New Zealand slang
Speak English but no idea what's going on..? New Zealand slang or Kiwi slang is not always that easy to understand, here is our list of common Kiwi words!
Our list of common Kiwi words and idioms (New Zealand slang)
|
A&P Show |
Agricultural & Pastoral Show |
||
|
All Blacks |
New Zealand Rugby Team |
||
|
All Whites |
New Zealand Soccer Team |
||
|
ANZAC |
Australian and New Zealand Army Corps |
||
|
Aroha |
Love |
||
|
Baby Blacks |
New Zealand Junior Rugby Team |
||
|
Bach |
Holiday house (North Island term, derived from 'bachelor home') |
||
|
Banger |
A sausage or old car |
||
|
Big OE |
'Overseas Experience' (long trip) |
||
|
Bikkie |
Biscuit |
||
|
Bit of a problem |
A real worry |
||
|
Black Caps |
New Zealand Cricket Team |
||
|
Black Sticks |
New Zealand Hockey Team |
||
|
Bloke |
A man |
||
| Blow me down! | What a surprise, I didn't know that! | ||
|
Bludger |
Somebody who tries to get something for free |
||
|
Bobby calf |
Young male calf |
||
| Brassed off | Annoyed | ||
|
Brekkie |
Breakfast |
||
|
Bring a plate |
Bring a plate of food to a dinner or a party |
||
|
Bro |
A male friend |
||
|
Brolly |
Umbrella |
||
|
Bugger |
A gentle swear word |
||
| Bugger all | Not much, hardly anything | ||
|
Bush |
Native forest |
||
|
Bushed |
Exhausted |
||
| Bust your guts | Make a huge effort | ||
|
Buzzy Bee |
Iconic New Zealand wooden toy |
||
|
|
|||
|
BYO |
Bring Your Own (alcohol into a restaurant for example) |
||
|
Chilly bin |
Cool box for a picnic to store cold items |
||
|
Chinwag |
Conversation |
||
|
Chippie |
A carpenter |
||
| Chips | French Fries | ||
|
Choice! |
Great! |
||
|
Chook |
Chicken |
||
|
Chuffed |
Proud and happy |
||
|
Chur |
A parting remark like cheers as in 'Chur bro' |
||
|
Crib |
Holiday house (South Island term) |
||
|
Crook |
Feeling sick |
||
|
Cuppa |
Cup of tea or coffee |
||
|
Cuz or Cuzzie |
Cousin or a friend |
||
|
Dag |
A bit of a joker, dags can also be found on a sheep's bottom |
||
|
Dairy |
Corner shop |
||
|
Doing a donut |
Boyracers spinning their cars in a tight circle |
||
|
Dunny |
Toilet |
||
|
Easy as |
No problem |
||
|
Feed |
Meal |
||
|
Footrot Flats |
Famous comic books about typical Kiwi rural life |
||
|
Footy |
Rugby |
||
|
Get off the grass |
Get real |
||
|
Godzone |
God's own country, New Zealand of course |
||
|
Good as gold |
All good |
||
|
Good on ya |
Positive affirmation, 'good for you' |
||
|
Good sort |
A good person |
||
|
Gumboots |
Rubber boots or Wellies, originally gumdigger boots |
||
|
Gumdigger |
Finding buried Kauri gum (hardened resin) |
||
| Gutted | Disappointed | ||
|
Handle |
A glass of beer |
||
|
Hard case |
Something or someone funny or crazy |
||
| Hard yakka | Hard work | ||
|
Have a go |
Try something |
||
|
Hightail |
Retreat as fast as possible |
||
| Hissy fit | A tantrum | ||
|
Hokey pokey |
Icecream with vanilla flavour and honey comb bits |
||
| Home and hosed | In the bag, all gone well | ||
|
Hoon |
A young fast driver in a car |
||
|
Hottie |
Hot water bottle or attractive person |
||
|
Hui |
Meeting |
||
|
Huntaway |
Dog bred for barking skills |
||
|
In the sticks |
Rural |
||
| In yonks, in donkey's years | For a very long time | ||
|
JAFA |
'Just another * Aucklander' |
||
|
Jaffa |
Chocolate orange bikkie and type of seedless Orange |
||
|
Jandals |
Japanese sandals - Flip Flops |
||
| Jogger | This word was first ever used in Auckland in 1962 | ||
|
Joker |
A regular bloke |
||
|
Jug |
A water kettle or large measure of beer |
||
|
Kai |
'Food' in Maori language |
||
|
Kiwi |
A New Zealander, a flightless bird or a green fruit |
||
|
Koha |
Gift |
||
|
Kumara |
Sweet potatoe |
||
| Like a box of budgies | Very happy | ||
|
Lolly |
Any kind of sweet confectionary |
||
|
L&P |
Lemon & Paeroa - a drink 'World famous in New Zealand' |
||
|
Longdrop |
Outside composting toilet |
||
|
Mainland |
The South Island |
||
|
Maori |
Indigenous New Zealander |
||
|
Marae |
Maori meeting house |
||
|
Mate |
A friend |
||
|
Metal road |
Unsealed gravel road |
||
|
Mountain oysters |
Ram testicles |
||
|
Mucking in |
Helping |
||
|
Munted |
Broken |
||
|
No worries |
No problem |
||
|
Paddock |
Field, be it for grazing or sports |
||
|
Pakeha |
New Zealander of European origin |
||
|
Pavlova |
New Zealand dessert with fruit, cream and meringue |
||
|
Pikelet |
A small pancake |
||
|
Piker |
Someone who tries to get out of something |
||
|
Pokies |
A gambling machine |
||
|
POM |
'Prisoner of Mother England' - half-derogatory for an English person |
||
|
Reserve |
Public recreational area |
||
|
RSA |
The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association |
||
|
Scarfie |
Scarf wearing Otago students |
||
|
Shark & Taties |
Fish n'Chips |
||
|
She'll be right |
All will be ok |
||
| Shout | Offering a drink or something | ||
|
Sickie |
Take a day off sick |
||
|
Silver Ferns |
New Zealand Netball Team |
||
|
Smoko |
Once 'Smoking break', now commonly used for taking a work break |
||
| Sparkie | Electrician | ||
|
Station |
Large farm |
||
|
Stubbie |
Small bottle of beer |
||
|
Stubbies |
Very short men's shorts |
||
|
Swanndri |
Typical outdoor clothing for farmers |
||
|
Sweet as |
Great! |
||
|
|
|||
|
Ta |
Thanks |
||
|
Tall Blacks |
New Zealand Basketball Team |
||
|
Tea |
A cuppa or evening meal |
||
|
Tiki tour |
Sightseeing tour |
||
|
Tinny |
Small metal boat |
||
|
Togs |
Swimsuit |
||
|
Townies |
City people |
||
|
Tramping |
Hiking |
||
|
True |
Really? As in 'Joe called.' 'Ah true?' |
||
|
Ute |
Utility vehicle or pickup truck |
||
|
Veges |
Vegetables |
||
| We'll see you right | Don't worry we'll make sure you're ok | ||
|
Whanau |
Extended family |
||
|
Wopwops |
Out in the sticks |
||
|
Youse |
'You' plural |
For Maori words see Maori culture in New Zealand and our comprehensive Maori language course for travellers.
 |
 |
