Kiwi–American dictionary and cultural guide

[JBrit]

Any suggestion for my Kiwi–American Dictionary and Cultural Guide?

Anklebiter - toddler, small child
Athletics- Track. I once was invited to an “athletics meeting”, expecting a bunch of jocks discussing weight lifting, but instead found out it was what in N America would be called an outdoor “track meet”.
Away Laughing: To do something with no problems. For example, if a rugby player got past the last tackler they'd be away laughing.
Away with the fairies: In a day dream. Someone whose attention is somewhere else would be away with the fairies.
Aotearoa - Maori name for New Zealand meaning land of the long white cloud
Arvo – afternoon (Australian origin)
As long as a piece of string: We/I/you don’t know how much or how long it is or will take
Aubergine - eggplant
Bach - holiday home
Banger - sausage, as in bangers and mash
Barbie – barbecue
Bench or benchtop: counter, countertop
Big Bickies: Lots of money. If you saw an expensive looking watch you'd say it's probably worth big bickies
Big smoke - large town or city
Bin, bin this – garbage can; throw this out
biscuit: cookie
Bif: bif it = dump it, throw it out
Bit of dag - hard case, comedian, person with character
Bitser - mongrel dog
Blue Bottle – Portuguese Man of war jellyfish
Bloke – man
Bludge: To sponge off others. ie. Someone receiving the dole (social welfare benefit) is sometimes referred to as a Dole Bludger.
Brickie – bricklayer
Bob's your Uncle: Has a similar meaning to "That's all there is to it". For example, if something wasn't working because a bolt was loose I'd say "Just tighten that nut and bob's your uncle".
Brown eye - to flash your naked butt at someone
Boy-racer - name given to a young man who drives a fast car with a loud stereo
Bollocks: 1. An expression of disbelief i.e if someone said they actually liked brussel sprouts the likely reply would be "Bollocks!" 2. Testicles. - Contributed by Vicki Guy
Bonk: To have sex.
Bonnet: car hood
Boot – car trunk
Box of birds- its great!
Bring a plate - means bring a dish of food to share
brassed off: disappointed, annoyed
brekkie: Short for 'breakfast'
Bugger - damn!
Buggered: 1. Tired out after extreme exertion. Similar to 'knackered'. Eg; "Geez, I'm buggered!" 2. Unsuccessful attempt at a task, Eg; "He's buggered that up!". 3. Dismissive exclamation, sometimes giving up an attempt at something. Eg; "Bugger it!" 4. Damage or wearing out of an object; Eg; "He's buggered the motorin it".
The Bush- the forest
Caravan - mobile home that you tow behind your car
Cardi - sweater
Cast - immobilised, unable to get to your feet
Cattle beasts – the generic name for cattle. Cows are female cattle beasts.
Chilly Bin: A cooler. An insulated box for keeping beer or food cool. In Australia it's known as an esky.
Cheerio - name for a cocktail sausage, or as a verb, “goodbye”
Chocka - full, overflowing
Chook - chicken
Chips - deep fried slices of potato but much thicker than a french fry
Chippy - builder, carpenter
Chrissy pressies - Christmas presents
cheers: goodbye or thanks or good luck.
Chemist: pharmacy, drug store. Also a euphemism for druggist.
Cheeky- rude, disrespectful
Chili bins -cooler
Chuddy - chewing gum
Chunder - vomit, throw up
Chocker: Full. If you'd eaten too much food you'd say "I'm chocker".
Chuffed – proud, feeling good with oneself
Chur- “cheers!” – “good work!”
Choice: Great, or excellent! If you thought a motorbike was really good for example, you'd say "Man that motorbike's choice!".
Chunder: To be sick or vomit. Describes both the act and the resulting mess.
Cling film- Glad wrap
Cocked-up: Made a mistake. Eg; "He sure cocked that up!" Or, "What a cock-up that was!" - Contributed by Frank Macskasy
Coconut: An offensive word referring to a pacific islander.
Cold One: Usually a cold bottle or can of beer. Ie; "Would ya like a cold one?" - Contributed by Frank Macskasy
College- high school Cockie - farmer
Cotton buds - Q-tips
courgette: zucchini
Cracker: perfect - as in a “cracker day”, a perfect day
Crib - bach,
Crook- sick (verb)
Cuppa - cup of tea, as in cuppa tea
Curry Muncher: Offensive word refering to an Indian person (from India). - Contributed by Hannah Tobin
Cuzzy-Bro: A term referring to another person - typically a cousin but not always.
Dag: Someone who's funny, or a bit of a character.
Damp squid- went down like dead like a lead balloon
Dairy: A corner store.
Daylight robbery: A term used to describe the selling of something that's seriously overpriced
Diddle: Penis
De facto - name used for a couple who are not married but are living together
Dear – expensive
