If you’re coming to New Zealand on one of AUIP’s Wintermester programs here’s a few ‘choice’ phrases that will help you get by and avoid those truly baffling moments when a kiwi (the colloquial name for someone from New Zealand) starts talking to you about eating pineapple lumps in a bach.

We have been scouring the web for translations and have found this page from Lonely Planet to be particularly useful with a few of our own observations thrown in! 

Firstly, expect ‘ay’ or ‘as’ to be at the end of the majority of sentences. Ay’ may seem as though you are being asked a question but it’s really just a way that kiwi’s end a sentence. Whereas ‘as’ is used to emphasise a proceeding adjective. For example, ‘sweet as’ would mean something is awesome or great, not that something is very sweet in flavour.

A few more to get your head around:

Choice: All good.

Bro: short for brother, a term of friendship used very often and not just with males. It is also often tacked on the end of a sentence, for example, ‘cheers bro’, which translates to thanks mate.

Chur: A more relaxed version of ‘cheers bro’.

Yeah nah: Means no but is purposely vague.

Yeah right: Ironically means ‘I don’t believe you at all’. Keep an eye out for the Tui billboards as you travel around the country. It has been a very successful campaign for the NZ beer brand.

Oh true: Used to express passionate agreement and some wonderment.

Stink: Used to describe dismay when told of a failure or an unfortunate event.

Bach: A small holiday home.

Chilly bin: Kiwi’s version of a cooler which goes with an ice pack, which is the US slicker pad.

Jandals: Equivalent of flip-flops.

Togs: Somehow this means swimwear.

Hokey pokey: Vanilla ice-cream with small, solid lumps of crunchy toffee bits.

Pineapple lumps: Chocolate-coated lumps of pineapple flavoured confectionary.

Are there any alumni out there who came across any other crazy kiwi lingo that you can prepare our upcoming students with?