Category
Te Reo & Pacific Influence
E hoa Maori for 'friend'. Also the likely origin of the exclamation 'ow'. If… Kai Food. From te reo Maori, used by everyone.… Kia kaha Maori for 'stay strong'. Said in hard times, grief, and national momen… Mahi Work, effort. 'Doing the mahi' means putting in the graft — and 'do th… Pakaru Maori for broken or busted. Often anglicised as 'puckeroo'.… Palangi Samoan word for a European/white person, common across NZ. Usually fri… Tiki tour The scenic route — or a euphemism for getting lost. Any indirect journ… Tu meke Maori for 'too much' — used to mean awesome, outstanding, overwhelming… Tutu To fiddle or meddle with something you probably shouldn't. 'Stop tutu-… Whanau Family — including the extended, chosen, everyone-who-matters kind.…