Decorator – a painter, wallpaper layer or interior decorator
Dole - unemployment benefit
Dodgy - bad, unreliable, not good
Down the gurgler - failed plan
Drongo - stupid fool, idiot
Drop your gear - take your clothes off, get undressed
dressing gown: bathrobe
dummy: infant pacifier
Dunny - toilet, bathroom, lavatory
Duvet - comforter
Ear bashing - someone talking incessantly
Entree - appetizer, hors d'oeurve, not the main meal as in North America
Engineer – an engineer can be a welder, a machinist as well as a high paid structural engineer
eh: Said like the letter 'a', this is often used at the end of sentence to prompt a question. For example, "That's a pretty cool car eh". Also replaces the word 'what?' if you didn't hear someone.
Excess: deductible (e.g. my house insurance has $100 excess)
Exotic: foreign, not native (e.g. a pine tree is an “exotic tree”)
Fag(s): Cigarettes.
Fairy lights- small Christmas tree lights
Fallen of his perch.: He has died.
Fanny: A girls vagina.
Fart Sack: A sleeping bag.
Fizz Boat - small power boat
Fizzy drink - soda pop
Flannel - wash cloth, face cloth
Flat - apartment, name for rental accommodation that is shared
Flog - steal, rob
Flu – generally refers to the common cold, not just influenza
Footie - rugby union or league, as in "going to watch the footie"
footpath – sidewalk
Form – a grade in high school. Form 7 is the same as 12th grade.
Freeze/freezer - As in 'don't be a freezer'/'Don't freeze man!' when you attempt to 'bludge' something off someone (particularly food) and they won't share, they are termed a freezer. contributed by Daniel Clifford
French Letter: A condom.
Frenchie: A condom.
Fringe: hair bangs
From go to whoa.: Beginning an event, from first preparations. Eg; setting up and then starting a school fair. - Contributed by Frank Macskasy
Fuck up: An abusive term. Cross between fuck off (go away) and shut up.
fuckin' oath! - yeah! for sure!
Full tit - going very fast, using all your power, as in "he was running full tit"
G'day - universal Kiwi and Australian greeting, also spelled gidday. There is no g’nite
Get the willies - overcome with trepidation
Geeza: A look at something. Often people will say, 'give us a geeza'. Also a man who is funny looking, old or just strange, eg. 'that old Geeza'. - Contributed by Hannah Tobin
Going bush - take a break, become reclusive
Good on ya, mate! - congratulations, well done, proud of someone
Good as gold - feeling good, not a problem, yes
Goob: A mouthfull of phlegm.
Gib – sheet rock
Guttering- drainpipe gutters
Gutted - Expressed when something goes wrong when retelling the story. "yeah, i was gutted" contributed by Daniel Clifford
Graunch: To grind something. Usually associated with the noise of someone putting a car into gear without using the clutch.
Greasies: Referring to takeaway food - usually fish and chips.
Gridiron- American football
Grouse: Good or excellent. If you thought a car was cool you'd say it was grouse.
Greasies - fish and chips
Gumboots or gummies - rubber boots, wellingtons
Handle - pint of beer
Happy as larry - very happy
Hard case - amusing, funny person
Hard yakka - hard work
Heaps: Lots of. ie. I have heaps of marbles
Hokey Pokey: A gold coloured candy. A favourite New Zealand ice-cream flavour.
Hori: An offensive word referring to a Maori person. Also used when referring to something as being of bad quality, or quickly put together eg. That was a hori job.
Hory- run down, beat “that old car is hory.”
Hollywood - to fake or exaggerate an injury on the sportsfield
Home and hosed - safe, successfully finished, completed,
Home Kill – Vans that will drive to one’s home to slaughter farm animals for food. They may have the words “Home Kill” written on the side of the van. (Don’t worry.)
Hoon – juvenile delinquent
Hosing down - heavy rain, raining heavily
Hostel – also called “hall of residence”- college dorm
Hottie - hot water bottle
Hot dog – corn dog (It is also can be a N. American hot dog)
Hover, hovering - vacuum, vacuuming
How's it going mate? - kiwi greeting
Iceblock - popsicle, Ice Stick
I’m in the toilet- I’m in the bathroom
Jandal - thongs, sandals,flip-flops,
Jersey - sweater
Joker: Used to replace the word guy, or man. For example, you'd say "Look at that joker over there with the red had on."
Judder bar - speed bump
Jumper – sweater
Kindie – nursery school
Kiwi - New Zealander
Kiwifruit - Brown furry skinned fruit, Zespri, Chinese Gooseberry
Knackered - exhausted, tired, lethargic
Keen –enthusiastic...it means the same in North America, but is used much more frequently in NZ
Kumara- a yam/sweet potato-like vegetable

