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Kiwiisms

Kiwiisms

Kiwiisms, idioms, slang, kiwi glossary, kiwi speak, vernacular.

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Here are some kiwi phrases and words that you might like to know about.

across the ditch
in Australia (or New Zealand depending on which side or the Tasman Sea you are on). Also "over the ditch"
ANZAC
Australia and New Zealand Army Corp[1], a person from Australia or New Zealand
Aotearoa
New Zealand
arvo
afternoon
Aussie
Australian

bach
holiday cottage or cottage. See also crib
back of beyond
far away from civilisation, amenities, help, or assiatance. See also wops
balls up
mistake
bang on
exactly right
banger
sausage. "Put the banger on the barbie".
barbie
barbecue
beauty
or beaut. someone who has done exceptionally well. "You beauty". Also an exceptional looker
bloke
man
bludge
to free load; to not contribute
bog
toilet
bonk
to have sex with. "bonk buddy"
boot
car trunk. "put it in the boot"
born in a tent
someone who leaves the door open
box of fluffies
feel great; 100%; perfect
brassed off
frustrated; annoyed
bring a plate
bring a plate of finger food to a gathering
brouha
fuss; also brouhaha
bush
forest
bushed
tired, exhausted
bust a gut
work or try very hard. "Bust a gut to get it done"
by hook or by crook
will get a task completed or a problem solved no matter what it takes
BYO
bring your own; wine to a restuarant, food to a barbie, plate of food to an afternoon tea

cadge
to borrow or get for free. "can I cadge a ride off you"
cark
die. "The mower carked it yesterday". Also kark.
carry on
fuss; naughty behaviour
chemist
pharmacy; drug store
chin wag
chat; talk
chips
fries
cheerio
goodbye; cocktail sausage. See also hooray, snag
chocka
full; overflowing; chock-a-block
chocker
full; replete
chocolate fish
marshmallow fish chocolate coated, often given or offered as a reward
choice
great, excellent
chuffed
happy; satisfied. "chuffed to finish it"
chunder
vomit; allegedly from 'watch under' on sailing ships. See also spew
clanger
mistake, often verbal. "dropped a clanger"
claytons
poor or weak substitute, from the 70s "drink you have when you're not having a drink"
clobber
clothing; gear; beat something
cockup
mistake
cocky
farmer
college
high school
cracker
very good; excellent. "Its a cracker"
crib
holiday cottage; cottage, used in South Island; see also bach
crook
sick, ill; also burglar, dishonest person
courgette
see zucchini

dag
a character. "She's a dag, isn't she"
dairy
corner store
dear
costly
dock
to remove an animals tail
dodgy
suspect; unreliable
down under
where New Zealand and Australia are
dunny
toilet
dutch
to share the bill or cost equally or pay for own portion. "Let's go dutch"
duvet
doona, quilt

eh
interrogative. "What do you think of this, eh?"

fancy
very good. "that's a bit fancy"
flash
smart. "that's a bit flash for you"
flicks
movie; cinema
flog
to steal; to sell off. "It was flogged, and now it'll be flogged off"
full tit
as fast as possible. "We were running full tit"

gander
look. "Have a gander at this"
garage sale
yard sale
gidday
hello
good as gold
fine; OK
greasies
fish and chips
greenstone
Pounamu, New Zealand Nephrite Jade
grotty
worn, dirty, dilapidated
gumboots
wellingtons; wellies; waterproof rubber boots
gurgler
closed; lost; wasted. "Gone down the gurgler"
guts for garters
in a heap of trouble. "I'll have your guts for garters"
gutted
very disappointed. "I'll bet she's gutted"

hangi
food from, and the māori earth oven it is cooked in
hapū
sub tribe
hard yakka
hard, generally physical, work. "It was hard yakka"
home and hosed
finished successfully
hooray
goodbye
hottie
hot water bottle
hui
meeting, gathering
hump day
Wednesday, ie over the hump and all downhill to the weekend; little hump day - Thursday

iwi
tribe[2](approve sites)

jack up
arrange. "I'll jack up a barbecue"
jandals
thongs; flip-flops
jumper
woollen jersey; sweater

ka pai
OK; good
kai
food
kaimoana
seafood
kark
die. "The car karked it on the Paraparas". Also cark.
kaumātua
old person with knowledge and wisdom
kia ora
hi; informal greeting; literally be healthy or well[3]
kiwi
New Zealand bird; New Zealander
knackered
tired; exhausted; worn out
koha
donation, gift
kumara
sweet potato

left in the lurch
let down
lift
elevator
loo
toilet

make a fist of it
make the best of it; give it a good go
marmite
a dark yeast based spread used on bread or toast - eaten by kiwis. See also vegemite
mum
mom, mother; to keep quiet. "she stayed mum"
munted
damaged; broken. "Its munted". Also stuffed.

naff off
leave; go away; get lost
no worries
OK, doesn't matter

OK
fine; yes
out of the box
perfect (as in brand new)
out of the blue
totally unexpected; surprise

paddock
farm field, rugby field
pakeha
non-māori person
piece of piss
easy; trivial
piker
non-participant, person who doesn't or won't join in. "She's a bit of a piker"
pinch
steal
pissing down
torrential downpour of rain
pong
bad smell
pot luck
bring a dish of food to a meal
prang
accident involving moving and another object

rark
tell off; stir up. "She needs a good rarking". "Its time things were rarked up".
rattle yer dags
hurry up
rooted
knackered, munted
rotary hoe
right-oh. "Rotary hoe, off we go".
rubbish
garbage; trash.

sheila
woman
shoot through
leave quickly. "I'll shoot through if they find out"
shout
to treat; to pay for. "Its my shout"
skint
broke, having no money
slash
urinate. "I'm going to have a slash"
snag
sausage; problem
snagged
caught on something, generally referring to a fishing line or rope
she'll be right
it will work out OK in the end
skite
boast, show off
sorted
to fix; to work out; to understand. "You better get it sorted"
sparrow fart
before sunrise; very early in the morning
spew
vomit. See also chunder
spit the dummy
loose control or temper
stoked
feel great, very pleased
stuffed
worn out; broken. Also munted.
sweet as
OK, good
sweets
confectionary, candy, lollies

ta
thankyou
taihoa
slow down, wait, stop
tāne
men
take-aways
food purchased to be eaten elsewhere, food 'to-go'
throw a wobbly
loose control or temper
throw your toys out of the cot
loose control or temper
ticketty-boo
all right, smoothly. "Everything is ticketty-boo".
tin-arse
lucky, fortunate
togs
swimming costume; bathers; budgie smugglers (Aussie slang)
tomato sauce
ketchup
tough bikkies
nothing can be done about it, get over it
tramping
hiking; hill walking
tupping
when the ram is put in with the ewes

ute
pickup truck; utility vehicle

varsity
university
vegemite
a dark yeast based spread used on bread or toast - eaten by Australians. See also marmite

wāhine
women
waiata
song
waka
canoe
whanau
extended family
wharepaku
toilet
wet blanket
a person who doesn't take part or finds reasons not to do something
whakapapa
genealogy, family tree
whare
building, house
wops
wop-wops; a long way from anywhere; far from a city or town. See also back of beyond

yack
chat; talk
yarn
conversation; exchange stories
yonks
a long time ago. "I haven't seen them for yonks"

zucchini
see courgette

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See also

in te reo Māori and English

a ā A Ā e ē E Ē i ī I Ī o ō O Ō u ū U Ū

tahi Page last modified on 2022 Dec 04 04:40

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