What it means
Arvo is Aussie and Kiwi shorthand for afternoon, usually meaning the chunk of the day after lunch and into early evening. You’ll hear it everywhere in casual chat: this arvo, tomorrow arvo, late arvo. It’s one of those clipped little words that makes the whole sentence feel more relaxed, more matey, less office-starched.
Usage examples
"How about a cheeky beer this arvo? I knock off at three, swing by the bottle-o, then we’ll fire up the barbie at yours."
"Catch you this arvo down at the beach, bring the cricket bat and we'll have a hit."
"Spent the whole arvo fixing the fence and now my back's done in, worth a cold one."
"I can't do lunch, but I'm free this arvo if you wanna grab a coffee and mooch round the shops."
"Got a sparky coming round this arvo, so if I'm late to the pub don't start the chips without me."
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Where it comes from
Arvo comes from afternoon, clipped in the classic Australian style that also gives you forms like servo and bottle-o. That word-shortening habit has been part of Australian English for ages, and New Zealand English uses arvo too in everyday casual speech. It’s a real settled bit of local slang, not a one-off joke.
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