What it means
A playful, affectionate name for little kids, especially the tiny chaos gremlins weaving round your legs, hanging off you, and always somehow right where you're trying to walk. You hear it a lot in Australian English at family barbies, weekend catch-ups, and any place where small children are turning five quiet minutes into a full circus.
Usage examples
"Oi, you bringing the ankle biters to the barbie on Saturday? No worries, just keep ’em outta the veggie patch this time."
"Watch the ankle biters near the pool, they bolt the second you blink and they can't swim yet."
"We had three ankle biters running riot through the house all weekend, knackered doesn't cover it."
"Can't even carry a plate through the backyard with all these ankle biters orbiting the esky."
"The ankle biters were flat out till sunset, then all of a sudden half of 'em passed out on the couch in sticky bathers."
