It might not be able to accurately convey the full Kiwi linguistic experience, but here’s a list that will give you a general idea.
In a Kiwi accent: “New Zealand. Such a sweet as place bro. I’m so gutted that I have to head back to the states soon. The sheep might be blocking the runway again, eh? Cheers!”
Ever since I touched down in New Zealand, I have had a running list of weird/different things Kiwis do. I greatly enjoy the way Kiwis view their life. If one phrase could describe the Kiwi lifestyle, it would be: “I’ll get there when I get there.” Americans may think this could lead to chaos but, in actuality, everyone is more relaxed and happy. Your 72in 1080p Full HD Plasma Flat Screen TV may not arrive the day you order it, but you’re still going to be equally as happy as when it shows up on your doorstep.
I won’t be able to accurately convey a full Kiwi linguistic experience, but here’s a list that will give you a general idea:
Common Slang
Sweet as – “That’s awesome”
Cheers! – “Goodbye” or “thank you”
Wee – “small”
Bro – “bro” is everyone’s name
Op shopping – “thrift shopping” (NZ has heaven sent thrift shops)
What are you making for tea? – “What are you making for dinner?”
Carpark – “parking space”
Eh? – used at the end of a sentence when denoting a question
That’s such sharn – “Such a bad story”
Hundreds and thousands – “sprinkles” (caused much confusion at ice cream shops)
You muppet! – “You silly goose!”
Rookie! – “Amateur!”
Dairy – “convenience store”
‘Sup spoon – “Sup homie”
Yeah nah – “no”
Nah yeah – “yes”
So gutted – “so upset” (but not really)
Knuckle under – “Get down to business”, “buckle down”
Tosser – “waste of space”
Lollies – “candy”
Munted – “ruined” in reference to buildings or someone’s face
Aw mean, man – “So good, man”
Z (pronounced like zed) – the letter Z (caused confusion while typing in websites)
Good on ya (pronounced in mumbled fashion) – “Well done”
Stoked – “happy”
Muesli – “granola”
Very large vocabulary of cuss words
Mannerisms
L&P soda – lemon soda that kiwis are obsessed with for some reason
Trust factor is much higher – hitchhiking is common
Tim Tam slam – A Tim Tam is a delicious chocolate coated cookie with fudginess in the middle. The slam part is when opposite corners of the cookie are bitten and warm milk is sucked through the bitten part to create a melted piece of heaven
Sheep often cause traffic jams
Weetbix– equivalent to Wheaties, amazing how much milk they soak up
Canned spaghetti and cheese is placed on top of toast
Cadbury chocolate!!
Speights beer = Bud light
Massive amounts of ice cream are consumed
Velvet burger, Fergburger – best burger place in Queenstown, hours to wait in line
Eggs are non-refrigerated (blew my American mind)
Ketchup is used as tomato sauce on pizza
Campus watch likes to take selfies with students
Bookme.co.nz- awesome deals on adventure sports
Trademe.co.nz– eBay 2.0
Milking a cow and shearing sheep are common skills
TV commercials are hilarious or heart wrenching
New Zealand has a beautiful culture of spontaneous individuals whose company I have enjoyed greatly. I hope, one day, to gather all my things and make my study abroad experience become the rest of my life (currently have the immigration New Zealand website on the next window browser). My Kiwi host along with other hosts have become my New Zealand family and I actually call some of them Mum and Dad. I love the Kiwi lifestyle, the accommodating people, and the epic wilderness the entire country of New Zealand emanates.
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