Kiwi words and phrases: give 'em a go

Planning a trip to New Zealand? If you're like us, it's going to take you a while to get used to the language. There's not only a bit of an accent to contend with, but heaps of new words.

Here's a round up of our favourites and what (we think) they mean. (If you're a Kiwi, please feel free to leave a comment and let us know if we've misinterpreted anything! Or let us go on embarrassing ourselves – it's up to you.)

• how you going? – common Kiwi greeting
• jandals – flip flops
• toilet – even in a fancy restaurant, it’s perfectly appropriate to ask where the toilet is. I still have a hard time with this one.
• wee squiz – quick look, as in “I’ll just need to take a wee squiz at your report before sending it to the boss.”
• as you do – used when you’re joking that something out of the ordinary is actually common: “We were drinking wine out of a two-litre bottle … as you do … because we forgot to bring cups to our campsite.”
• sorted – figured out, as in “no worries bro, it’s sorted.”
• suss – similar to sorted, as in “I’ve got it sussed.”
• dodgy – bad, unreliable
• cardie -- cardigan
• jersey -- sweater
• jumper – also sweater
• eh? – pronounced “ay”, to be added to the end of certain sentences whether or not you’re asking a question. “He was pretty pissed last night, eh?” or “I'll take some tomato sauce, eh.”
• fizzy drink – soda
• happy – this is my new favourite word that I use several times a day. As in "are you happy to meet for a drink?" "I'm happy to schedule a meeting" and "please advise if you're happy for me to proceed."
• flat tack – full speed, as in “we were going a flat tack on the jetboat before he pulled a 360”
• good on ya -- well done; good for you
• heaps -- lots
• reckon – this does not have the slightly redneck connotation it has in the States, and is perfectly appropriate to use in a professional setting: “I reckon the business requirements specification document is ready for the executive team’s review.”
• long drop – outdoor toilet built over a hole in the ground
• knackered – exhausted
• right – as explained to me by a colleague: you'll hear this after there's been discussion followed by a pause, then someone sighs and says "right" with a certain amount of emphasis. It indicates "okay let's make a decision" or "okay let's get started."
• bugger – exclamation similar to damn
• pissed – not mad, simply drunk
• pissing down – raining hard, pouring
• fillet – same steak, but the “t” is no longer silent
• ta – thanks, most commonly used for simple things such as when someone holds a door

What are your favourite Kiwi words and phrases? Tell us in the comments.