LANGUAGE TIPS
Here are some words and phrases that will help you communicate with the locals:
- Aotearoa
- Means New Zealand in the Maori language, meaning land of the long white cloud
- All Blacks
- The name of the NZ Rugby Union team (who incidentally wore dark blue from 1884
- 1905). Rugby Union or Rugby is NZ's national sport. Rumour has it the name 'All
Blacks' comes from a mistake by a reporter who wrote that they were playing like
they were 'all backs', but it was misprinted as 'all blacks'
- Bach/crib
- Pronounced 'batch'. A holiday home
- BYO
- Bring Your Own - means you bring your own drink to a restaurant or a party
- Chips
- French fries but can also mean potato crisps
- Dairy
- Small shop selling groceries/newspapers etc
- EFTPOS
- The method almost everyone uses to pay for things in NZ (using a card)
- Eh
- Pronounced 'ay'. Used on the end of many statements (for example, 'It's a nice
day today eh!')
- Give Way
- To notify drivers to allow oncoming traffic through first. Other countries use
yield.
- Good As Gold
- Things are going well, goodwill and approval
- Gumboots
- Wellington boots/rubber boots
- Haka
- A shouting dance of strength from the Maori culture. The All Blacks perform a
haka before most rugby tests.
- Jandals
- Thongs/flip flops
- Long drop
- Basic toilet with no plumbing (a hole in the ground)
- Hangi
- Traditional Maori method of cooking
- Mate
- Term for habitual companion or friend aka buddy, pal, chum
- Pakeha
- Maori word for NZ residents or visitors that are not Polynesian
- Paua
- An edible univalve shellfish with a technicolour, mother of pearl shell
- Pavlova
- A traditional meringue and cream dessert, renamed in honour of Russian ballerina
Anna Pavlova in 1929.
- Rattle your dags
- A phrase taken from farming speak - to mean to hurry yourself along
- Right as rain
- That everything is in an excellent state, and in an agricultural country, rain
is more important than the British version 'right as nine pence'
- Smoko
- Short break from work for coffee/cigarette etc
- She'll be right
- Referring to the project or problem at hand ('she') and the fact that it will
all work out ok
- Silver Fern
- A common emblem of the country used widely in the export market and sports. It
is also the name of the National Women's Netball team
- Spud
- Potato: From the British digging instrument called the spuddle
- Swanndri/Swanni
- A course, woollen bush shirt, often chequered, originating from 'dry as a swan'
- The Mainland
- The South Island of New Zealand - as theoretically it is the main/largest island
- however nowadays it is a preferred term used mostly by the inhabitants of it
- Tramping
- Hiking/bushwalking
- Togs
- Swimwear/swimming trunks/bathing suit
- Vegemite
- A unique, yeasty spread for toast. Over 2.2 million jars of it are bought in
NZ every year!