[JBrit]

part 2: Leave – vacation
Lecturer- equal to an assistant professor or (senior lecturer) associate professor in North America
Lolly – candy
Lolly scramble – usually used in politics meaning getting too much government assistance; also a game for toddlers
Loo - bathroom, toilet
The lot- that’s all, as in “Is that the lot?” when buying groceries
Long drop - outdoor toilet, hole in ground
Lurgy – flu or cold
Mad as a meat axe - very angry or crazy
Mai mai: a blind for bird hunting
Main - primary dish of a meal
Maori - indigenous people of New Zealand
Mate – buddy
Meccano –erector sets
Metal road – gravel (or “dirt”) road
Motorway – freeway
Moggie- cat
Mozzie- mosquito
Pakeha – white NZers (wouldn’t be used for Chinese, P.I.s or Indians etc).
Muck around- goof off, waste time.
Mufty – informal clothing
Naff off - go away, get lost, leave me alone
Natter - talk
Nana - grandmother, grandma
Nappy - diaper
Net ball – a popular game similar to basket ball but without a backboard, and played by women
Nibbles – Hor’dourves (Nibbles is used rarely in North America as well, but it is ubiquitous in NZ)
Niggle – a small ache or pain
North Cape to the Bluff - from one end of New Zealand to the other
OE - Overseas Experience, many students go on their OE after finishing university, see the world
Offsider - an assistant, someones friend, as in "we saw him and his offsider going down the road"
Oldies – parents
Oi or oy: To get someones attention. For example if someone wasn't listening and you wanted them to come over to you, you'd say "Oi!, come over here!" Like NYC’s or Rocky Balboa’s “Yo!” (Hey, it is yo spelled backwards!)
On the never never - paying for something using layby, not paying straight away
One half broom and shovel – dust pan and brush
Open slather - a free-for-all
Paddock- field
Pack a sad - bad mood, morose, ill-humoured, broken , as in "she packed a sad"
Pakeha - non-Maori person
Panel beater - auto repair shop, panel shop
Paper – a course at university or a polytechnic
Pav - pavlova, meringue-like dessert usually topped with kiwifruit and cream
Peg- Clothespin
Perve - to stare
Petrol - gasoline, gas
P.I.s - Pacific Islanders. Auckland it the largest city of South Pacific Islanders
Piece-of-piss - easy, not hard to do, as in "didn't take me long to do, it was a piece of piss"
Pikelet - small pancake usually had with jam and whipped cream
Piker - someone who gives up easy, slacker
Piss around - waste time
Pisshead - someone who drinks a lot of alcohol, heavy drinker
Piss up - party, social gathering, excuse for drinking alcohol
Pissed: Drunk
Plonk - cheap liquor, cheap wine
Plaster: band-aid
Pom or Pommie: Someone from Britian.
Polytechnic – a trade school approximately equating to a community college. However, the definition is murky since Polytechnics have in recent years been able to run university degrees...but they are not quite the same in this complex field of “tertiary” education.
Polystyrene – Styrofoam
Porridge - Oatmeal
Possum – a marsupial, not related to the North American opossum - hated and hunted in NZ since they kill bird eggs and eat tree leaves.
Postie - Mailman
Pot plant- not marijuana, but any potted plant
Pong - bad smell, stink
Poofter: Derogotory slang usually describing a gay man, or used to describe a male who isn't exhibiting a tough guy image.
Porkie: A lie. Typically told by a politician. Ie; "He's telling porkies." - Contributed by Frank Macskasy
Postal code - zip code
Poxy: Insult or description of unpleasant disease. Ie, "poxy bastard" - insult. "Looking a bit poxy" - illness. - Contributed by Frank Macskasy
Prang: Noun. Similar to 'ding' (SEE, 'ding') but more extensive damage. Verb: Pranged. Eg; "He pranged the car." - Contributed by Frank Macskasy
Pregas: Abreviation of pregnant. - Contributed by Hannah Tobin
Premo: Something considered good, choice, cool, excellent. ie. That car over there is Premo. -
Pram - baby stroller, baby pushchair
Pressie – present
Professor- equal to a North American Senior Professor - often with managerial duties. Assistant or Associate Professors are called tutors or lecturers.
Pub - bar or hotel that serves liquor
Pudding - dessert
puffed- tired and winded
Pushing up daisies - dead and buried
Push bike - bicycle
Pushing shit uphill with a shovel: Hopeless. Or being up against the odds. For example, if there was no chance of you winning a running race you'd be pushing shit uphill with a shovel even trying. - Contributed by John Barker
Rark up - telling somebody off
Rattle your dags - hurry up, get moving
Rellies - relatives, family
Reckon- I suppose so. I think so
Rocket - arugula
Root - have sex, get sex
Ropeable - very angry
Ring - to telephone somebody, as in "I'll give you a ring"
Rubber –eraser
Rubbish bin- trash can
