22 Things New Zealanders Say That Aussies Just Don’t Get

New Zealand and Australia are both English-speaking countries. However, New Zealanders have a long list of slang terms and colourful expressions that set their dialect apart from Australian English. Here are 23 Kiwi words that tend to confuse Aussies.

New Zealand and Australia are linked in many ways, have an intense sporting rivals and — to their dismay — often get mistaken as the same place by foreigners.

But the most obvious thing the two countries share is their language (and New Zealand-born Australian Russell Crowe).

However, the way Kiwis – the nickname they gave themselves after the country’s small, flightless bird – and Aussies speak can vary wildly.

And the New Zealand accent is a source of endless amusement for Australians with its flat vowels, which make the number 6 sound like “sux”, amid endless jokes about “fush and chups”.

When three Australians made an 80-second YouTube cartoon about a whale and seagull speaking with a Kiwi accent, known as “Beached Az”, it became a cult hit. Made for $16 worth of coffee, it has been viewed more than 9.2 million times over the past decade and given the film careers, as well as making them a fortune from merchandising.

It grew into a TV series for Australia’s national broadcaster, the ABC.

Here is the original clip:

New Zealand English is full of unique slang words and expressions that would leave most Australian speakers scratching their heads.

Taking the lead from Business Insider’s Portia Crowe, who compiled a similar list of words for Canada and America, we’ve taken the list over the Ditch and found some more examples to illustrate how differently Australians and New Zealanders speak.

Read on for 22 Kiwi words and expressions that most Australians simply won’t understand.

Bach

A holiday home.

Choice

An expression used when a person is pleased with something.

Chilly bin

An Esky.

Chuddy

Chewing gum

Chur

An expression used instead of thank you.

Dairy

A convenience store.

An Egg

An expression used to describe a clown, or insult them.

Eh

Used at the end of a rhetorical question, or making a statement.

Hard Out

An expression used when in agreement with someone.

Jandals

Thongs or flip flops.

Land Waka

The bus.

Pack a Sad

Have a temper-tantrum.

Pakaru

Used to describe something that is broken.

Red Bands

An iconic brand of Gumboots made in New Zealand.

Scarfie

A university student.

Skint

Broke, no money.

Skux

Someone who is well dressed.

Snarler

Sausage.

Stink one

An expression used when you have been disappointed.

Tiki Tour

Taking the long way to get to a destination.

Tramping

Hiking.

The wops

A place in the middle of nowhere.


This story had been updated since its original publication.


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