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- All good = Everything is fine.
- Aotearoa = New Zealand. Land of the long white cloud .
- Aroha = Love, affection.
- Bach = a small, often modest holiday home or beach house.
- Bro = Brother, a male friend.
- Bugger = To ruin; spoil; botch.
- Buzzy Bee = A popular toy. It resembles a bee with rotating wings.
- Chilly Bin = Picnic cooler.
- Chocka = Crowded or full.
- Choice = Awesome.
- Chur = Thank you.
- Cuz = Cousin.
- Dunny = Toilet.
- Eh = A noise that we plonk at the end of a sentence.
- Give it Heaps = To try very hard.
- Ghost Chips = A cultural phenomenon. 2011 anti-drink driving campaign.
- Gum Boots = A Wellington boot. A type of waterproof boot made of rubber.
- Haere Mai = Welcome. Describe something as ‘awesome’, or ‘brilliant’.
- Hard Out = Means to try a lot, or to respond with great enthusiasm.
- Heaps = A large amount of.
- Jandals = Flip-flops or thongs.
- Kai = Food.
- Ka Pai = Well done or congratulations.
- Kia Ora = Wishing you good health.
- Kiwi = National bird. A person from New Zealand.
- Knackered = Tired out. Broken or damaged.
- Massive As = Really big.
- Munted = Badly damaged; ruined.
- Nek Minnit = Next Minute.
- No Worries = Don’t worry about it.
- Pavlova = Our national desert. The first recipe appeared in NZ in 1927.
- Righto = Used to say that you agree with, understand, or accept.
- Rugby = Our national game. A team game played with an oval ball.
- Scarfie = University student. Especially one studying in Dunedin.
- Scroggin = A mixture of dried fruit and nuts, eaten as a snack by hikers.
- She’ll be right = Everything will be fine.
- Silver Fern = Strength, stubborn resistance. A sense of attachment to homeland.
- Stink = Very unpleasant, contemptible, or scandalous. A row or fuss.
- Sweet As = “Thank you”, “it’s all good”, “no worries”, “you’re welcome”.
- Te Reo = The Maori language.
- Tiki Tour = Extensive tour of a place.
- Togs = Swimsuit.
- Whanau = Family. People connected through a common ancestor.
- Wop-Wops = A location in the middle of nowhere.
- Ya Reckon = To think or suppose (something).
- Yarn = Telling a long or implausible story.
- Yeah-Nah = means ‘no’, but it allows the speaker to ease into their response.
- You’re not in Gatemala now Dr Ropata = Pay attention, things have changed.
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