Rust bucket - decrepit motor car
Scarce as hens teeth - very scarce, rare
Scarfie - university student
Scull - consume, drink quickly
Scroggin - hikers high energy food including dried fruits, chocolate
Serviette - paper napkin
Sellotape –scotch tape
Shandy - drink made with lemonade and beer
Shag – to have sex (but now thanks to Austin Powers, many North Americans know this word.)
Shark and taties - fish and chips
Sheila - slang for woman/female
She'll be right!: Common expression for it (something) will be all right. Will work all right, wull turn out all right. Usually when a quick unprofessional job has been done. Expression often followed by the word 'Mate'.
Shift – to move –as in “they will shift house” (instead of “they are moving into another house”)
Shit a brick - exclamation of surprise or annoyance
Shoot through - to leave suddenly
Shout - to treat, to buy something for someone, as in "the lunch is my shout"
serviette: A napkin made of either fabric or absorbent paper
Sickie - to take a day off work or school because you are sick (or not)
Skite - to boast, boasting, bragging
Slip – Landslide
Sleeping Rough – sleeping outside ...as in one who is homeless or a hobo
Snarler - sausage
Sook - cry baby, wimp
Sparkie - electrician
spew- to throw up
Sparrow fart - very early in the morning, sunrise
Spitting – drizzling rain
Sprog - child
Squiz - take a quick look
Skivies - undershirt
Sticking plaster, or plaster: band-aid
Stirrer: trouble-maker, agitator
Steinie - bottle of Steinlager, brand lager
Stock- farm animals, livestock
Stubby - small glass bottle of beer
Sunday driver - someone who drives very slow
Supper – desert and coffee or tea in the evening, not a meal
Sunnies – sunglasses
Superannuation – Social Security payment
Ta - thanks
Take-aways - food to be taken away and eaten, fast food outlet
Taking a paper – it can mean either taking a course ...or teaching a course at a tertiary institution
Tangi: A maori word which means funeral ceremony.
Taranaki Gate: A makeshift gate made from wire and battens.
Tea - evening meal, dinner (and tea)
Tenure- a union based “permanent” job
Tertiary institution – university or polytechnic
Tick – check. to check a box = tick the box
Tights – pantyhose
Tinkle –Make a phone call
Tip - dump or recycling depot
Thick as pig shit: Someone who is stupid. Or someone with a low level of intelligence.
Tinnie: A small amount of marijuana wrapped in aluminium foil. Usual retail; NZ$20 (apparently). - Contributed by Frank Macskasy
Tinnie House: A (usually) residential house, secretly selling marijuana and other drugs. Often rented for this sole purpose.
Tiki tour - scenic tour, take the long route
Togs – swimsuit, swim trunks
Torch – flashlight
Tomato sauce: catsup
Townie: Person living in a town or city, as opposed to a rural lifestyle. Eg; "He's a townie". (In N. America a Townie is usually a derogatory term used by summer residents or college students for poorer rural small town full time residents.)
Tramping – hiking (e.g. a hiker is a “tramper”, who “tramps”.)
tracksuit: sweat suit
Trolley: Shopping cart.
Truckie: A truck driver.
Try: a point scored in rugby
Tuition – “teaching style”. In NZ “Bad Tuition” means a bad teacher - not “high fees”. In N. America “tuition” means the “fees” to pay for education.
Tutor- Professor
Twink - white-out
Underlay – under-carpet ...also used in N America
Up the duff – pregnant
Uni- college or university
Unwashed- as in the “Great Unwashed”: working class, lower middle class
Ute - small pickup truck
Vegies – vegetables
vest: undershirt
vegemite: spread for toast or bread. Indescribable, but missed by many expat Kiwi's. Bill Tabb describes it as...like miso, "A spread the color of dark molasses, the consistency of cold honey and the flavor of yeasty very salty soy sauce- “an acquired taste, and quite good on warm soft pretzels here in California."
valet: a person who cleans vehicles... NOT one who parks them!
Wally - clown, silly person
Wash-out – a road side area that has been destroyed by river or rain
wharfie: stevedore
Wee-bit: A small amount
Whanau: Family. Used in all sorts of contexts, including immediate and extended families, colleagues, sports teams etc.
Whinge - complain, moan
Wobbly - to have a tantrum
Wops, wop wop - situated off the beaten track, out of the way location
Yack - to have a conversation with a friend, to talk
Yam: a South American Andean tuber-like vegetable (not a North American Yam, which is similar to a Kumara)
Yeah Nah: This can be VERY confusing for non Kiwi's. It generally means "I agree with you, that it isn't..." i.e. 'Australian's can't play rugby aye?' 'Yeah nah, they're USELESS'. - Contributed by Darren Harrison
You ain't wrong: Another way of saying "That's right", or "Yes".

