Sunday, March 18, 2012

NZ slang

Aotearoa – most widely known and accepted Maori name for New Zealand, translated as “Land of the Long White Cloud”
Au – I don't know
Bach – small holiday home or beach house
Barbie – barbeque 
Belly buster – belly flop
Biscuits – cookies
Bombing- cannon ball
Bum bag- fanny pack
Candy floss – cotton candy
Cheers – thanks, good bye
Chemist store – drug store
Chips – fries or chips
Chilly bin – cooler
Choice – expression of approval, great achivement
Chur- yeah, cool
College – high school
Courgette – zucchini
Crusiy- chill, laid back
Dairy – corner store/ convenient store
Dodgy – unreliable, sketchy
Eh - used at the end of a sentence when expecting a response; pronounces "A?"
Feed – meal ("free feed')
Film- movie
Footpath – side walk, pavement
Fortnight – two weeks
Fringe – bangs
Gumboot – rubber boots
Greases – fish and chips, popular takeaway meal in New Zealand
Greenstone- new zealand jade
Haka - traditional Maori dance
Hangi - traditional Maori meal prepared in an underground oven
Heaps- a lot of
Hire - rent
Hokey pokey - very popular type of ice cream flavor in New Zealand
Hongi - traditional Maori greeting, done by pressing one's nose to another person's nose
Hot dog- corn dog
Intermediate school- middle school, jr. high
Jandal – flip flop
Jam- jelly
Jelly- Jello
Jersey – sweater
Kia Ora – hello, welcome
Keen- down to/want to "are you keen to go?"
Kumara – sweet potato
Lift – elevator
Lolly – any sweet or candy
Local rag – local newspaper
Marmite – popular spread, made from yeast extract
Mate – commonly used for friend, but can also be used for a stranger
Mean – good, “That’s a mean car!”
Milo – brand of chocolate drink
Mince – ground beef
Moko – traditional Maori tattoo that covers the face and body
Nappy – diaper
Net ball- mainly a girl's sport- basketball without dribbling, a net with no backboard
Op shop – opportunity shop, second hand shop
Paddock – field with animals graz
Petrol –  fuel for engine, gasoline
Petrol station – gas station
Plaster – band aid
Primary school- elementary school
Rubber – eraser
Roadie- road trip
Rock melon – cantaloupe
Rubbish- trash
Sammie- sandwich 
Singlet – sleeveless under shirt, tank top
Spud – potato
Sunnies – sunglasses
Sweet as –something really good
Takeaways – fastfood
Tramping – hiking
Trolly- shopping cart/ buggy
Toilet- the polite way to say "bathroom" 
Togs – swim suit
Toot- honking a horn
Tiki tour – scenic tour
Ute - small pickup truck
Uni- college/ university
Whanau (pronounce Fa-no)– family
Zed – common pronunciation of letter Z







1 comment:

  1. I'm going to start referring to this page on the regular... the smile and nod from not understanding people is stating to get old BuT REaLllLyyY

    ReplyDelete