All Blacks: National rugby team. Members are selected for every series from amongst the five NZ Super 15 teams. The All Blacks play similarly selected teams from other nations.
Aotearoa: New Zealand (the other official name, meaning “The Land of the Long White Cloud" in Maori)
arvo, this arvo: afternoon
Aussie, Oz: Australia. (An Australian is also an Aussie. Pronounced “Ozzie.”)
bach: holiday home (pronounced like “bachelor”)
backs: rugby players who aren't in the scrum and do more running, kicking, and ball-carrying—though all players do all jobs and play both offense and defense. Backs tend to be faster and leaner than forwards.
bangers and mash: sausages and potatoes
barrack for: cheer for
bench: counter (kitchen bench)
berko: berserk
bikkies: cookies
bit of a dag: a comedian, a funny guy
bits and bobs: stuff (“be sure you get all your bits and bobs”)
blood bin: players leaving field for injury
Blues: Auckland's Super 15 team
bollocks: rubbish, nonsense
boofhead: fool, jerk
booking: reservation
boots and all: full tilt, no holding back
bot, the bot: flu, a bug
Boxing Day: December 26—a holiday
brekkie: breakfast
brilliant: fantastic
bub: baby, small child
buggered: messed up, exhausted
bull's roar: close. “They never came within a bull's roar of winning.”
bunk off: duck out, skip (bunk off school)
bust a gut: do your utmost, make a supreme effort
Cake Tin: Wellington's rugby stadium (not the official name, but it looks exactly like a springform pan)
cardie: a cardigan sweater
chat up: flirt with
chilly bin: ice chest
chocolate bits: chocolate chips
choice: fantastic
chokka: full
Chrissy: Christmas
chuck out: throw away
chuffed: pleased
collywobbles: nervous tummy, upset stomach
come a greaser: take a bad fall
costume, cossie: swimsuit (female only)
cot: crib (for a baby)
crook: ill
cuddle: hug (give a cuddle)
cuppa: a cup of tea (the universal remedy)
CV: resumé
cyclone : hurricane (Southern Hemisphere)
dairy: corner shop (not just for milk!)
dead: very; e.g., “dead sexy.”
dill: fool
do your block: lose your temper
dob in: turn in; report to authorities. Frowned upon.
doddle: easy. “That'll be a doddle.”
dodgy: suspect, low-quality
dogbox: The doghouse—in trouble
Domain: a good-sized park; often the “official” park of the town.
dressing gown: bathrobe
drongo: fool (Australian, but used sometimes in NZ as well)
drop your gear: take off your clothes
duvet: comforter
earbashing: talking-to, one-sided chat
electric jug: electric teakettle to heat water. Every Kiwi kitchen has one.
En Zed: Pronunciation of NZ. (“Z” is pronounced “Zed.”)
ensuite: master bath (a bath in the bedroom).
eye fillet: premium steak (filet mignon)
fair go: a fair chance. Kiwi ideology: everyone deserves a fair go.
fair wound me up: Got me very upset
fantail: small, friendly native bird
farewelled, he'll be farewelled: funeral; he’ll have his funeral.
feed, have a feed: meal
first-five, first five-eighths: rugby back—does most of the big kicking jobs and is the main director of the backs. Also called the No. 10.
fixtures: playing schedule
fizz, fizzie: soft drink
fizzing: fired up
flaked out: tired
flash: fancy
flat to the boards: at top speed
flat white: most popular NZ coffee. An espresso with milk but no foam.
flattie: roommate
flicks: movies
flying fox: zipline
footpath: sidewalk
footy, football: rugby
forwards: rugby players who make up the scrum and do the most physical battling for position. Tend to be bigger and more heavily muscled than backs.
fossick about: hunt around for something
front up: face the music, show your mettle
garden: yard
get on the piss: get drunk
get stuck in: commit to
give way: yield
giving him stick, give him some stick about it: teasing, needling
glowworms: larvae of a fly found only in NZ. They shine a light to attract insects. Found in caves or other dark, moist places.
go crook, be crook: go wrong, be ill
go on the turps: get drunk
gobsmacked: astounded
good hiding: beating (“They gave us a good hiding in Dunedin.”)
