An instruction to bring food to share — NOT an empty plate. Foreigners get this wrong constantly, to everyone's delight.
"Barbecue Saturday, bring a plate!"
"She turned up with an actual empty plate. Legend."
Phrases & Expressions · New Zealand slang
Bring a plate
Origin & notes
NZ potluck code; the classic newcomer trap.
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More phrases & expressions
Bugger all Very little; almost nothing.… Buggered Exhausted; or broken. You can be buggered and your car can be buggered… Can't be bothered Too lazy or unwilling to do something. Variants: can't be stuffed, can… Crook Sick, unwell. 'Feeling a bit crook' is the standard sickie phone call.… Cut a track To leave, head off.… Dodgy Suspicious, unreliable, or of questionable quality — a person, a kebab…
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