Many common Australian expressions or slang may seem strange. Australians often shorten words (for example, ‘footy’ for ‘football’). If you are unsure what an expression means, it is acceptable to ask. Some common examples are:

Bring a plate – when you are invited to a social or work function and asked to "bring a plate", this means to bring a dish of food to share with other people.
BYO – this means to “bring your own” drink, for example alcohol, juice, soft drink or water. Some restaurants are BYO, which means you can bring your own bottled drinks. If you BYO, there is usually a charge for providing and cleaning glasses, called “corkage”.
Open door policy – in the workplace, having an “open door policy” means that you and other employees do not need a formal appointment to speak with the boss about problems or other work issues.
See you later – this is an informal way of saying “goodbye”. It does not mean that the person will be returning in the near future.

Your English language provider will help you with Australian expressions. See Chapter 3, English language.