Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

The idea of this thread is to inaugurate those folks coming to NZ into the true way of talking Kiwi. As per a previous thread, it seems that we've all picked up a few of the local sayings so I want to see what else is out there. So all pitch in with those that you've heard since your arrival:

I'll start with one I particularly like and that's: Good value

It's said in a phrase like - 'Oh, that Dave, he's good value he is.' I like it as it contains approval, affiliation, and friendship. You know that you've pretty much made it in Kiwi-land when you hear that you've been descibed as being of 'good value' by someone. It's never said in front of the person being deemed of value, and the actual value itself is never revealed ($10... $20... $100?!!!?) but it is all in all a positive thing.

Anyone got any more to share? I can think of at least 10 but I'll try and hold them in for now.

Fire away...

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

Bring a plate

Meaning: bring food.

Explanation: Bring a plate tends to be used at BBQ's, parties etc. If someone was to have a BBQ and you said to them "what can I bring". The answer is "bring a plate"

Which then needs to be elaborated on. Usually a plate load or tray load of salads, savouries, finger foods or meats. CLARIFY. If they suggest bring a plate, then ask "salad or dessert" for instance.

It does not mean an empty plate because the host has run out of dishes.

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

I keep getting told I'm a "dag." At least I think that's what they're saying ... it could be "dog?" I'm not entirely sure what "dag" means ... :unsure:

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

dags are the pooey bits of wool that gather behind a sheeps bum.

It's a compliment. Don't worry :)

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

A box of fluffies - as in I'm feelling like a box of fluffy ducks. (Feeling great, on top of the world) :D

Did you get a park? A what? A car park? No, I found a parking space I did not get a whole car park to myself. :rofl:

Flat out! Everyone's bloomin 'flat out' and 'flicking' things on, e-mails or whatever, if they're not flicking they're tweaking something. :blink: If I hear the word tweak one more time ... :curse:

Rapt or wrapped? I'm so not stoked that you are rapt! :thumbdown:

Shoot through, as in 'I think he's shot through. Means they've buggered orf early. :eek:

Varsity - whatever happened to university then?

A bottle of piss (beer) :frown:

Lux = hoover or vacuum

Another one I hear all too often that really gets my heckles up. Err, could you 'background' that for me? It means, actually I'm a useless twit who hasn't got a clue, so please would you educate me. :curse:

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

They're great! Flicking - yeah, that's an odd one, and the whole 'park' thing freaked me out for a while there as I had no clue.


I kept calling the vacuum the 'hoover' at work and every time I did the whole office pissed themselves.


FFS - it's a F'ing hoover innit?! A lux? Load of bow-lux more like ;)


Any more for any more....? :)

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

Although not living in NZ at the moment (just in the process of planning the great move) - I have had the pleasure of being married to a Kiwi for the last 14 years and list a few phrases that have worked their way into our every day conversation:-

lollies - very confusing :)

pack a sad = in a temper/having a hissy fit - what's that all about???

Milking with Murray - a stock answer from the Kiwi when asked where we are going? Can anyone throw a light on this as OH is very vague about its origins - possibly came from a Kiwi advert?

Gumboots = wellingtons


Jo

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

Great - just what I always wanted to remind people of!:blink:

This is a good thread as I am trying to write my presentation for the morning in Kiwi speak ...

Perhaps someone can translate ...

"Good to see so many of you here this morning. This property is absolutely fabulous. You'll see it on Tuesday - prepare to be bowled over. It is an electic mix of old meets new, a character cottage that has been renovated, extended and yet retains many original features. My vendors are serious about selling hence it going to auction. In the heart of downtown, this is a rarity. Get your buyers through."

My translation thus far is ;

"You guys are amazing giving up your morning when you could be catching a wave Dudes, sweet as. This place is awesome. I'll get you through Tuesday - prepared to be knocked out. It's a mean as batch that they want to flick on, with that beachy feel but sadly no sea peeps. My guys would be stoked if you sold it for them. Who wouldn't be rapt to live downtown? I know I can rely on you, you dags ..."

For my Essex colleague the translation reads as;

"They want it ****ing sold mate.":thumbup:

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

I often look like a 'stunned mullet', when I don't understand what is being said! :rofl:

I'm not feeling too flash, it's hosing down, (raining) the truck shat itself (broke down) and then I had to 'go hard' to find the Gladwrap (clingfilm). :D

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

Ooo, ooo, don't forget "rip into it .."

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

Someone has to degrade this thread, might as well be me.

One for the older kids as they will come across it frequently.
Gonna have a root, had a root, want a root = intercourse

couldn't degrade it totally

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

:D

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

1. i think Lux and Hoover is regional (vaguely recalled from distant readings in times past). If ya think about it, both are calling an item by a brand name. But put it this way, my grandmother would call it a hoover. i call it a vacuum.
2. Never actually noticed 'park' was different. What did you call it in the UK? I can't even recall what I used but am wondering about confused looks....
3. Flick is common too in Australia. No idea. Maybe flicking boogers has the same effect as flicking an email. Nobody particularly wants to receive one.

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

Its not really a Kiwi Phrase, but I do love -

"eigs for brikfast"

or when on Air New Zealand the the flight attendant comes round to

"Colict the hidsits"

or when i'm siting on the wooden platform outside, i'm sitting on my ........ well you work it out

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

This always amuses me on the news reports (although please note not the story itself)....when someone has been attacked, they have been bashed.....another news reporter "All Black was yet again up to argy bargy and may be sent to the sin bin"....hilarious! You would never hear that on the BBC!

