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English is the main language spoken by most New Zealanders, but there may be some words and sayings that sound foreign to visitors’ ears. Familiarise yourself with basic kiwi-ese words and sayings and you’ll be away laughing!
Everyday words
Bach
A basic holiday home, classically found at the beach
Beehive
The Executive Wing of New Zealand’s Parliamentary Buildings, so called because of its 'hive-shaped' architectural design.
Bloke
The common man, the ordinary guy in the street
Choice
Describes something thought to be excellent, “that sports car is choice!”
Cuzzies
Relatives
Dairy
Convenience store, sometimes called 'the corner dairy'
Footy
Rugby, the national obsession
Gumboots
Rubber work boots, also known as Wellingtons or Wellies
Hokey Pokey
New Zealand’s favourite ice cream flavour, vanilla with toffee bits
Jandals
Open topped summer footwear, known elsewhere as thongs or flip-flops
Kia ora
Maori greeting, used as ‘hello’
Kiwi
A flightless bird, or used colloquially to mean a New Zealander
Kiwifruit
Small brown-skinned green-fleshed fruit, high in vitamin C!
Knackered
In reference to a person it means tired, "I've been at work all day and I'm knackered!", in reference to a thing it means broken, "My car won't start, I think the engine's knackered."
Lollies
Candy, a store selling candy is known as a 'lolly shop'
Loo
Toilet
Mate
A close friend, to do something for a friend at a discount is to give them "mate's rates"
Pavlova
Also known as a 'pav', this iconic New Zealand dessert consists of a baked meringue topped with cream and fruit
Pommie
Also known as a 'pom', this refers to someone from Britain
Shout
The act providing something for people, usually meaning to take turns buying a round of drinks at a bar/pub – “It’s Joe’s shout”
Stuck in
As in ‘to get stuck in’, to become involved in working on something
Sweet
and
Sweet As
Broadly used to indicate general agreement, “I can meet you after work if you like,” “Sweet!”; or used to describe something highly regarded or “That’s a sweet motorcycle!”, “This concert is going to be sweet as!”
Thanks
Often used in requests in place of ‘please’, as in “I’ll have a bottle of orange juice, thanks.”
Cheers
Often used in place of ‘thank you’
Takeaway
Food taken ‘to go’, often fast food such as fish and chips
Togs
Bathing suit, also called swimmers, bathers or cozzie
Tomato sauce
Ketchup, Wattie's is the iconic brand in New Zealand
Varsity
Shortened term for University
Wop-wops
In the middle of nowhere, equivalent to the American ‘boondocks’
Expressions and Sayings
Across the ditch
Across the Tasman Strait, e.g. you can hop on a plane in New Zealand and fly ‘across the ditch’ to Australia
Away laughing
To do something with no problems
Bring a plate
A request to bring food to share with others
Flat tack
To be hard at work
Have a feed
To eat a meal
She’ll be right
Everything will be okay
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