ACC - Accident Compensation Commission.

Ads - TV commercials, adverts

A & P Show - Usually a 3 or 4 day event where farmers strut their stuff and win prizes for best cow, largest onion, best pikelet etc. Often has sideshows for the townies, with ferris wheels, dodgems and such like. (A&P = Agricultural & Pastoral)

Agro - Aggressive / aggression

American hotdog – Hotdog.

ANZAC - Australian and New Zealand Army Corps; every town in New Zealand has a memorial to ANZAC casualties from both world wars.

Aotearoa - Maori for New Zealand, the land of the long white cloud.

Ariki - Supreme chief of an iwi.

Arse / Ass - Rear end, butt, or 'a fool'.

Aussie - Australian

Bach - (Pronounced "batch") Holiday home, originally a bachelor pad at work camps and now something of a Kiwi institution that can be anything from shack to palatial waterside residence.

Back blocks – Remote areas. See "Wop wops"

Banger - Sausage

Barbie – Barbecue

Batty - Rear end, butt, or 'a fool'.

Beaut - Great; good fun; "that'll be beaut mate"

Biddy-bid - A burr-bearing bush (from Maori 'piripiri').

Bit of a dag - Hard case; comedian; joker

Candyfloss - Cotton candy.

Capping - University graduation ceremony.

Cheeky - Humorously impertinent.

Chilly bin - Portable insulated cooler box.

Chippy – Carpenter.

Chips - French fries.

Choc-a-block - Completely full.

Dag - Humorous person.

Dairy - Small shop that sells dairy products and other incidentals.

Dear – Expensive.

Dole - Unemployment benefit.

Doughnut - Kind of cake filled with cream and jam, not an American donut.

Dreaded lurgy - Alternative name for the flu or a head cold; used as an excuse for not going to work, as in "I can't come in today because I have the dreaded lurgy".

Dressing gown - Bathrobe.

Dummy - Baby pacifier.

Dunny – Toilet.

Duster - Blackboard eraser.

Eh - Pronounced as you would the letter "a". Mostly used as a substitute for "what?" or "pardon?" but also used at the end of sentences like "Don't you think?" but also as "Aren't you?". For example "You gonna go out to the pub on Friday, eh?" or "That looks better, eh?". But mostly used as a response to a question that wasn't understood or heard properly.

Electric puha - Home-grown Marajuana. Taken from the Maori, puha meaning watercress.

Entree - Appetizer, not main course.

Enzed - New Zealand, i.e. N.Z.

Fagged out - See 'knackered'.

Fancy - Hanker after somebody.

Fanny - Take care how you use this phrase in New Zealand! A "fanny" refers to female genetalia; fanny is not the same as bottom!

Felt-tip pen - Marker pen.

Filled roll - Sub sandwich.

Film – Movie.

Gander - Look.

Gidday – Hello.

Godzone - New Zealand.

Hard yakka - Hard work.

Hangi - Maori underground oven.

Hard case - Wicked personality.

Heaps - Lots, as in "give it heaps".

Herb - Is pronounced "herb", not "erb". Could refer to either Marajuana or the kitchen variety.

Hire – Rent.

Hokey-pokey - An ice-cream flavor.

Holiday – Vacation.

Hoon – Lout.

Hooray – Goodbye.

Hotdog – Corndog.

Ice block – Popsicle.

Intermediate school - junior-high school

Jandals - Flip-flops, Kinda like sandals but without the ankle strap.

Jelly – Jello.

Kindy – Kindergarten.

Kiwi - New Zealander or flightless bird native to New Zealand, NOT Kiwifruit.

Knackered – Exhausted.

Knickers - Underwear / panties.

Kumara - Sweet potato.

Maori - Indigenous people of New Zealand.

Marajuana - Weed, Marihuana, Marawhana, Marijana, Gunja. As in "Do you want to have a smoke man?"

Mate – Friend.

Naff off - get lost!

Nana – Grandmother.

Nappy – Diaper.

Netball - Basketball-like sport played by women.

Nick – Steal.

Nuts – Crazy.

O.E. - Overseas Experience - a prolonged period travelling / working / vacationing.

Oz – Australia.

Paddock – Field.

Pakeha – Any white New Zealander.

Panel beater - Automobile body shop.

Paper - Class / Unit that you take at university.

Rack off - Go away, piss off.

Randy – Horny.

Rat-bag - Contemptible person.

Rellies – Relatives.

Rice bubbles - Rice crispies / breakfast cereal.

Ring - Call on the telephone.

Rooted - See 'puckeroo'.

Rubber - Eraser - the misunderstandings that can arise are famous.

Rubbish – Garbage.

Rubbish tin - Garbage can.

Rucksack – Backpack.

Sammie - sandwhich

Sandshoes - canvas sneakers

Scroggin - trail mix

Scungy - run-down/worn-out/dirty.

Shorts - movie trailers

Singlet - Sleeveless undershirt

Skivvy - Kind of shirt

Smoko - A short break from work, e.g. 5-15 minutes.

Snarkey – Having a sarcastic and nasty attitude.

Snarler – Sausage.

