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New Zealand Words

It may contain original research or unverifiable claims. Tagged since October 2007.

The following is a list of words used in New Zealand English, both shared with Australian English and unique to New Zealand English.

Shared with Australia or other countries

Bogan a derogatory term describing a person (usually caucasian) who is perceived to be uncultured, uneducated, and/or of a lower class background. (See also 'Westie', below. Equivalent of 'Hillbilly') However, 'bogan' is also a positive term for a fan of heavy metal music that looks the part, regardless of their background.

(bring a) plate informal on invitations to social functions it constitutes a request that people attending should arrive with a plate-full of food, because catering is not provided. Many new arrivals in New Zealand have mistaken this and turned up with an empty plate, but only once. Perhaps used more by the older generation. Shared with Australia.

Bubble and squeak - recooked leftovers.

by Jingoes/Jingles/Crickey - used also as a replacement for swearing, especially when annoyed.

chips and chippies, refer to both (UK) chips and (US) French Fries. In NZ, chippies are equivalent to UK potato crisps.

chunder, slang vomit, from "Watch out under".

chunder mile a once popular sporting event, particularly at universities, in which participants would run a lap of a running track, eat a cold pie, scull a jug of beer, and continue until the above 'chunder' would occur. Now largely banned by the university authorities.

Claytons, slang adj. low-quality imitation, not the real thing. Originated in Australia. For example, a hasty, temporary repair may be only a Claytons solution to a problem. Originally from the brand-name of a non-alcoholic whisky-flavoured beverage. Generally used by the older generation. See Claytons.

crook - slang for sick or ill; as in "feeling crook".

Dunny - slang for toilet.

Footy, slang football (usually Rugby Union, rarely League or soccer).

G'day!/ Gidday!, interj. A friendly, informal greeting, as in Australian English (From "good day") Examples, Gidday mate. Mostly used by the older generation.

"good as gold" - Great, fine - as a form of agreement.

growl/growling/growled - telling off

Kiwi informal a New Zealander, or as an adjective instead of New Zealand. New Zealanders never use Kiwi to refer to kiwifruit. Used in foreign exchange circles to refer to the New Zealand dollar.

longdrop informal as in US "outhouse" or "portapotty"

lolly, any of various sweets (pieces of candy). Iced lollies are called "ice blocks".

manchester household linen.

pom, n. British person, usually English. Possibly from Prisoner Of (Her) Majesty. See Alternative words for British.

ocker - slang for a person from Australia.

the rentals - used more recently as a replacement for parents. From the word parentals.

scab - verb and noun, meaning the act of (or someone) scrounging, asking for food or money.

shake a leg - hurry up.

your shout - your turn to buy - usually the next round of alcoholic drinks

smoko, rest break during work, originating in the days when smoking was a common practice and would take place during such breaks. Pronounced "smoke-o".

super, the old age pension scheme. Contraction of "superannuation".

sweet as/sweet, adj. fine as far as I'm concerned. The use of 'as' as an intensifier for adjectives has spread, for example 'It's cold as outside', or 'This summer has been hot as'. 'Sweet as' was, until recently with the exporting of NZ television and humour, unique to NZ.

Tazzy A name used for the Tasman sea.

tinny (also spelled 'tinnie') - 1. slang a tinfoil wrap containing marijuana, sold at a "tinny house". 2. older meaning 'lucky', as in 'tinny bastard', or 'tin-arse'. 3. slang a can of beer. 4. slang a small aluminium-hulled boat, usually unpowered.

Tin-arse used to refer to a lucky person, usually if they win something.

togs - bathing suit; swimming costume. Non-gender specific, can apply to speedos, swimming shorts, bikini, or any swimming clothing.

wag, slang v. To play truant, as in Tom's wagging school today.

wog disease or illness

Unique to New Zealand

au - pronounced "o", from the Mori word aua meaning "I don't know". Common in Northland and Gisborne.

Bach a small holiday home, usually near the beach, often with only one or two rooms and of simple construction. Pronounced "batch". Comes from bachelor. (See also 'crib', below).

bay - a mutation of the common slang word "Bro". Mostly used in and around Gisborne. Commonly combined with the slang "eta" to form "eta bay" and pronounced as one word.

bot - I feel a bit crook. I've got the bot - the flu

a box of birds - I am fine, used as a response to the question "how are you?" A common follow-up is all shit and feathers. (See also 'a box of fluffies', below).

a box of fluffies a variant of "a box of birds", shortened from "a box of fluffy ducks".

bunk/bunking - truancy

chilly bin - An Esky or other portable polystyrene/plastic food and beverage cooler

choice! informal excellent! Great idea! Common in Auckland

chur bro Slang, humorous 'pronounced as a deep 'chair' usually a strong voicing of thanks but also a parting salutation. Shortened from "cheers brother" although can be said to either male or female. Common in Auckland. More recently this can and has often been shortened to "chur bo", as "bro" loses its 'r'.

crib another word for bach, more commonly used in the south of the South Island.

cuz as in male or female cousin, plural form "cuzzies", and sometimes "the cuzzie bros".

