Glossary Of Terms
That Maybe Unfamiliar to North American Readers
Aussie nickname for
Australians
bedsit a one room
rental with a shared bath and no formal kitchen
biffing
beating,
hitting
blokes
men
boot
trunk of a car
borstal an institution
housing juvenile delinquents
brolly
umbrella
Bursary
the
former grading system used in New Zealand to qualify
applicants for higher education and scholarship money; “A”
was the highest Bursary possible
chooks
hens
creche
child care
facility
flat
apartment
forms
levels
in
the New Zealand School system (no longer in use at most NZ
schools); 1st
form-7th
form is
comparable to 6th
grade-12th
grade in the
United States
front
up meet in person
and apologize
golden
shower urinating on
another person as part of a sexual act
Guy
Fawkes Day Annual
celebration on November 5th
of
the failed 1605 plot by a group of English Roman Catholics
to bomb the House of Parliament and assassinate King James
I of England in the hopes of extinguishing protestant rule.
hiding
spanking
jug
cord a power cord
for a kettle
Kiwi
nickname for
New Zealanders
Kookaburra
large bird with
a cackling call sounding like human laughter
lino linoleum
lollies
lollipops or
hard candies
loo
a
toilet
macrocarpas
a
species of evergreen trees which grow particularly large in
New Zealand, reaching heights of 40m with trunks up to 3m
in diameter
manuka
an
evergreen scrub bush or small tree with prickly leaves and
white or pink flowers
Maori First New
Zealand settlers; migrated from Polynesia AD 800-1300
Maori
Land March of 1975 Since the
mid-1800s, the Maori people have been plagued with land
issues. They gradually had much of their land taken from
them through miscommunications with the British, as well as
through dishonest business transactions. The 1975 march was
a protest organized against Maori land loss.
Maori
whare a sacred house
used by the Maori tribes for funerals, religious
ceremonies, and community meetings
marae
sacred grounds,
buildings, meeting place of Maori people
mate
friend
Mini
a
very small, British-made car
moggy
cat
Morris
a
British-made car
mufti
ordinary
clothing, as opposed to a uniform of any kind
nappies
diapers
paddock
a
field or land enclosed by a fence
Pakeha
a
New Zealander who did not descend from the Maori tribes,
but whose ancestors were from Europe
pig
dog a dog trained
to hunt and kill wild pigs
pohutukawa
also known as
the New Zealand Christmas Tree, this large tropical
evergreen tree is dressed in beautiful red flowers from
November to January
poi games, dances,
and exercises created by the Maori people; uses a ball
attached to a rope that could be made from a variety of
materials
poofters slang term for
homosexual men
posted
mailed
pressies
presents
punters
customers
radiogram
plays records
and also the radio
rand
South
African monetary unit
sammies
sandwiches
sellotape
cellophane tape
shifting
in moving in
sleepout
a
structure built for sleeping
snuff
it to die
swotted
slang for the
act of studying to the exclusion of all other social
activity
tapa
cloth delicate cloth
made from tree bark; often painted and hung as an art form
teemed
on urinated on
tiki
Polynesian
figurine
timbrel
a
tambourine-like
musical
instrument
timbrellist person who
plays a timbrel
Toetoe
native New
Zealand grasses that grow in clumps as large as 3m tall
togs
clothing
torch
flashlight
tukutuku
panels ancient Maori
art constructed from a variety of plant and wood materials
lashed together in intricate patterns to form decorative
latticework wall panels
Wahine
storm On April 10,
1968, cyclone Giselle combined with another strong storm
system creating the most powerful cyclone recorded in the
history of New Zealand at that time. The storm caused major
damage in Wellington with recorded wind speeds reaching 275
km/h. The Wahine ferry was caught in this violent storm
close to the Wellington Harbor. The ferry eventually
capsized, 53 out of 733 passengers and crew members losing
their lives in the Wahine disaster.
waka
large canoes
capable of ocean travel used by ancient Maori tribes
wattle
tree a thorny bush
or tree indigenous to New Zealand; produces bright yellow
flowers
Weetbix
a
brand name of
a cereal bar made
from wheat
weta
a
common New Zealand insect similar in looks to a cricket
whinged
whined