What it means
The cheerful Aussie all-purpose reply that smooths everything over, meaning it is all good, do not give it a second thought. It works as you are welcome, as no problem, and as a gentle nudge to relax. The verbal handshake of a country that refuses to sweat the small stuff.
Usage examples
"I apologized for being late and he just grinned and said no worries, the barbie has only just got going."
"No worries about the late RSVP, mate, the barbecue is at three by the pool, just bring a salad and a six-pack and tell your missus the cricket commentary will be on the speaker by the time you arrive."
"I dropped the eggs in the supermarket parking lot at Bondi Junction and the shop assistant came over with a fresh carton and said no worries, just gave me a friendly nudge and waved off the apology like a real local."
Where it comes from
No worries entered Australian English in the late nineteen-sixties as the laid-back national equivalent of you’re welcome and don’t mention it. Linguists trace it to the converging influence of working-class Sydney slang, where worries had long been used loosely, and Bondi surf culture, where the relaxed acknowledgement matched the local pace of life. The phrase travelled across the Tasman to New Zealand in the seventies, and gained worldwide visibility via the Crocodile Dundee films of the eighties, when Paul Hogan used no worries as a verbal trademark of the Antipodean character on Hollywood screens.
Other ways to say it
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