Dag(g) similar to a "hard-case" i.e. a comedian or funny person. Commonly used in the phrase: "What a dag!". NZ comedian John Clarke's stage name Fred Dagg was influenced by this.

dairy equivalent to the British term corner shop or American term convenience store.

The Ditch slang the Tasman Sea, the "ditch" separating New Zealand and Australia, almost always used in the phrase: "across the ditch", meaning, Australia. Occasionally also refers to Cook Strait, which separates the two main islands of the country.

domain as well as its common overseas uses, a public park or reserve, often with sports or camping facilities. Derived from the British legal "land in public domain" or government owned land for public use.

egg - mild insult meaning 'fool' or 'dork'. Enjoyed widespread use in the 1980s, still used today. Used to be used occasionally with the partner (and now all but obsolete) "spoon".

eh! Slang used for emphasis at the end of a sentence, eh!. Can be used as meaning "isn't it". (A similar but not identical usage is found in Canadian English). See Eh. Probably derived from the Maori word 'nei?' which means 'isn't that right?'[citation needed] More recently spelt "ay" or "aye", which is a closer phonetic spelling in the NZ accent.

eoh; eoa; aoh; ehore (no agreed spelling, conversational only) derived from the Maori "e hoa" (friend). Used as a friendly term meaning "mate" in the NZEng equivalent, or bro; also used as "hey" or "yo" in place of subject's name if at the beginning of a phrase. Non-gender specific, and pronounced like a very short, clipped "our" perhaps without the final 'r', or like out without the 't'. Was common in Auckland but was popularised by the television show 'bro'Town', where it is both pronounced and written as 'ow'. "Eoh, you coming or not?"; "Where you been eoh?".

Et/Eta/Eta Harry - pronounced "Etta". Common in Gisborne, exclamation similar to "whatever" also used as an expression of surprise and mild consternation much like 'oh no!' Often used to express the sentiment "that is not true". Probably derived from the Maori 'e Ta!' (='oh Sir!') or 'e tama!' (='oh child!' which is a mild scolding).

freezing works a meat-packing plant, an abattoir.

fulla slang guy, from 'fellow'.

green fingered bro slang for someone who regularly smokes cannabis; usually referring to a person from Kaitaia.

Godzone - informal New Zealand: corruption from 'God's Own Country'. Can also refer to Australia.

halfpai - slang meaning half-arsed eg "doing a halfpai job at doing the dishes"; actual meaning: half-good from the Maori word pai = good.

hamu (pron. ha-moo) - verb or noun meaning scab (as above) or scrounge. Bay of Plenty origins, uncommon elsewhere.

hard case slang a person who has a very good sense of humour, a comedian.

hau - expression: 'wow'; often pronounced with a long drawn-out tail "hauuuuuu"; Maori origins, sometimes transmuted into hau-ly (holy), to punctuate the expression.

Hua - expression: pronounced whoo-a; however not drawn-out. Maori origins, used in conversation in a tongue in cheek manner. Used to replace the English term 'bastard', such as 'You dirty hua'; 'you little hua'.

hoon- Young delinquent

Hori - slang used for something that is unattractive or shoddy. Rarely used racistly towards Mori.

Ins - slang meaning you had sexual intercourse. "Yeah bro, he got his ins with Stacey!"

JAFA - a derogatory acronym used to describe Aucklanders. This stands for Just Another Fucking Aucklander. Aucklanders refer to it as Just Another Fantastic Aucklander. This acronym has particular sentimental significance to NZers, being the name of an iconic cinema sweet (called Jaffas), which consist of a spherical marble sized shell of orange/red candy filled with chocolate. This explains the superfluous 'F' in some versions of the acronym.

Jandals slang as in US and UK "flip-flops", Australia "thongs". Portmanteau of Japanese Sandal. See Jandals.

Joker - bloke, guy, fulla... usually a general term for Kiwi male, with positive connotations. Sometimes a "good joker" or "funny joker", Never Used in derogation. Although about two generations old from the time of entry, it is still recognised and understood.

Kai - food in Maori.

kapai - "Good" or "nice". Maori for that's good. Has entered the lexicon of non-Maori speakers.

kina - sea urchin

Mainland informal usually, but not always, refers (sometimes mildly humorously) to the South Island, which, despite its much smaller population, is the larger of the two main islands of New Zealand.

Manus - A derogatory term meaning idiot or imbecile. Pronounced 'Mah - niss'. Derived from 'male' 'anus'. Common in West Auckland.

Mint - meaning 'excellent' or 'good quality'

Mucky - informal A term used for making a mess, or some something that can be messy.

OE or Big OE informal overseas experience, time spent travelling and working overseas, usually beginning in London.

P - a recently adopted term for Crystallised Methamphetamine. "P" stands for "pure", which it was also called. During the mid-2000s, the New Zealand Media popularised this term for the illegal drug, and other terms are all but unused.

paua - abalone

pecking order - order of which siblings are born.

pottle in some areas, the unit by which strawberries and certain other fruit are sold. In other parts of New Zealand, the terms "chip" and "punnet", shared with UK English, are better known. The term also refers to any small plastic container, as eg. for yoghurt

Queen Street farmer informal humorous a usually pejorative term for an investor in rural land with no knowledge of land use.

