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Common New Zealand Slang

The following is a list of some New Zealand slang and their meanings. Warning - care should be taken with the use of these words, we will not be teaching them in the classroom though you may hear them when in New Zealand.

Awesome	Fine, excellent
Bach	A holiday home (also known as a crib in the South Island)
Barbie	Barbecue (also written as BBQ) - food cooked outside over a charcoal or gas fire
Beaut, beauty	Something good or outstanding. Often used ironically to mean the opposite
Bro	Term of address for a male friend or relative
Bright as a button	Looking fresh, alert
Bright spark	Intelligent, alert, attentive, awake
Bring a plate	Everyone brings food to share. Don't bring an empty plate.
Bush	New Zealand's native forest
Bushed, had it	Exhausted
BYO	Bring Your Own. A BYO restaurant is a restaurant that allows customers to bring their own wine to drink with their meal.
Chocka	Full
Choice	Fine, excellent
Clean as a whistle	Sparkling clean
Clown	Term of abuse, idiot
Crook	To be ill or unwell. Also means a thief
Cuz	Term of address for friend or relative
Dag	An amusing person, a character
Dork	An idiot or a physically uncoordinated person
Dough	Money
Drive around the bend	Annoy so much you lose your temper
Drongo	A term of abuse, idiot
Dude	A cool or good looking male
Feed	A meal
Flat tack	At top speed
Foxy, fox	Used to describe a cool or good looking person of either sex
Fully	I agree
G'dday	Greeting meaning hello
Got the blues	Used to describe a sad state of mind
Greenie	A conservationist
Gumboots	Waterproof rubber boots (called Wellingtons in Britain)
Grog	Alcohol
Grouse	Fine, excellent, often used to express delight
Hard case	A tough but likeable person, an eccentric person
Hard graft	Hard work
Head over heels	Usually describing somebody who is very very happy
Heart of gold	Describing a person who is very kind
Hook up	Meet up or join in
Hoon	A noisy person, a lout
In a spin	Usually when too many things happen all at one time or too many choices
Jandals	Rubber sandals or thongs (called flip flops in Britain)
Joker	A man
Kiwi	New Zealand native bird symbol. New Zealander
Lolly	The usual word for a confection or sweet
Mate	A friend, also a term of address
Mission	An adventure
Mongrel	A term of abuse or contempt for a person
Munted	To be broken or distorted
Narley	Cool, good
Nerd	A boring person
Nifty	Good (applied to a thing)
No worries	Common phrase of agreement
On to it	Efficient or intelligent
On a high	A good feeling that can come from success
Once in a blue moon	Very rarely, seldom, almost never
Paddock	A field, also a sports pitch
Paint the town red	To go out and have a good time
Piker	Someone who opts out of an activity
Pop on over/ pop in	Come and visit me at my house
Potluck dinner	Everyone brings prepared food to share with all the guests
Pressie	A present (gift)
Pub	A bar where alcoholic drinks are served over the counter
Rapt	Very pleased
Rellie	A relation or relative
Rough ride	A difficult experience
She'll be right	Everything is going to be OK
Shocking	Very bad
Shout	To treat your friends to something such as a drink or a meal
Skite	To boast. A boaster or showoff
Smoko	Coffee or tea break
Snowed under	Usually has too much work or responsibility
Spuds	Potatoes
Sticks	Remote or rural district, the countryside
Stinge/Stingy	Not generous with your money
Stoked	Very excited
Sweet as	Great
Swot	Study hard, especially before an exam
Ta	Thanks
To take for a ride	To deceive or trick someone
Togs	Swimming costume
Tucker	Food
Turn to custard	Collapse of ideas, schemes, plans
Unc/Unco	An uncoordinated person, often used as an insult or taunt
Under the weather	Feeling off colour, unwell, tired
Uni	University
Varsity	University
Veggies	Vegetables
Wicked	Fine, excellent
Wop-wops	Remote or rural district, the countryside