Kiwi Slang: A guide for our future friends

I hadn’t actually realised how much of my speech was ‘New Zealand only’ in category! It became obvious when travelling and meeting English speakers from other countries. So I thought it might be helpful to collect a list of some of the words and phrases our mostly American team and friendly Hungarian citizens can expect to be blessed/confused with.

*Special shoutout to my family who I’ve used as delightful examples of these wonderful phrases.*

Wop Wops

Meaning:
A location that is small town or out in the country, as opposed to the big smoke.

Example Use:
”Oh look, no wifi. Should have expected it because we’re in the wop wops.”
”Oh look, a collection of broken down cars in someone’s front yard. But that’s normal because we’re in the wop wops.”
”Oh look, 357339835 sheep. We must be in the wop wops.”

Togs

Meaning:
Swimsuit or bathing shorts

Example Use:
”Hey Aaron! Great dive! But you seem to have lost your togs!”
”Rangi, let's go get our togs on and go do some sweet bombs at the river!”
”Oh no, Roger has exchanged his togs for speedos this year. Good golly.”

Sweet As

Meaning:
No worries, no problem, okay.

Example Use:
”Glyn can’t make it to the party anymore? Sweet as.”
”You accidentally spelt the name wrong on my new tattoo? Sweet as.”
”You don’t have a spare room so I have to crash on your couch? Sweet as.”

Suss

Meaning:
To investigate, or in need of investigation. Short for suspect.

Example Use:
”Oh, a cute new guy has just started at my job! I’ll have to go suss him out!”
”Suss out Reuben’s new car! It’s only 45 years old!”
”New mince and cheese pies at the dairy? We should go suss it out!

Straight Up

Meaning:
To assure you of the speaker’s honesty, to be truthful.

Example Use:
”Straight up, I saw Richie McCaw at the pub last night!”
”I can only digest dairy between 10am and 1pm on weekdays. Straight up!”
”I was so surprised by the ending of that horror movie last night, straight up!”

Squizz

Meaning:
A quick look, a peek.

Example Use:
”You received a parcel in the mail today? Give us a squizz?”
”Take a squizz at this dooflamahiggy.”
”I heard you found a funny meme yesterday. Can I’ve a squizz?”

Pack a Sad

Meaning:
Throw a tantrum, act moody.

Example Use:
”Don’t go into the room, Mum is packing a sad.”
”I stole Philip’s girlfriend and now he’s packing a sad.”
”Don’t spill Dad’s cornflakes, he’ll pack a sad.”

Munted

Meaning:
Messed up, destroyed.

Example use:
”Ben had a fight with Sam and now his face is munted.”
”Glyn never makes his bed so now it’s all munted.”
”Jemimah crashed the car again, but this time it’s completely munted.”

Keen As

Meaning:
A positive response.

Example use:
”I told Sam we were going to the beach tomorrow and he’s keen as.”
”Tua told me he was keen as for kinas after our snorkel.”
”You want me to save the placenta after birth and bury it under a tree? Keen as.”

Hoon

Meaning:
A person who drives like a crazy person, typically young.

Example use:
”Those blimmin hoons kept Egbert up until the early hours.”
”Gonna go for a hoon in Jemimah’s new car, it’s a Smart Car!”
”Deborah got here twice as fast as Doug, what a hoon!”

Hard Out

Meaning:
Exaggerated agreement, to completely agree.

Example use:
”Longdrops were created by the devil, hard out.”
”Aaron better go back and grab his togs before getting out of the pool, hard out.”
”Ben goes so red in the summer you could mistake him for a boiled crayfish, hard out.”

Crack Up

Meaning:
Something funny, humorous.

Example use:
”Far, Olivia is such a crack up!”
”Bob and Marie came to the wedding in matching tracksuits. What a crack up!”
”Christian memes are such a crack up!”

Carked It

Meaning:
Died.

Example use:
”Reuben’s new car carked it yesterday. What a surprise!”
”Larry carked it this morning.”
”The dooflamahiggy carked it.”

Bogans

Meaning:
A person with an unsophisticated background. Male bogans typically sport a mullet or a spiky short haircut and complement it with black baggy clothing. Females typically sport black and various types of animal print in a couple sizes too small. Music of choice is typically rock/heavy metal/death metal.

Example use:
”Glyn is such a bogan.”
”Don’t invite Brett to Bon Iver. He’s a bogan.”
”Esther will have a Speights, she’s a bogan.”

So there you have it. I hope you’re feeling inspired!