Kiwi (New Zealand) slang
After recently reading the Aussie slang post by @galenkp I decided to give this my own take by sharing some of the slang us New Zealanders have. It seems fitting, as New Zealanders and Australians have a love/hate relationship (often around rugby). So heres a few of the basic slang words that should get you through your first visit to New Zealand without to much confusion.
Kiwi - New Zealander. Also flightless bird native to New Zealand
Bro- Short for brother, but refers to anyone who is a mate. Often used as a greeting when you dont know someones name - e.g. at a shop ´Can I help you bro?´
Chilly bin - Cooler, or as @galenkp might call it a esky
Dairy- Corner store or 24/7. e.g. ´Im just going to the dairy to get some milk´
Cuz- similar to bro, but less acceptable in the wider community.
Ay- turns a question into a statement. e.g. ´Your going to the beach today ay
Chur - Thanks/cheers
Take/taking the piss - making a joke of someone or something.
Stoked- Overly happy about something. E.g. ´Stoked that I passed my exam´
Togs- Swimwear
Torch- Flashlight
Mean- Satisfying/good. Often used in the phrase ´Guna have a mean feed´.
Bach (pronounced batch)- Holiday home or beach house.
Mate- can be either a friendly or nasty way, depending on the context. e.g. as a friend ´Allgood mate´, or in a nasty way ´Dont talk to me like that mate!´. This one might confuse those inexperienced in kiwi slang, so listen for the tone of voice and check out the body language.
Crack up- Funny. e.g. ´Have you seen Family Guy, its a crack up´.
Heaps- A lot. e.g ´There are heaps of beaches in New Zealand´.
I think I will stop here for now - that should be enough to get you started and not be to overwhelmed! Us kiwis are pretty friendly, and I am sure would be stoked if you gave some of our slang a go bro.
Chur!