Rej - pronounced "reedge". Abbr. of "reject", a schoolyard insult.

Remuera tractor/Fendalton tractor slang humorous a usually pejorative term for an SUV (known as a "four wheel drive" locally) (compare Queen Street farmer, above). See Toorak Tractor.

Rogernomics - a political term applied to so-called 'economic reforms' of the 1980s, and continuing worldwide today. These involved turning public assets and property over to private interest; selling government land and companies for short-term , one-off profit. Named in honour of its spearheading MP, Sir Roger Douglas.

rolls/rollies - rolling tobacco (see tayllies)

scarfie slang a university student, particularly one studying at the University of Otago.

skux - slang, term of endearment given to males who dress well, and/or are good at picking up women. Common in Palmerston North and Wellington.

shraps - slang, coins/loose change - derived from shrapnel which may also be used.

sewl - slang,farewell/good-bye corruption of "see you all later" pronounced similar to "seal" (an extremely fast and slurred "see-you-all" ending in mumbled 'l' sound)

Shot - slang said instead of thanks or cheers, commonly as "Shot bro" or "Shot g". Also a n alternatives for "well done" or "impressive", both in the sarcastic (mumbled) and non-sarcastic (loud) form.

sookie bubba noun (sometimes spelt 'sooky baba' or variants) - NZ version of crybaby, wimp, tangiweto (maori). Extension of 'sook' as used elsewhere.

snags - sausages, bratwurst

snarlers - sausages, bratwurst

spud - slang potato, now a brand of potato chips

stores - slang, groceries (mainly used in Gisborne)

stubbie - slang bottle of beer

sweet-as colloquialism- all-purpose phrase meaning "great" or "awesome". Also equally used as an equivalent to "no problems" or "fine", for example:

1) A: "We beat them 48-3." B: "Sweet-as!"

2) A: "Can you get this finished off for me?" B: "Yeah mate, sweet-as."

tailies - cigarettes; shortened from tailor-made cigarettes.

tin - slang Corrugated roofing iron, an icon of New Zealand architecture and widely used in old and new houses.

Too Much - Good, Great, very pleased

Trots - 'Harness racing', or Diarrhea.

Twink - A popular brand of correction fluid that has become a generic term. Similar to Jandals.

Tu Meke - Maori word meaning 'Great' or 'Too much'

up the Puhoi slang far from civilisation. The Puhoi is a river just north of Auckland. Over the years the phrase has evolved and is now often heard as "Up the Boohai". It is also sometimes attributed to other New Zealand rivers. Again, more characteristic of the older generation.

Vivid -A popular brand of permanent marker that has become a generic term. Similar to twink.

Waka slang term for any kind of vehicle or means of transport, from the Maori term waka used for a canoe or watercraft.

Waka-jumping - the act of switching sides or allegiances. Used in particular to describe the act of MPs changing political parties after being elected in New Zealand's MMP democracy.

Warewhare - pronounced wa-ray-fa-ray, nickname for the Warehouse stores, a local department store chain. ("Whare" is the Maori word for house). Warehouse outlets or the company itself are also sometimes informally referred to as "The Big Red Shed".

Westie a sometimes derogatory term which refers to an inhabitant of West Auckland, usually Caucasian. It is also used by people from West Auckland instead of "Bogan" for people who may not even reside there. Has some similar sentiment to the term "white-trash" which is common in the U.S. Westies may be identified by their affinity for black clothing,(including tight jeans), Heavy Metal music, 'muscle cars' and aggressive dog breeds. The popular NZ television show Outrageous Fortune follows the misadventures of a stereotypical Westie family.

West Island - A name used occasionally for Australia. The main islands of New Zealand are the North Island and the South Island, and "West Island" is used to refer jokingly to the Australian continent (which lies to the west of New Zealand), due both to the large NZ population there and for the implication that New Zealand is the more important country.

WOF/Warrant (Warrant of Fitness), vehicle roadworthiness test, similar to British MoT and the Australian Roadworthy Certificate, except that it is required 6-monthly for vehicles over three years old. Often pronounced as 'woof'.

Wops/Wopwops - slang rural areas or towns/localities on the fringes of larger towns/cities. ("Wop Wops" or "The Wop Wops" are also used but less commonly).

References

McGill, David (1988). A Dictionary of Kiwi Slang. Lower Hutt: Mills Publications. ISBN 0-908722-35-4. 

McGill, David (1989). The Dinkum Kiwi Dictionary. Lower Hutt: Mills Publications. ISBN 0-908722-50-8. 

Plowman, Sonja (2002). Great Kiwi Slang. Glenfield: Summit Press. ISBN 1-86503-667-6. 

Categories: New Zealand English | LexisHidden categories: Articles that may contain original research from October 2007 | Articles lacking in-text citations from January 2010 | All articles lacking in-text citations | All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements from July 2008
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