grotty: grungy, badly done up
ground floor: what we call the first floor. The “first floor” is one floor up.
gumboots, gummies: knee-high rubber boots. It rains a lot in New Zealand.
gutted: thoroughly upset
Haast's Eagle: (extinct). Huge native NZ eagle. Ate moa.
haere mai: Maori greeting
haka: ceremonial Maori challenge—done before every All Blacks game
hang on a tick: wait a minute
hard yakka: hard work (from Australian)
harden up: toughen up. Standard NZ (male) response to (male) complaints: “Harden the f*** up!”
have a bit on: I have placed a bet on [whatever]. Sports gambling and prostitution are both legal in New Zealand.
have a go: try
Have a nosy for…: look around for
head: principal (headmaster)
head down: or head down, bum up. Put your head down. Work hard.
heaps: lots. “Give it heaps.”
hei toki: pendant (Maori)
holiday: vacation
hooker: rugby position (forward)
hooning around: driving fast, wannabe tough-guy behavior (typically young men)
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
jersey: a rugby shirt, or a pullover sweater
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.
mate: friend
metal road: gravel road
Milo: coffee 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
motorway: freeway
muesli: like granola, but unbaked
munted: broken
naff: stupid, unsuitable. “Did you get any naff Chrissy pressies this year?”
nappy: diaper
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
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
paua, paua shell: NZ abalone
pavement: sidewalk (generally on wider city streets)
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
play up: act up
playing out of his skin: playing very well
PMT: PMS
Pom, Pommie: English person.
pop: pop over, pop back, pop into the oven, pop out, pop in
possie: position (rugby)
postie: mail carrier
poumanu: greenstone (jade)
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!
rellies: relatives
riding the pine: sitting on the bench (as a substitute in a match)
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
second-five, second five-eights: rugby back
selectors: team of 3 (the head coach is one) who choose players for the All Blacks squad, for every series
serviette: napkin
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 15-minute penalty in rugby
sink the boot in: kick you when you're down
skint: broke (poor)
skipper: (team) captain. Also called “the Skip.”
smack: spank. Smacking kids is illegal in NZ.
sorted: taken care of
spa, spa pool: hot tub
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.”
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
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)
torch: flashlight
touch wood: knock on wood (for luck)
track: trail
trainers: athletic shoes
tramping: hiking
transtasman: Australia/New Zealand (the Bledisloe Cup is a transtasman rivalry)
trolley: shopping cart
tucker: food
tui: Native bird
turn to custard: go south, deteriorate
turps, go on the turps: get drunk
Uni: University—or school uniform
up the duff: pregnant. A bit vulgar (like “knocked up”)
ute: pickup or SUV
vet: check out
waiata: Maori song
waka: canoe (Ma
ori)
Wallabies: Australian national rugby team
Warrant of Fitness: certificate of a car's fitness to drive
Weet-Bix: ubiquitous breakfast cereal
whaddarya?: I am dubious about your masculinity (meaning “Whaddarya . . . pussy?”)
whakapapa: genealogy (Maori). A critical concept.
whanau: family (Maori). Big whanau: extended family. Small whanau: nuclear family.
wheelie bin: rubbish bin (garbage can) with wheels.
whinge: whine. Contemptuous! Kiwis dislike whingeing. Harden up!
White Ribbon: campaign against domestic violence
wind up: upset (perhaps purposefully). “Their comments were bound to wind him up.”
wing: rugby position (back)
Yank: American. Not pejorative.
yellow card: A penalty for dangerous play that sends a player off for 15 minutes to the sin bin. The team plays with 14 men during that time.
yonks: ages. “It's been going on for yonks.”
Links
Listen to the songs, explore the places, watch funny and fascinating Kiwi videos, and find out what’s new at the Rosalind James website.
The Escape to New Zealand series:
Hannah and Drew’s story: JUST THIS ONCE
Koti and Kate’s story: JUST GOOD FRIENDS
Jenna and Finn’s story: JUST FOR NOW
Emma and Nic’s story: JUST FOR FUN
Cover design by Robin Ludwig Design Inc., http://www.gobookcoverdesign.com/