Nek minnit and noog are among are among the recent additions recorded in a comprehensive new dictionary of Kiwi slang, lovingly collected by Noel Kelly.
Some of Noel Kelly's favourite Kiwi-isms
- Appetite of a fantail – an appetite easily sated
- All hui and no doey – all talk and no action
- Away in the tea tree – person living remotely/person prone to daydreaming
- Back door pensioner – retired sheep dog
- Back up the truck! – think again/re-evaluate
- Funny as a piece of string – extremely amusing
- Give it some jandal – accelerate a motor vehicle
- Helengrad – a jocular play on ‘Leningrad’ and Helen Clark’s robust leadership style
- Finally… solar panel for a sex machine? You’ll have to listen to find out…
Noel explains his fascination with slang and the changing nature informal language in the internet age.
Dictionary of Slang in New Zealand by Noel Kelly is published by Barque books and distributed by Bateman.
We share much of our slang with our cousins over the ditch, including the ubiquitous 'no worries'. Photo: (CC BY-SA 200)
