Kiwi Slang / New Zealand Slang

New Zealander's are referred to as Kiwis - not the fruit, but instead the native bird. This is just the beginning of Kiwi Slang and Lingo. Lingo? Language/Local Slang.

The below will give you a bit of an idea on what to expect should you visit my lovely country and of course, it will give you a better understanding of what I’m talking about within my novels. Of course, it's not all here, and it is also impossible to replicate the mumbling that many Kiwi's are famous for.

Not in any particular order:

Ads – TV commercials, advertisements
Ankle biter – Toddler, small child
Aotearoa – Maori name for New Zealand meaning land of the long white cloud
Arvo – Afternoon
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
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
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
Ear bashing – Someone talking incessantly
Entree – Appetizer, hors d’oeurve
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
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’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
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 sports-field
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
Iceblock – Popsicle, Ice Stick
Jandal – Thongs, sandals, flip-flops,
Judder bar – Speed bump
Jumper – Sweater, jersey
Kiwi – New Zealander
Kiwifruit – Brown furry skinned fruit, Zespri, Chinese Gooseberry
Kick the bucket – Die
Knackered – Exhausted, tired, lethargic
Knuckle sandwich – A fist in the teeth, punch in the mouth
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
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
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
OE – Overseas Experience, many students go on their OE after finishing university, see the world
Offsider – An assistant, someone’s 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
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
Quack – Medical doctor
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
Rust bucket – Decrepit motor car
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 (Beer)
Strapped for cash – Low on cash, no money
Stubby – Small glass bottle of beer
Sunday driver – Someone who drives very slow
Sunnies – Sunglasses
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
Up the duff – Pregnant
Ute – Small pickup truck
Veges – Vegetables
Wally – Clown, silly person
Whinge – Complain, moan
Wobbly – To have a tantrum
Wop-wops – Situated off the beaten track, out of the way location
Yack – To have a conversation with a friend, to talk