Another popular one is to throw a tanty. And everything is just always full on at work! :p

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

Here's another - what about going "tramping":rofl: I have no desire to dress up as a hobo but love a nice long walk in the countryside!!!

Jo

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

I thought a dag also meant someone who was very confident, a bit daring, charasmatic, very entrepreneurial (sp?), an affection term

One that confused us was 'don't leave that there someone will flog it'. We wondered why someone would pick said item up and start to auction it off (sell it) - but flog apparently means steal :o

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

Did you find a parking space? Did you get parked ok? Did you manage to park ok?
A park (noun) is a green open space often with swings and roundabouts for small children to play on:D.

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

One of the 2007 Wow winning costumes was 'Rattle your dags'....it was made out of woolsacks and translated as 'Get a move on'.....

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

oh dag is an affectionate term, don't worry. It just also means the scuzzy poo part of the sheep.

But it is otherwise a nice thing to say.

Rattle ya dags is closer to sheep behaviour though. If you think about a sheep running you can often see the dags.

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

Grr - flicking emails!! - pronounced more like fluck though.

Other things I hear a lot at work - let's get our ducks in a row (What?!?)

A projector is called a datashow (and data is pronounced darta)

And instead of saying you've done something you say you've "covered it off"

Bulls*t bingo or what?!

And as for routers - pronounce it roo-ter and be ready to get laughed at.

If something's broken it's rooted, meaning f***ed.

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

Similar to the American saying "Reading from the same page" as opposed to the book which can also have problems.

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

It's still a stupid phrase.

Singing from the same hymn sheet.
Standing on the same step.

etc etc.

Business bollox.

And using "leverage" to mean "use" Grr.

Anyway, getting off the kiwi topic.

Choice eh bro?

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

'unco as' which is short for 'As uncoordinated as....' something that is never actually explained because the phrase is used on it's own e.g. 'I'm unco as at typing today'.

Nutters ;)

Wee - meaning Scottishly small. Everything is wee. A wee coffee, wait a wee while, a wee bit upset, a cute wee dog etc etc

Spunk is a popular one. Nope - not man fluid :eek:, if someone is 'a spunk' then we are talking attractive, just like they use it on Home & Away and Neighbours that we all laughed at when we were teenagers :rofl:

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

My lordy, please tell me these charming people who say spunk are being ironic?

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

I used to be a bit concerned when someone was described as a "hard case", as in "Yeah he's a bloody hard case", I would picture a skinhead with tattoos etc, when in fact a "hard case" in NZ is someone who would be described as a "good laugh" in pommy-land!!

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

I've only heard a couple so far, but I guess it's early days!

'As good as gold'........ e.g. great, cool

And a jug is a kettle

Gonna have to try and remember all these others!

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

Chippies (crisps) and kiwi dip?

And of course "manchester" to mean towels and bedclothes etc.

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

not really a kiwi saying......but anytime I'm explaining something or talking to someone they say "Oh!.... ok!" or " Aw!.....ok!"

when they could just as easily have only said "ok".

Loadsa people do it and I found myself saying it last week.:blink:

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

You reminded me of 'yeah, no....', it is so commonplace that I hardly notice it anymore. It's like saying 'Yes, but.... no but' The yeah, is like an acknowledgment of your point, BUT no you are wrong, or I don't agree. :rofl:

These things do gradually creep into your language and I find myself saying too, report and airport in a very strange way. I never thoughtI would use the word 'cool' quite so much as I do, because I always thought it was a naff expression coming from a forty something, but heck if 60 year old pensioners can say it so can I.:D

Morning tea or smoko anyone?

OH has picked up that god awful, budder, modor, modorway thing too. :curse:

I am still flatly refusing to say pro-ject, darta, dartabase, or yo-gurt, even though it is very hard when you are faced with those words day in and day out at work. However I have noticed a change there; more people have reverted to using the correct pronounciation of data and project when they talk to me. :rofl:

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

is yo-ghurt regional in the UK? Because I have definitely heard it pronounced yo rather than yog there?

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

I've started using yo-ghurt. Easier to be understood.

I've also had to adjust to speaking more slowly and pronouncing my t's as my Wakefield accent often confuses the kiwis!

Another kiwi phrase which gets right on my wick is how they "deal to" a problem.
Or in a meeting they "speak to the issue" instead of about it.

You deal with a problem - the only time you deal to something is when playing cards - grr!

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

Rocking on!

As in " I'm gonna rock on down to the shops ".

It doesen't mean getting your air guitar out and givin it your best Status Quo as you go and buy a loaf of brid.....

It simply means I am going down to the shops.

how disappointing? :lol:

B

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

And don't forget "relational breakdown" as opposed to marriage split?:confused:

And everything is "O" for "Awesome" ... :curse:

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

Hehe I love O for awesome. Blame david tua for that one!

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

Here's a link that shows the pronunciation of "data" is confused all around the world, not just in NZ. http://www.antimoon.com/forum/2004/4737.htm

I'm always a bit amused when you Brits assume a mainly American pronunciation, such as with Data or Router (both IT industry influenced), and then find the more common NZ usage of old English funny.:D

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

Do things turn to custard anywhere else in the world?

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

And a 'home invasion' sounds more like you had an attack from the vikings rather than some little oik robbed your house.

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

Morning tea, darta I get all those too, another one is do the math instead of the plural.

Re: Popular Kiwi Sayings
 

Yes, darta, Vytamins, pro-ject, yo-gurt - basically all Americanisms!:blink:

And don't forget the somewhat random;

Wind your neck (head) in.

Suck it up.

:blink: