Word/Phrase | Pronunciation | Definition |
as |
| used to intensify the preceding adjective, e.g. "hungry as", "sweet as",[1][2] "bad as", "good as". An incomplete comparison (e.g., hungry as a hippo, sweet as a sugar, good as gold, etc.) used alone as an adverb to strengthen an adjective. |
au | oʊ | from the Māori word aua meaning "I don't know". Common in Northland and Gisborne. |
Bach | bætʃ | a small holiday home, usually near the beach, often with only one or two rooms and of simple construction. Comes from bachelor. (See also 'crib', below). |
bei |
| a mutation of the common slang word "Bro". Mostly used in and around Gisborne. Commonly combined with the slang "eta" to form "eta bei" and pronounced as one word. |
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". |
Boat Person |
| A (usually) light hearted Wellington term to describe a person from the South Island who moves to the North Island however it can also apply vice versa. due to the Interislander Ferry link between both islands |
boy racer |
| Young delinquent or street racer. Sometimes referred to as a hoon, though this term is uncommon. |
bogan |
| A Person typically aged between 15 and 40 whose attire are black jeans, black-ribbed jersey a t-shirt sporting a 60s-70s-80s hard rock/metal band, and indulges in excessive alcohol intake. Their hair style usually consists of messy long hair or a mullet and are unshaven. They Use unique slang for there subculture and often drives a beat-up holden vehicle which is near, at, or past its use by date n terms of road-worthiness, Often seen in places like Hamilton, Upper Hutt or Waitakere |
Chch | tʃ.tʃ | Christchurch, the country's second-largest city |
chilly bin |
| An Esky or other portable polystyrene/plastic food and beverage cooler. |
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. More recently this can and has often been shortened to "chur bo", as "bro" loses its 'r'. |
couldn't be |
| . Short for couldn't be bothered. Also, "oh I couldn't be chuffed" similar to "couldn't be fucked/bothered" |
cool friends |
| , very sarcastic. "Cool friends broke Daryl's phone" |
crib |
| another word for bach, more commonly used in the south of the South Island. |
cunt |
| Rather than an insult or a swear word the word 'cunt' in New Zealand generally describes a person in general often with a prefix, for example "he's a mad cunt" or "those cunts deserve a medal". |
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; |
| (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. |
flag |
| slang to no do/want. Meaning "I can't be bothered", or "I don't think it's worth doing.", e.g., A: "Do you wanna go for a walk?" B: "Nah, flag." Or: A: "Should I mow the lawns?" B: "Nah, flag it."[3] Also can be used in place of the word "bothered", e.g., "I can't be flagged." |
fulla |
| slang guy, from 'fellow'. |
green fingered bro |
| slang for someone who regularly smokes cannabis; usually referring to a person from Kaitaia. |
koin |
| meaning keen, or down... e.g. that's koin, that's koin. |
Godzone |
| informal New Zealand: corruption from 'God's Own Country'. Can also refer to Australia. |
halfpai |
| slang meaning half-arsed e.g. "doing a halfpai job at doing the dishes"; actual meaning: half-good from the Maori word pai = good. |
hamu |
| (pron. ha-moo) – a Maori verb or noun meaning to scavenge or scrounge. Also someone who hogs the ball in a sport- "Hurry up and pass the ball you hamu!" |
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. |
Hayum |
| "slang greetng": pronounced "Hay-om; variation of "How ya going?" |
Hori |
| a Maori transliteration of ‘George’, is a New Zealand colloquialism and is often used as a derogatory term for Maori people. |
Hua |
| expression: pronounced whoo-a; however not drawn-out. Originates from the Scottish pronunciation of whore, used in conversation in a tongue in cheek manner, such as 'You dirty hua'; 'you little hua'. Maori for the part of a paua you don't eat as it contains excrement. |
huckery |
| a descriptive term for something that is defective or badly done. |
hutt slut |
| a derogratory term for young woman aged between 15 and 30 who hails from the Hutt Valley who dresses in scantly-clad revealing outfits and drunkenly 'picks up' much older men for a one night stand. Slang commonly used by people living in central Wellington and/or "ex-pat" Hutt people living in Wellington City. |
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", rarely used in derogation. Although about two generations old from the time of entry, it is still recognised and understood. |
Judder bar |
| A speed bump - a raised bar across a road designed to slow traffic. |
Kai |
| Maori - food |
Kapai |
| "Good" or "nice". Maori for that's good. Has entered the lexicon of non-Maori speakers. |
Kina |
| New Zealand sea urchin, Evechinus chloroticus |
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. |
Māori fireworks |
| To scratch the flint off a lighter, put the dust in your fingers and light it. A derogatory term. |
Māori overdrive |
| derogatory - Coasting down a hill in a car with the engine turned off and the transmisssion in neutral. |
Māori shower |
| derogatory - The use of deodorant rather than bathing. | MORE HERE |
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