Kiwi Slang

Photo c/o absolutebus.co.nz

My first few days in Aotearoa New Zealand, many years ago, was a challenging one. Specially when it came to understanding what Kiwis were talking about or saying to me.  Most often, when I could not decipher what they were saying, I would just give a knowing smile to pass their test.

They have this unique usage of the English language.  Some are even Maori words or terms.  If you get to hear or listen in to a Kiwi conversation, you'll be amazed that such words are used or does exist. Here are some examples:

Sweet as: That's awesome, or cool
Takka: Food
Bloke: A man
Gruts: Underwear
Scodey: Something that's rotten or gross
Lolly: Candy or sweets
Mean: That's awesome!
Skux: Ladies man, or someone who is well dressed
Maccas: Commonly used in Australia too, another name for McDonald's
Smoko: A break, morning or afternoon tea

And of course the top gun is Yeah, nah: Could be yes, could be no.  If spoken, be wary of this one, nobody really knows the answer to this one.

Please click this link for The Top Kiwi Slang Words That Confuse The Entire World.