New Zealand slang
New Zealand slang has developed over time from such a diverse mixture of backgrounds that it is sometimes difficult to establish exactly what phrases and slang words are originally from New Zealand . However be assured that all of the listed words and phrases are used with regularity throughout New Zealand which will hopefully give the reader a better understanding of what a Kiwi is really trying to tell ya.
A
Ads - tv commercials, advertisments
Anklebiter - toddler, small child
Aotearoa - Maori name for New Zealand meaning land of the long white cloud
Arvo - afternoon
B
Bach - holiday home
Banger - sausage, as in bangers and mash
Barbie - barbecue
Big smoke - large town or city
Bit of dag - hard case, comedian, person with character
Bitser - mongrel dog
Bloke - man
Brickie - bricklayer
Brown eye - to flash your naked butt at someone
Boy-racer - name given to a young man who drives a fast car with a loud stereo
Bring a plate - means bring a dish of food to share
Bugger - damn!
Bungy - kiwi slang for elastic strap, as in Bungy Jumping
C
Caravan - mobile home that you tow behind your car
Cardi - cardigan
Cast - immobilised, unable to get to your feet
Cheers - thanks
Cheerio - goodbye
Cheerio - name for a cocktail sausage
Chocka - full, overflowing
Chook - chicken
Chick - slang word for woman/female
Chips - deep fried slices of potato but much thicker than a french fry
Chippy - builder, carpenter
Chrissy pressies - Christmas presents
Chuddy - chewing gum
Chunder - vomit, throw up
Cockie - farmer
Cotton buds - Q-tips
Creek - small stream
Crib - bach
Cuppa - cup of tea, as in cuppa tea
Cuz - cousin, family
D
De facto - name used for a couple who are not married but are living together
Ding - small dent in a vehicle
Dole - unemployment benefit
Dodgy - bad, unreliable, not good
Down the gurgler - failed plan
Drongo - stupid fool, idiot
Drop your gear - take your clothes off, get undressed
Dunny - toilet, bathroom, lavatory
Duvet - quilt, doona
E
Ear bashing - someone talking incessantly
Entree - appetizer, hors d'oeurve
F
Fizz Boat - small power boat
Fizzy drink - soda pop
Flannel - wash cloth, face cloth
Flat - apartment, name for rental accommodation that is shared
Flicks - movies, picture theatre
Flog - steal, rob, sell
Footie - rugby union or league, as in "going to watch the footie"
Full tit - going very fast, using all your power, as in "he was running full tit"
G
G'day - universal kiwi greeting, also spelled gidday
Get the willies - overcome with trepidation
Going bush - take a break, become reclusive
Good on ya, mate! - congratulations, well done, proud of someone
Good as gold - feeling good, not a problem, yes
Greasies - fish and chips
Gumboots or gummies - rubber boots, wellingtons
H
Handle - pint of beer
Happy as larry - very happy
Hard case - amusing, funny person
Hard yakka - hard work
Hollywood - to fake or exaggerate an injury on the sportsfield
Home and hosed - safe, successfully finished, completed,
Hoon - Young adult driving fast
Hosing down - heavy rain, raining heavily
Hottie - hot water bottle
How's it going mate? - kiwi greeting
I
Iceblock - popsicle, Ice Stick
J
Jandal - thongs, sandals,flip-flops (from "japanese sandal")
Judder bar - speed bump
Jumper - sweater, jersey
K
Kiwi - New Zealander
Kiwifruit - Brown furry skinned fruit, Zespri, Chinese Gooseberry
Kick the bucket - die
Knackered - exhausted, tired, lethargic
Knuckle sandwhich - a fist in the teeth, punch in the mouth
L
Laughing gear - mouth, as in wrap your laughing gear around this,
L&P - Fizzy soda water
Lift - elevator
Lolly - candy
Loo - bathroom, toilet
Long drop - outdoor toilet, hole in ground
Lurgy - flu
M
Mad as a meat axe - very angry or crazy
Main - primary dish of a meal
Maori - indigenous people of New Zealand
Mate - buddy
Motorway - freeway
N
Naff off - go away, get lost, leave me alone
Nana - grandmother, grandma
Nappy - diaper
North Cape to the Bluff - from one end of New Zealand to the other
O
OE - Overseas Experience, many students go on their OE after finishing university, see the world
Offsider - an assistant, someones friend, as in "we saw him and his offsider going down the road"
Old bomb - old car
Oldies - parents
On the never never - paying for something using layby, not paying straight away
Open slather - a free-for-all
P
Pack a sad - bad mood, morose, ill-humoured, broken, as in "she packed a sad"
Pakeha - non-Maori person
Panel beater - auto repair shop, panel shop
Pav - pavlova, dessert usually topped with kiwifruit and cream
Perve - to stare
Petrol - gasoline, gas
Piece-of-piss - easy, not hard to do, as in "didn't take me long to do, it was a piece of piss"
Pikelet - small pancake usually had with jam and whipped cream
Piker - someone who gives up easy, slacker
Pinky - little finger
Piss around - waste time, muck around
Pisshead - someone who drinks a lot of alcohol, heavy drinker
Piss up - party, social gathering, excuse for drinking alcohol
Pissed off - annoyed, angry, upset
Plonk - cheap liquor, cheap wine
Pong - bad smell, stink
Postal code - zip code
Pram - baby stroller, baby pushchair
Pressie - present
Pub - bar or hotel that serves liquor
Pudding - dessert
Pushing up daisies - dead and buried
Q
R
Randy - horny, wanting sex
Rark up - telling somebody off
Rattle your dags - hurry up, get moving
Rellies - relatives, family
Root - have sex, get sex
Ropeable - very angry
Ring - to telephone somebody, as in "I'll give you a ring"
Rubbish - garbage, trash
vRust bucket - decrepit motor car
S
Scarce as hens teeth - very scarce, rare
Scarfie - university student
Scull - consume, drink quickly
Scroggin - trampers high energy food including dried fruits, chocolate
Serviette - paper napkin
Shandy - drink made with lemonade and beer
Shark and taties - fish and chips
Sheila - slang for woman/female
Shit a brick - exclamation of surprise or annoyance
Shoot through - to leave suddenly
Shout - to treat, to buy something for someone, as in "lunch is my shout"
Sickie - to take a day off work or school because you are sick
Skite - to boast, boasting, bragging
Snarler - sausage
Sook - cry baby, wimp
Sparkie - electrician
Sparrow fart - very early in the morning, sunrise
Sprog - child
Spud - potato
Squiz - take a quick look
Steinie - bottle of Steinlager, brand lager
Strapped for cash - low on cash, no money
Stubby - small glass bottle of beer
Sunday driver - someone who drives very slow
Sunnies - sunglasses
T
Ta - thanks
Take-aways - food to be taken away and eaten, fast food outlet
Tea - evening meal, dinner
Tights - pantyhose
Tiki tour - scenic tour, take the long route
Togs - swimsuit, bathing costume
Torch - flashlight
Tramping - hiking
Twink - white-out
U
Up the duff - pregnant
Ute - small pickup truck
V
W
Wally - clown, silly person
Whinge - complain, moan
Wobbly - to have a tantrum
Wop-wops - situated off the beaten track, out of the way location
Y
Yack - to have a conversation with a friend, to talk
Last updated: 05-09-2005 14:28:10