[JBrit]

Its a (very) rough draft...made up ofa collection of dictionaries and my own contributions. I hear new ones every week that should be added, but I generally don't have the time...

[JBrit]

part 3: As you can see many nouns can have “ie” attached to the end (rellie, brickie, brekkie, bickie, prezzie, chippie, sunnie, truckie, boatie, littlies, oldies, postie, tinnie, sparkie, sickie, scarfie, vegies etc.)
New Zealand language is a dialect –as is (TV broadcast) North American English common in the USA and Canada, or regional dialectics such as Southern USA and New England dialects. Not only are different words used but different pronunciation is common. Broad accents are different than “cultured” accents and are class-based like the UK. Pronunciation of some common words such as pastels, schedule, macramé, and pita bread are all pronounced in ways that may be quite confusing for North Americans. The plural word “women” often sounds like the singular word “woman”. Buoy is pronounced “boy” instead of boo-eee. Debut is pronounced “Day- boo” with the accent on “boo” instead of “Day- bew”. The kiwi sport, Net Ball sounds like “nipple” to the North American ear. Garage has its accent on the first instead of second syllable. The ending of shown and knopwn is often pronounced like “no-en” and “show-en”. “Wh” is pronounced “f”… except in Whanganui where it is pronounced “w”. Many Scottish names that don’t exist or are very rare in N. America are common in NZ – e.g. Hamish, Angus, and Athol (pronounced Ethel).
One “goes to hospital” instead of “entering the hospital”. “Sports” are called “Sport” (no “s”, even if plural); “math” is called “maths” (with an “s”).
Kiwi customs and laws:
Drive on the left side of the road.
Walk on the left side (including stairs which may seem awkward for right-handed people).
Like the rest of the world, the Metric System.
Do not pass on passing lane if there is a traffic jam; it is considered impolite; you likely will prevented from doing so by irate drivers.
Flounder is not sold filleted, but whole.
No tipping anywhere (except in fancy restaurants that cater to tourists).
Kiwis rarely use napkins (also called serviettes). It can even be insulting to ask for napkins since it may be interpreted as being snooty or “nobby” (meaning nobility). Eating without napkins is a British working class tradition. However you will find napkins in restaurants, and occasionally in some homes – especially when kiwis ask foreigners for dinner (though don’t count on it).
Kiwis rarely rinse dish soap off dishes when washing them in a sink. They let is simply drip dry with the soap on the dishes.
One can legally walk in bear feet in most places - on city streets, in public buildings and in stores. (I have even seen one air NZ passenger walk in bear feet on the Auckland Airport tarmac –the one place it is in fact illegal, though no on reprimanded her… or even looked at het twice except American tourists.)
People often write reminder notes on their hands instead of paper. We need skin colour Twink. (see “Twink” above.
One often takes shoes off at the door when a guest at another’s houses. Always check to see if shoes are piled up outside first, and bring slippers, because your feet can get quite cold if it is not summer! The debate is open on how many have shoeless houses, but most Kiwi advertisements show people wearing shoes.
We have an amazingly temperate climate on the North Island – it can vary only 10 degrees Fahrenheit, or a few degrees Celsius between an average warm mid winter day and a cool summer day. Flowers bloom all year long on the North Island. The South island is considerably colder with snow in the winter
In most of NZ, summer, for the most part, begins with “settled weather” (not rainy or windy) mid to late January (although summer officially starts December 1st).
For most the summer holidays generally are over by the second week in January, and school children are back to school by the 3rd or 4th week in January.
Few use screens to keep insects out on windows. Instead, fly spray is used to kill insects and spiders.
No snakes exist in the wild in NZ, but a couple poisonous spiders exist here such as the Katipo and the new immigrant, the Red Back who are both closely related to the Black Widow.
Phone numbers, although written with 3, then a space, and four digits, is verbally pronounced with 2 digits a pause, then 2 digits, a pause and then 3 digits which can be confusing to North Americans
