In a different thread on a different site, an Australian fella called an English chap a pommy. I commented on how I had never heard that term and he asked if I wanted to know what they (Austrailan gentleman (his words)) called Americans.
Some quick google-fu and I came up with Seppo from some type of rhyming slang -> Yank->Septic Tank-> Seppo.
I mentioned that and it doesn’t seem to be the correct answer.
So, what are we known as in the land down under?
Yanks, or tourists.
hmm, Yanks seems too obvious.
And somehow I think it’s more of a dig than tourists.
Or is it just such a secret that us Yanks just can’t know?
I helped a drunk, lost, and panicked Australian girl find her way back to her hostel in Prague one night. She told me that “I was a nice guy for a septic.” 
Polite: Americans, Usanians
Less polite: Yanks, Yankees
Much less polite: Seppos
Douchebags? Or wait…maybe that’s what everyone else calls us…
I’ve been to Oz three times on business. I was called a Yank a few times, always in a friendly way. Of course, one would be hard pressed to find a non-friendly Aussie in the first place.
Septic comes from Cockney slang (i.e. London) so the Australians have picked it up from their British cousins if that’s what they use. It’s not ‘often’ used in the UK, but I wouldn’t say it was meant rudely - more like affectionate ribbing.
My grandfather was in the Army Air Corps in WWII and he always tells me how the Australians called him “Yank.”
It’s certainly rhyming slang, and it may be English in origin, though I’ve only heard it from Australians.
But when I say “less polite”, I just mean that it would be used in non-formal contexts, not that it’s necessarily unfriendly. An Australian could say “fucking whingeing pommy bastard” when talking about his best friend or his worst enemy: context and tone make all the difference.
Right. Amongst friends, “dickhead” can be a term of endearment.
I’ve met a few Australians, and never heard a term for us; not even Yank, and that’s surprising, because they seem to have weird little nicknames for everything.
Here in Colombia they just call me “Gringo.” 
I’ve heard septics here a few time. Yanks alot of times and stupid Americans most of the time.
The most popular one is definitely Yank.
I’m aware of Seppo (Septic), but I don’t hear it very often. I believe that Seppo became popular during and immediately after WWII, but has since faded from popular usage.
And yes, Seppo is derived from Yank, as the OP presumed Yank -> Tank -> Septic tank -> Septic -> Seppo. A bit of the good old cockney rhyming slang which used to be seen a lot in Australia but seems to be fading from popular use.
Probably a stupid question, but how is “Usanians” pronounced? I’ve never heard it before.
“Yank” is that some kind of masturbation dig? :dubious:
Yoo-sane-Ians.
At least that has a nicer ring than the Mexican/Spanish estadosunidenses.
And “cocksucker” can be the most endearing term of all.
I don’t think anybody under about 50 would say “Seppo”. It’s like “Strewth!” or “Crikey!”: there are people out there who use these terms, but not many these days. A twenty-something in Sydney or Melbourne would just say, “American”.
Rhyming slang never really got a huge foothold here anyway, I don’t think. It’s almost completely gone now.