Botz
Acting up, showing off, or being over-the-top. 'What botz guy.'
"He's being botz in front of the girls."
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The dictionary of New Zealand slang — defined by the people who speak it, with translations for confused Aussies and lost tourists.
Word of the day
Cobber
An old-fashioned word for mate or friend. Your grandad's 'bro'.
"G'day cobber, long time."
Full entry →The dictionary · best-rated first · 437 words
Bro
Universal term of address for anyone — mate, stranger, taxi driver, the guy at the dairy. Not reserved for actual friends.
"Bro did you watch Tim lose that fight to a girl yesterday bro? It was crazy bro!
Howzit
A greeting — 'how's it going' compressed into one word. No answer required.
"Howzit bro, long time."
A feed
A meal, especially a satisfying one.
"Bro only paid 2 bucks for all this fish and chips what a mean as feed!"
A&P show
The Agricultural & Pastoral show - the country fair with animals, rides and showbags.
"Taking the kids to the A&P show."
Ae
Yes, from te reo. Simple and increasingly common in everyday NZ speech.
"Coming to the hui?" "Ae."
Afghan
A NZ biscuit - cocoa, cornflakes, chocolate icing, half a walnut on top.
"Nan's afghans are legendary."
All good
No problem, don't worry about it, you're welcome. The default response to thanks or an apology.
"Bro I thought I was going to crash last night I was tired as, but nah was all good"
Angus
Someone with a short fuse; an angry person.
"Settle down, you angus."
Anzac biscuit
Oat-and-golden-syrup biscuit tied to the Anzac wartime legacy. Chewy or crunchy - a national debate.
"Baked Anzac biscuits for the fair."
Aroha
Love, compassion, empathy - from te reo, and one of the most-used Maori words in NZ English.
"Sending aroha to the whole whanau."
Arvo
Afternoon. 'S'arvo' = this afternoon.
"Pop round s'arvo for a beer."
As
The great Kiwi amplifier. Stick it after any adjective: cheap as, funny as, tired as. Nothing ever follows the 'as'.
"Faa I only had like 2 dollars but lucky that kai was cheap as."
As if
Disbelief or refusal - 'no way', 'you're dreaming'. Sometimes 'as if, bro'.
"He reckons he'll win." "As if."
At
A sharp 'no' or 'whatever' — East Coast/Gisborne. One syllable, total dismissal.
"Can I have a chip?" "At."
Aunty
Any respected older woman, related or not. A mark of respect in Maori and Pasifika culture, used well beyond actual aunties.
"Go ask Aunty, she'll know."
Awa
A river, from te reo - frequently an iwi's ancestral waterway.
"Swam in the awa as kids."
Away laughing
Doing well, sorted, cruising. 'Once the engine started we were away laughing.'
"Got the wifi working - away laughing."
Aye
The other spelling of eh, favoured by people who feel two letters cannot possibly carry this much cultural weight. Also acceptable if you are Scottish, or a pirate.
"Mean game last night, aye?"
Bach
A holiday home, traditionally small and rustic. Pronounced 'batch'. South Islanders say crib.
"We're at the bach for the long weekend."
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