Most kiwis have no central heating and little insulation (with little or no heat in homes - 1/3 of all homes apparently have no heat according the media). Power is far more expensive for those on the average wage than in North America, so perhaps only one room has heat –either a fire, gas (often unventilated) or electric (electric oil heaters and small air heaters that look like hair dryers sitting on the floor). Doors and windows are often left open in the winter for fresh air. Winter (meaning a few frosts a year) is short on the North Island, a bit longer on the South Island.
Shops and many restaurants usually leave doors wide open - even in cold winter days (It is “not welcoming” to close the door) ...even if it is 40 degrees Fahrenheit outside...and inside. Many will not enter a shop if the door is closed.
NZ is one of 3 countries in the world where the seasons change at the beginning of the month instead of the Equinox or Solstice… so spring begins at the 1st of September, not the 21st.
“Autumn”, is used instead of “the fall” for the season; the word “fall” is never used in NZ for the season.
Although seemingly obvious, it can take a while for a North American to get used to the birds fly north for the winter in the autumn.
TV can seem very liberal; words banned on US network TV are allowed on NZ’s non-cable TV. However a TV series, or even a station, can start... or suddenly disappear with little notice.
NZ has an abundance of many seemingly fearsome gangs, including the Hells Angels and the “Mongrel Mob” - even in small towns. Whanganui a city (population 40,000) has at least 5 gangs ranging from the Hell’s Angels with an imposing fortified gang quarters to Neo Nazi gangs. However, in reality they are small gangs and generally keep a very low profile; they are less fearsome that most big city US gangs.
One’s 21st birthday is a monumental rite of passage in NZ and often celebrated lavishly.
Violent crime rate is quite low compared to North America, but we have an equally high burglary rate. Police don’t carry guns on their person (they are kept in their cars).
Rabbits are not loveable. In a rural environment they are to be killed, not loved, since they compete with stock for grass.
New Zealand is in fact more urban than the USA as a percentage of the population of which ½ live within 100 miles of Auckland.
Many people have stock (farm animals) in their back yard in rural-like suburban settings.
“Cities” are often what many North Americans might call small or average sized towns. (A city here is any population area “over 35,000”… as opposed to “over 80,000” in North America.)
The word “negro” is not thought of as offensive. It is often used to describe a person of African or African American origin. Goliwogs (doll parodies of Africans) are considered cute, not offensive. There are very few people of African descent here.
Children begin school, year one (same as North American kindergarten), at their 5th birthday...on the day of their birthday, unless on a weekend or school break (holiday).
When teaching, one has to “take leave” during normal vacation time. Leave is often very limited, compared to vacations in North America in academic environments.
High School (generally called “college”) has grades that are quite different that North America using achieved (A), merit (M) and excellent (E) as a baselines –roughly equal to C, B, and A, though “achieved” can be used in a pass/fail environment.
Tertiary education (college) in NZ is confusing – polytechnics and universities often have different amount of years for the same degrees. Polytechnics (community colleges and trade schools) and universities can run the same degree, but they are often worth differently. Generally speaking most university courses are 3 years. A 4th “honours year” also exists. Medical school is 6 years as opposed to 8 years in North America. Students choose majors generally when entering university and generally begin specialization in high school. NZ universities are rated fairly high internationally.
Drip coffee is rare and has largely been replaced by espresso, cappuccinos and lattes (some of the best in the world). Gourmet drip coffee has made a bit of a comeback in high end cafes in the last year or so. However, people rarely drink brewed coffee at home. Instant coffee is the preferred beverage in homes and at work (along with tea).

