Such a small phrase, just three words.

In your experience, what does it say about New Zealand or Kiwis?

Not 100% sure but in the cases I had it used it seems to mean what you are buying or fixing is not quite fit for purpose, but use a big hammer/saw and that will make it do.

in my case it means let's not bother with H&S, lets not bother with rules and regulations slap dash is the way to go
some one with an ounce of integrity will be along to sort it out for us

sorry but am aghast at how some things are left to run so inappropriately/badly

Heh. Hull rocks, btw.



Don't apologise! Know zactly what you mean.

It's not a phrase that I tend to use, but am still guilty of saying something similar along the lines of 'it'll be ok' or 'things will work out'... which is more of a hopeful optimism and to try to not get too ruffled, I hope, whereas 'she'll be right', being cynical, can speak a little too complacently or declaratively of a certain apathy or laziness. Or perhaps, seen more positively, it's a little more laid-back.

The last time I was back, the bloke at Auckland Airport who said I'd missed my connection down south, but could make the next one because 'she'll be right'... was, in fact, right.

To me, if youre one that says shell be right then it means low stress and a relatively long life expectancy ... so personally Im all for it. If the generalisation isnt just a myth. I hazard a guess there are probably as many stressed out / ambitious and laid back people as a percentage compared to other western countries.

There's much less of a health and safety/rules are rules focus here which I think stems from the attitude rather than causing it.

Sometimes that's a good thing and can mean you get practical help like warmed baby bottles, actual practice at using a fire blanket which means I am now confident I could in a real fire.

But other times it results in slap dash and sloppy systems that are unreflective and don't work. I am not in an industry that encourages us to be profit driven so it's not that money is my motivator but I really don't like lack of efficiency simply because you haven't really thought about how it could work differently.

To me it has a lot of human wisdom in it! Don`t get upset, relax, take your boat and sail instead of worrying, meet friends and have a bbq instead of thinking about work and money. That is the positive part and I hope that I learnt this and will be able to live it in Germany!
The negative part is that it is used to turn away from things when they gets difficult, to be sloppy, not thinking things through, and to be inconsiderate.

It's used in much the same way an English person would say "It all works out in the end". So it should usually be taken to mean 'disaster is imminent' in my experience.

Where can I go to set someone on fire then Laura? This sounds right up my street.

Funny, thats one of the things I love about NZ.
Its only an matter of time before the influx of British female middle managers,usually ex NHS or local council
give us all a stern look, fold their arms, stamp their feet and and as one pronounce
"its not like this back home, this is almost 3rd world" and then completely screw up
the kiwi way of life that existed way before they got here but will probably die because they are here
(sorry girls but in my experience most men dont really give a toss and just get on with things)

Hospital car parks. Yes really. And unfortunately it was a saucepan and not an individual.

Though I hate the misogynist language JustCol has used ( ), I agree with his point that the "she'll be right" attitude is part of what makes NZ so attractive and unique (to me). "She'll be right" usually means micro-managing is not considered useful, stressing is not going to be useful, and a bureaucratic approach is not necessary. It suggests to me personal autonomy, devolving power, and delegation. The flip side is the stuff discussed above but it's a tough one because if you fundamentally alter the nation's psych from "she'll be right" to "let's imagine every adverse scenario and base our risk assessment on that" then we stand to lose a lot, imo. A tricky one.

...tl;dr the rest. Seems cruel to target the sick, weak and old in a hospital carpark but when in Rome....

Unfortunately I'm much too busy handing out free matches to school children to attend that meeting.

We could argue for hours about mitigation of risk or even if risk analysis is worthwhile given our limited ability to foresee future events. Perhaps a little recklessness is worth it to advance in human endeavour? Is being risk averse its own risk? However my opinions on the matter offer nothing substantially new, interesting or insightful so this is where the discussion stops for me.

When I arrived here 7+ years ago, I found it a rather charming phrase & quite liked the relaxed attitude to life. That feeling has worn off for both me & my OH. I'm with Mrs F on this. For me it's akin to saying "I'm going to do a half-assed job because I'm not really bothered about doing it properly".

It can depend on the context as well, so in the right circumstances it doesn't grate on me, ie. when something is not important.

She'll be right just translates to, 'not my problem'.

"She'll be right" attitude means I haven't been able to get a good haircut.

"She'll be right" and "toughen up" are probably responsible for the horrendous state of housing. That and a good dose of greed and corruption. Not enough people complain because they're satisfied with something inferior and don't see a need to change.