Authors: Rosalind James
hoovering:
vacuuming (after the brand of vacuum cleaner)
ice block:
popsicle
I’ll see you right:
I’ll help you out
in form:
performing well (athletically)
it’s not on:
It’s not all right
iwi:
tribe (Maori)
jabs:
immunizations, shots
jandals:
flip-flops. (This word is only used in New Zealand. Jandals and gumboots are the iconic Kiwi footwear.)
jersey:
a rugby shirt, or a pullover sweater
joker:
a guy. “A good Kiwi joker”: a regular guy; a good guy.
journo:
journalist
jumper:
a heavy pullover sweater
ka pai:
going smoothly (Maori).
kapa haka:
school singing group (Maori songs/performances. Any student can join, not just Maori.)
karanga:
Maori song of welcome (done by a woman)
keeping his/your head down:
working hard
kia ora:
welcome (Maori, but used commonly)
kilojoules:
like calories—measure of food energy
kindy:
kindergarten (this is 3- and 4-year-olds)
kit, get your kit off:
clothes, take off your clothes
Kiwi:
New Zealander OR the bird. If the person, it’s capitalized. Not the fruit.
kiwifruit:
the fruit. (Never called simply a “kiwi.”)
knackered:
exhausted
knockout rounds:
playoff rounds (quarterfinals, semifinals, final)
koru:
ubiquitous spiral Maori symbol of new beginnings, hope
kumara:
Maori sweet potato.
ladder:
standings (rugby)
littlies:
young kids
lock:
rugby position (forward)
lollies:
candy
lolly:
candy or money
lounge:
living room
mad as a meat axe:
crazy
maintenance:
child support
major:
“a major.” A big deal, a big event
mana:
prestige, earned respect, spiritual power
Maori:
native people of NZ—though even they arrived relatively recently from elsewhere in Polynesia
marae:
Maori meeting house
Marmite:
Savory Kiwi yeast-based spread for toast. An acquired taste. (Kiwis swear it tastes different from Vegemite, the Aussie version.)
mate:
friend. And yes, fathers call their sons “mate.”
metal road:
gravel road
Milo:
cocoa substitute; hot drink mix
mind:
take care of, babysit
moa:
(extinct) Any of several species of huge flightless NZ birds. All eaten by the Maori before Europeans arrived.
moko:
Maori tattoo
mokopuna:
grandchildren
motorway:
freeway
mozzie:
mosquito; OR a Maori Australian (Maori + Aussie = Mozzie)
muesli:
like granola, but unbaked
munted:
broken
naff:
stupid, unsuitable. “Did you get any naff Chrissy pressies this year?”
nappy:
diaper
narked, narky:
annoyed
netball:
Down-Under version of basketball for women. Played like basketball, but the hoop is a bit narrower, the players wear skirts, and they don’t dribble and can’t contact each other. It can look fairly tame to an American eye. There are professional netball teams, and it’s televised and taken quite seriously.
new caps:
new All Blacks—those named to the side for the first time
New World:
One of the two major NZ supermarket chains
nibbles:
snacks
nick, in good nick:
doing well
niggle, niggly:
small injury, ache or soreness
no worries:
no problem. The Kiwi mantra.
No. 8:
rugby position. A forward
not very flash:
not feeling well
Nurofen:
brand of ibuprofen
nutted out:
worked out
OE:
Overseas Experience—young people taking a year or two overseas, before or after University.
offload:
pass (rugby)
oldies:
older people. (or for the elderly, “wrinklies!”)
on the front foot:
Having the advantage. Vs. on the back foot—at a disadvantage. From rugby.
Op Shop:
charity shop, secondhand shop
out on the razzle:
out drinking too much, getting crazy
paddock:
field (often used for rugby—“out on the paddock”)
Pakeha:
European-ancestry people (as opposed to Polynesians)
Panadol:
over-the-counter painkiller
partner:
romantic partner, married or not
patu:
Maori club
paua, paua shell:
NZ abalone
pavlova (pav):
Classic Kiwi Christmas (summer) dessert. Meringue, fresh fruit (often kiwifruit and strawberries) and whipped cream.
pavement:
sidewalk (generally on wider city streets)
pear-shaped, going pear-shaped:
messed up, when it all goes to Hell
penny dropped:
light dawned (figured it out)
people mover:
minivan
perve:
stare sexually
phone’s engaged:
phone’s busy
piece of piss:
easy
pike out:
give up, wimp out
piss awful:
very bad
piss up:
drinking (noun) a piss-up
pissed:
drunk
pissed as a fart:
very drunk. And yes, this is an actual expression.
play up:
act up
playing out of his skin:
playing very well
plunger:
French Press coffeemaker
PMT:
PMS
pohutukawa:
native tree; called the “New Zealand Christmas Tree” for its beautiful red blossoms at Christmastime (high summer)
poi:
balls of flax on strings that are swung around the head, often to the accompaniment of singing and/or dancing by women. They make rhythmic patterns in the air, and it’s very beautiful.
Pom, Pommie:
English person
pop:
pop over, pop back, pop into the oven, pop out, pop in
possie:
position (rugby)
postie:
mail carrier
pot plants:
potted plants (not what you thought, huh?)
poumanu:
greenstone (jade)
prang:
accident (with the car)
pressie:
present
puckaroo:
broken (from Maori)
pudding:
dessert
pull your head in:
calm down, quit being rowdy
Pumas:
Argentina’s national rugby team
pushchair:
baby stroller
put your hand up:
volunteer
put your head down:
work hard
rapt:
thrilled
rattle your dags:
hurry up. From the sound that dried excrement on a sheep’s backside makes, when the sheep is running!
red card:
penalty for highly dangerous play. The player is sent off for the rest of the game, and the team plays with 14 men.
rellies:
relatives
riding the pine:
sitting on the bench (as a substitute in a match)
rimu:
a New Zealand tree. The wood used to be used for building and flooring, but like all native NZ trees, it was over-logged. Older houses, though, often have rimu floors, and they’re beautiful.
Rippa:
junior rugby
root:
have sex (you DON’T root for a team!)
ropeable:
very angry
ropey:
off, damaged (“a bit ropey”)
rort:
ripoff
rough as guts:
uncouth
rubbish bin:
garbage can
rugby boots:
rugby shoes with spikes (sprigs)
Rugby Championship:
Contest played each year in the Southern Hemisphere by the national teams of NZ, Australia, South Africa, and Argentina
Rugby World Cup, RWC:
World championship, played every four years amongst the top 20 teams in the world
rugged up:
dressed warmly
ruru:
native owl
Safa:
South Africa. Abbreviation only used in NZ.
sammie:
sandwich
scoff, scoffing:
eating, like “snarfing”
selectors:
team of 3 (the head coach is one) who choose players for the All Blacks squad, for every series
serviette:
napkin
shag:
have sex with. A little rude, but not too bad.
shattered:
exhausted
sheds:
locker room (rugby)
she’ll be right:
See “no worries.” Everything will work out. The other Kiwi mantra.
shift house:
move (house)
shonky:
shady (person). “a bit shonky”
shout, your shout, my shout, shout somebody a coffee:
buy a round, treat somebody
sickie, throw a sickie:
call in sick
sin bin:
players sitting out 10-minute penalty in rugby (or, in the case of a red card, the rest of the game).
sink the boot in:
kick you when you’re down
skint:
broke (poor)
skipper:
(team) captain. Also called “the Skip.”
slag off:
speak disparagingly of; disrespect
smack:
spank. Smacking kids is illegal in NZ.
smoko:
coffee break
snog:
kiss; make out with
sorted:
taken care of
spa, spa pool:
hot tub
sparrow fart:
the crack of dawn
speedo:
Not the swimsuit! Speedometer. (the swimsuit is called a budgie smuggler—a budgie is a parakeet, LOL.)
spew:
vomit
spit the dummy:
have a tantrum. (A dummy is a pacifier)
sportsman:
athlete
sporty:
liking sports
spot on:
absolutely correct. “That’s spot on. You’re spot on.”
Springboks, Boks:
South African national rugby team
squiz:
look. “I was just having a squiz round.” “Giz a squiz”: Give me a look at that.
stickybeak:
nosy person, busybody
stonkered:
drunk—a bit stonkered—or exhausted
stoush:
bar fight, fight
straight away:
right away
strength of it:
the truth, the facts. “What’s the strength of that?” = “What’s the true story on that?”
stroppy:
prickly, taking offense easily
stuffed up:
messed up
Super 15:
Top rugby competition: five teams each from NZ, Australia, South Africa. The New Zealand Super 15 teams are, from north to south: Blues (Auckland), Chiefs (Waikato/Hamilton), Hurricanes (Wellington), Crusaders (Canterbury/Christchurch), Highlanders (Otago/Dunedin).
supporter:
fan (Do NOT say “root for.” “To root” is to have (rude) sex!)
suss out:
figure out
sweet:
dessert
sweet as:
great. (also: choice as, angry as, lame as…Meaning “very” whatever. “Mum was angry as that we ate up all the pudding before tea with Nana.”)
takahe:
ground-dwelling native bird. Like a giant parrot.
takeaway:
takeout (food)
tall poppy:
arrogant person who puts himself forward or sets himself above others. It is every Kiwi’s duty to cut down tall poppies, a job they undertake enthusiastically.
Tangata Whenua:
Maori (people of the land)
tapu:
sacred (Maori)
Te Papa:
the National Museum, in Wellington
tea:
dinner (casual meal at home)
tea towel:
dishtowel
test match:
international rugby match (e.g., an All Blacks game)
throw a wobbly:
have a tantrum
tick off:
cross off (tick off a list)
ticker:
heart. “The boys showed a lot of ticker out there today.”
togs:
swimsuit (male or female)