Kia Ora (hello)
Anyone coming to NZ will be challenged with the fast, quiet speech of Kiwis (the people, not the bird) but to help you through your period of adjustment, we’ll provide some of the more used Kiwi-isms – words and expressions.
| Kiwi-ism | Translation |
|---|---|
| Arvo | afternoon |
| Bangers | sausages |
| Barbie | a barbeque |
| Bloke | a man |
| Cardi | a cardigan, a button up sweater/ |
| Cheers | thanks |
| Choice | that’s good |
| Chook | Chicken |
| Crook | angry or sick |
| Cruisy | easy, relaxed |
| Cuppa | a cup of tea |
| Dag | a person who is funny; a comedian (of course, its also something that hangs off the back end of a sheep) |
| Dear | expensive |
| Dodgy | untrustworthy, not good |
| Driza-bone | a type of long, heavy raincoat (= as dry as a bone) |
| Dunny | outside toilet over a dug hole (outhouse) |
| Flat out | very busy |
| Footpath | a pavement or sidewalk; as in area where walkers are most likely (but not always) safe from Kiwi drivers |
| Full On | demanding of attention/action |
| Gob smacked | very surprised |
| Hard yakka | hard work, usually physical work |
| Hardcase | a tough but likeable person |
| Jandals | rubber sandals (aka flipflops in the US and UK and thongs in AU) |
| Judder bars | speed bumps on the road |
| Jug | kettle |
| Knackered | exhausted |
| Long drop | outside toilet built over a hole in the ground |
| Loo | toilet |
| Munted | broken |
| Naff | not good, silly |
| No 8 Wire | symbolic expression for the Kiwi attitude of being able to fix or make anything using the simplest methods and materials) |
| No worries | I’m not worried about it so you don’t have to worry either |
| Nosh | food |
| Paddock | field |
| Pav/Pavlova | a very sweet dessert over which both New Zealand and Australia fight for bragging rights |
| Rellies | relatives (family) |
| Sarnie | sandwich |
| She be right | renowned Kiwi expression> the result will be good even though it is not clear how |
| Shout | pay for someone else as a treat (as “Its your birthday so you have to should tea”) |
| Sing out | ask e.g. Sing out if you want help |
| Skite | boast |
| Snarlers/Snags | sausages (also see bangers) |
| Spagbol | Spaghetti Bolognaise, a popular very basic rendition of the Italian pasta dish |
| Specs | spectacles, glasses |
| Sprog | child |
| Stoked | very pleased |
| Stunned Mullet | very surprised (a mullet is a seabird that sometimes gets tapped by a passing boat and stunned) |
| Swan-dri or ‘Swannee’ | type of woollen shirt |
| Sweet as | that’s fine; good |
| Ta | thanks |
| Take the piss | joke or fib (see ‘wind someone up’ |
| Tea | a drink with jam and bread, a break at 10am and 3pm with tea, coffee and/or a like snack, and also refers to dinner |
| Telling Porkies | lying (not serious ones) |
| Toss your toys | get upset |
| Tucker | food |
| Turn pear shaped | go wrong, experience unexpected problems |
| Wops-wops | a remote area |
