Kiwi Language/Expressions

Aotearoa - Maori name for New Zealand, it means the 'land of the long white cloud'
bach - holiday home (pronounced batch)
bonnet -car hood
boot - car trunk
boy-racer - Young hoon in fast car with unbelievably loud stereo!
bust a gut - make an intense effort
caravan - trailer, mobile home
cheers bro - thanks mate.
chemist - pharmacy, drugstore.
chips - french fries.
chilly bin - polystyrene insulated box for keeping food and drinks cold. Other names are cooler or esky.
choice - fantastic, great.
dag - humorous person, joker, comedian, hard case (see 'hard case').
dairy - a convenience store - not where cows are milked...
duvet - quilt
flat - apartment
footpath - pavement or sidewalk
sweet as - same as above.
hangi - a meal cooked in a traditional Maori earth oven.
hard case - strong willed, humorous person, joker; comedian
hard yakka - hard work, associated with labouring
'Is it what!' - strong affirmation or agreement. "Yes isn't it..."
kai - food, from the Maori word for eating.
kia ora - Maori greeting - "hello". Can also mean thank you.
kiwi - there are 3 types: a New Zealander, a flightless brown bird the size of a chicken and a brown furry fruit with green flesh.
L&P - Lemon & Paeroa; originally lemon flavoured spring water from the town of Paeroa, now a product of Coca Cola Ltd.
Maori - Indigenous people to New Zealand
marmite/vegemite - spread for toast or bread. Indescribable, but missed by many expat Kiwi's.
metal road - a country road with a gravel or shingle surface
no worries - the national attitude to things, meaning everything will be OK, it's not a problem.
O.E - Overseas Experience, the young Kiwi's working holiday abroad.
pack a sad - become morose, ill-humoured, moody. Also suggested as meaning "broken or died" i.e. the fridge "packed a sad"
pakeha - non-Maori white person.
pav, pavlova - a national dessert usually topped with kiwifruit.
rubbish - trash or garbage; as in "should I throw this in the rubbish?"
she'll be right - not a problem, see 'no worries'.
Smoko - break, rest period
take a hike - Expression of anger, as in; "Go away!" "Get lost!"
togs - swimsuit, swimming trunks.
toilet/loo - bathroom, washroom.
tramping - hiking.
wet blanket - Someone who spoils the fun of others; someone who doesn't get into the "swing" of things, particularly at a social occasion.
whinge - complain
wop-wops - out of the way location

COMMON MAORI PHRASES

The Haka (Ka Mate) Translated

When you love your Watties sauce.