Sook - Someone who is "Packing a sad"

Sparky – Electrician

Spinner - usually used to describe a female who is a little flakey/stupid (an air-head), as in "she's a real spinner!".

Stubbies – (i) very short shorts used by farmers and mechanics. Or/ (ii) 330 ml bottles of beer.

Stuffed – exhausted

Sussed - understood

Swot – study

Take the piss - to ridicule

Ta - thank you

Takeaways - take-out food

Tea – dinner

Teatime - dinner time

Tertiary education - education above secondary school, e.g. university

The States - the U.S.A.

Ute - pickup truck, abbrev. of "utility vehicle"

Varsity - abbreviation for university

Wahine - Woman.

Waiata - Maori action songs.

Wairau - Spirit.

Waratah - Stake, a term used to describe snow poles on tramps.

Waka - Maori canoe.

Wero - Challenge before entering a marae.

Whakapapa - Family tree or genealogical relationship.

Whanau - Extended family group.

Whare - Maori for a house.

Whare runanga - Meeting house.

Whare whakairo - Carved house.

Within cooee - Within reach.

Wop-wops - Remote areas.

Wanker – jerk or idiot

Whanau – family.

Wharfie – stevedore

Whinge - moan and complain, in particular "whinging Pom"

Yank tank - slang for a large American car

Yonks - forever, a long time ago, ages

You ain't wrong - that's right, yes

zed: Z; zee; the last letter of the alphabet.

Captain Cooker - Wild pig, probably descended from pigs released in the Marlborough Sounds on Cook's first voyage.

Chilly bin - Insulated cool box for carrying picnic supplies and beer to the beach or cricket match.

Chook - Chicken.

Choice - Fantastic.

Chuddy Chewing gum, also "chutty".

Chunder - Vomit.

Coaster - (Ex-) resident of the West Coast of the South Island.

Cocky - Farmer, comes in "Cow" and "Sheep" variants.

Crib - South Island name for a bach.

Cuz or Cuzzy - Short for cousin, see "bro".

Dag - Wag or entertaining character.

Dairy - Corner shop selling just about everything, open seven days and sometimes 24 hours.

Dally - Semi-derogatory name for descendants of Dalmatian immigrants from the Balkans.

Dob in - Reporting one's friends and neighbours to the police; there is currently a dobber's charter encouraging drivers to report one another for dangerous driving.

Docket - Receipt.

Domain - Grassy reserve, open to the public.

Fizz boat - Small powerboat.

Flicks - Cinema, movie theatre.

Flog - Steal.

Footie - Rugby, usually union rather than league, never soccer.

Freezing works - Slaughter house.

Give it a burl - Try it.

Godzone - New Zealand, short for "God's own country".

Gorse in your pocket - To be slow to pay your share.

Good as (gold) - First rate, excellent.

Good on ya - Expression of approbation or encouragement, frequently appended with "mate".

Greasies - Takeaway food, especially fish and chips.

Greenstone - A type of nephrite jade known in Maori as pounamu.

Haka - Maori dance performed in threatening fashion before All Black rugby games.

Handle - Large glass of beer.

Hangi - Maori feast cooked in an earth oven .

Hapu - Maori sub-tribal unit. Several make up an iwi.

Hard case - See "dag".

Hard yacker - Hard work.

Hollywood - A faked or exaggerated sporting injury used to gain advantage.

Hongi - Maori greeting, performed by pressing noses together.

Hoon - Lout, yob or delinquent.

Hori - Offensive word for a Maori.

Hui - Maori gathering or conference.

Iwi - Largest of Maori tribal groupings.

Jandals - Ubiquitous Kiwi footwear, thongs or flip-flops.

Jug - Litre of beer.

Kai - Maori word for food, used in general parlance.

Kaimoana Seafood.

Karanga - Call for visitors to come forward on a marae.

Kaumatua - Maori elders, old people.

Kawa-Marae - Etiquette or protocol on a marae.

Kete - Traditional basket made of plaited flax that is seeing something of a resurgence in popularity.

Kiore - Polynesian rat.

Koha - Donation.

Kohanga Reo - Pre-school Maori language immersion (literally "language nest").

Kumara - Sweet potato.

Kuri - Polynesian dog, now extinct.

Lay-by - Practice of putting a deposit on goods until they can be fully paid for.

Log of wood - Slang for the Ranfurly Shield, New Zealand rugby's greatest prize.

Mana - Maori term indicating status, esteem, prestige or authority, and in wide use among all Kiwis.

Manaia - Stylized bird or lizard forms used extensively in Maori carving.

Manchester - Linen section of a department store and its contents.

Manuhiri - Guest or visitor, particularly to a marae.

Maoritanga - Maori culture and custom, the Maori way of doing things.

Marae - Literally "courtyard" but much more. Place for conducting ceremonies in front of a meeting house. Also a general term for a settlement centred on the meeting house.

Mauri - Life force or life principle.

Mere - War club, usually of greenstone.

Metalled - Graded road surface of loose stones found all over rural New Zealand.

MMP - Mixed member proportional representation - New Zealand's new electoral system.

Moko - Old form of tattooing on body and face that has seen a resurgence among Maori gang members.

