugger all this weekend and it was bliss.
- There’s bugger all on telly tonight.
- He knows bugger all about cars.
Good to know: It sounds rude to visitors, but it’s mild in Aussie company. Fine with mates and at the barbie, not so much in a job interview.
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