[JBrit]

Sorry, it only uploaded into 3 parts.

[newarrival]

I only cross- read through those posts, but have to say that I haven't heard lots of the expressions you mention.., never heard of the word 'anklebiter' in my almost ten years here, for example.As to the napkins (only one example which I remember)- even our fish'n chips shop has napkins sitting on the counter.....

As to the metric system..., 'like the rest of the world'- except the US?

[sks]

Maybe it's the people that I associate with, but when I hear the word "tinnie," it refers to a lightweight aluminium (not "aluminum") boat, as opposed to a package of marijuana (referred to in NZ as "cannabis.")

Capsicum = (green or red) pepper.

And for you chippies out there -- in the North Island, a bit of wall framing inserted between two studs to support an attachment is referred to as a "nog." In the South Island, it's a "dwang."

[dharder]

Just glanced at this as well, but as a general comment, I think one has to be very careful with generalisations (I have never heard the phone number pronounced like you describe, not all high schools are called colleges, they don't all use the same grading system).

Not that what you list shouldn't be listed as this could cause confusion to a North American (a lot of the words are used in BE as well, so wouldn't be as confusing to the UK ear), but generalising like this isn't always helpful.

Daniela

[Auburn]

Hubby and I just had a read through and giggle. He said it sounds like you've been hanging around a bunch of ozzies, poms, and westies. FYI...if you were a southerner, you would know the difference between a yam, sweet potato, and kumura. A yam is a yam, a sweet potato is a sweet potato, and a kumura is more like a U.S. sweet potato than a yam! :P :P :P

[sks]

Coming from the US, I've found that one of the things more jarring to the ear than unfamiliar words or phrases is the unfamiliar pronunciation of familiar words. For example, for most of my life, I've heard the word "fillet" pronounced without the final "t" enunciated (whether as a noun or a verb) -- that caused a bit of laughter when I used it on my first NZ fishing trip. Certain words of (generally) foreign origin are also pronounced differently in NZ -- in some cases, not even consistently. I still shake my head at the radio advertisement that I heard in Hamilton, urging me to purchase genuine parts for my "Subaru" (accent on second syllable) at "Subaru" (accent on first syllable) Auto Spares. (Well, which is it, then?)