Ngati - Tribal prefix meaning the descendants or people of. Also Ngai and Ati.

No fear - Expression indicating refusal or disagreement.

OE - Overseas experience, usually a year spent abroad by Kiwis in their early twenties.

Pa - Fortified village of yore, now usually an abandoned terraced hillside.

Paddock - Field.

Pakeha - A non-Maori, usually white and not usually expressed with derogatory intent. Literally "foreign" though it can also be translated as "flea" or "pest". It may also be a corruption of pakepakeha, which are mythical human-like beings with fair skins.

Pashing - Kissing or snogging.

Patu - Short fighting club

Paua - Abalone, a type of shellfish with a wonderful iridescent shell.

Pavlova - Meringue dessert with a fruit and cream topping.

Pike out - To chicken out or give up.

Piss - Beer.

Pissed - Drunk.

Piss head - Drunkard.

Plunkett rooms - Childcare centre.

Poms - Folk from Britain; not necessarily offensive.

Powhiri - Traditional welcome onto a marae.

Puckerooed - Broken. Derived from the Maori for broken, pakaru.

Puku - Maori for stomach, often used as a term of endearment for someone amply endowed.

Queen Street farmer - City businessman owning rural property.

Ranch slider - Sliding glass door giving onto the garden or decking.

Rangatira - General term for a Maori chief.

Rapt - Well-pleased.

Rattle your dags - Hurry up.

Root - Vulgar term for sex.

Rooted - To be very tired or beyond repair, as in "she's rooted mate" - your car is irreparable.

Rough as guts - Uncouth, roughly made or operating badly, as in "she's running rough as guts, mate".

Scroggin - Trail mix, essentially nuts and raisins.

Sealed road - Bitumen-surfaced road.

Section - Block of land usually surrounding a house.

She'll be right - Everything will work out fine.

Shoot through - To leave suddenly.

Shout - To buy a round of drinks or generally to treat folk.

Skull - To knock back beer quickly.

Slutted - Greatly annoyed.

Smoko - Tea break.

Snarler or snag - Sausage.

Spinner - A jerk.

Squiz - A look, as in "Give us a squiz".

Station wagon - Estate car.

Stoked - Very pleased.

Taiaha - Long-handled club.

Tall poppy - Someone who excels. "Cutting down tall poppies" is to bring overachievers back to earth - every Kiwi's perceived duty.

Tane - Man.

Tangata whenua - The people of the land, local or original inhabitants.

Tangi - Mourning or funeral.

Taniwha - Fearsome water spirit of Maori legend.

Taonga - Treasures, prized possessions.

Tapu - Forbidden or taboo. Frequently refers to sacred land.

Te reo Maori - Maori language.

Tiki - Maori pendant depicting a distorted human figure.

Tiki tour - Guided tour.

Togs - Swimming costume.

Tohunga - Maori priests, experts in Maoritanga.

Tukutuku - Knotted latticework panels decorating the inside of a meeting house.

Tupuna - Ancestors; of great spiritual importance to Maori.

Ute - Car-sized pick-up truck, short for "utility".

Varsity - University.

Yahoo - To be or act like a lout.

Phrases

"A fair bash" - a good try

"Blow me down" - as in; "Well! Blow me down, I didn't know that."

"Bob's your Uncle" - Very kiwi expression. Can only be roughly translated into something like "And that's all there is to it!"

"Box of Fluffies" - (As in answer to “How are you?”) Very well.

"Bust a gut" - try really hard

"Crikey dick!" - gosh! wow!

"Do your block" - Blow your top. Get really angry

"Do a runner" - take off without doing something i.e. "he ate his dinner and did a runner without paying the bill"

"Dreaded lurgy" - The flu. Or any winter coldlike illness. Used as an excuse for not going to work.

"Fair go" - "give me a chance"

"Give it heaps" - try hard

"Good on yer mate" - good for you, pal

"Hunky dory" - everything's fine, as in "my life is hunky dory"

"Mates Rates" - Significant discounts given to friends and family on goods and services.

"Pack a sad" - to throw a quiet tantrum. Get upset and refrain from joining in. Can also be used if something breaks i.e. I have to catch the bus coz my cars packed a sad.

"Piece-of-piss" - the same as "piece of cake" really easy to do.

"Pushing up daisies" - dead and buried
"Ring a bell" - sound familiar

"She’ll be right" - often heard, means everything will be ok

"Spit the dummy" - break. See also, "pack a sad".

"Two sammies short of a picnic" - used to describe a person who is a "bit thick" also, "two tinnies short of a 6 pack", "2 bunnies shy of a hutch".

"Thats the story!" - Thats right! You're doing it right!

"Throw a sickie" - have a day of work for sickness

"Up the duff" - pregnant, or "in the pudding club" (I know, thats very obtuse)

"What are ya!" - Used as a friendly insult or challenge "You don't want a beer? What are ya!?!"

"Wee cracker" - see "You Beaut!"

"Wrap your laughing gear around that!" - Have a taste of that!

"You beaut!" - "You marvel!" exclamation of happiness or gratitude i.e. "My horse won at the races! You Beut!"