Number Alternative Lists

Number		0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Alphabet		-	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I
Keypad		-	-	ABC	DEF	GHI	JKL	MNO	PQRS	TUV	WXYZ
Months		-	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep
English		Zero	One	Two	Three	Four	Five	Six	Seven	Eight	Nine
Maori		Kore	Tahi	Rua	Toru	Wha	Rima	Ono	Whitu	Waru	Iwa
Samoan		o'	Tasi	Lua	Tolu	a	Lima	Ono	Fitu	Walu	Iwa
French		Zero	Un	Deux	Trois	Quatre	Cinq	Six	Sept	Huit	Neuf
Spanish		Cero	Uno	Dos	Tres	Cuatro	Cinco	Seis	Siete	Ocho	Nueve
Italian		Zero	Uno	Due	Tre	Quattro	Cinque	Sei	Sette	Otto	Nove
German		Null	Eins	Zwei	Drei	Vier	Funf	Sechs	Sieben	Acht	Neun
Japanese		Jiro	Ichi	Ni	San	Shi	Go	Roku	Shichi	Hachi	Nana
						Hyo

Maori

Akoranga


“Traditional teachings of a tribe,” treating proper behavior and ethical values.
Aroha


Love, charity, good will toward people and toward nature. Aroha comes from the gods, and individuals express it.
Hongi


The hongi is a ritual of greeting, blessing, and unity. The two parties press noses against one another and exhale.
Iwi


A tribe, “the largest political unit in Maori society,” which commonly possesses a defined tract of land.

Kaupapa


House rules. The way people are supposed to conduct themselves in a particular place, such as a marae; what actions and roles they are to perform. If you’re Lutheran, think of it as the order of service.

Kotahitanga


Tribal unity, and cooperation so as to provide equitably for all.

Mana


Power, prestige. In a strict sense it has to come from the gods, but in a practical sense it can be earned and enhanced by individual accomplishments and knowledge.

Marae


Sort of a plaza—the open space in front of the meeting house—“a symbol of tribal identity and solidarity.” In modern usage the term comprises all the common buildings and space of the community.

Mauri


The life-essence in any creature or thing that determines what it can and will do. “Everything has a mauri.” Death is the separation of a creature from its mauri.

Pakeha


Whites. Not maori, and not persons of color.

Rangatahi


The youth, the future leaders. Youth are enjoined to learn the ways of the pakeha world, but remain true to maori tradition.

Tapu


The quality of the sacred, power from the gods, inherent in every person or thing. There can be good tapu, and bad tapu—it’s a matter of choice.

Weho


A ritual challenge given by sentinels to intruders when they approach. This is a much-anticipated part of welcoming visitors to a marae.

Whakapapa


In a narrow sense, one’s genealogy. In a larger sense, one’s place in the world, comprising all knowledge and all things.



The marae

* Hui a meeting of any kind, conference, gathering
* Marae the area for formal discourse in front of a meeting house or applied to a whole marae complex, including meeting house, dining hall, forecourt, etc.
* Haere mai! Welcome! Enter!
* Nau mai! Welcome!
* Tangihanga funeral ceremonies, when body is mourned on a marae
* Tangi short (verbal version) for the above (gerund) or to cry, to mourn
* Karanga the ceremony of calling to the guests to welcome them to enter the marae
* Manuhiri guests, visitors
* Tangata whenua original people belonging to a place, local people, hosts
* Whaikōrero the art and practise of speech making
* Kaikōrero or kaiwhai kōrero speaker (there are many other terms)
* Haka chant with dance for the purpose of challenge; (see other references to haka on this site)
* Waiata song or chant which follows speech
* Koha gift, present (usually money, can be food or precious items, given by guest to hosts)
* Whare nui meeting house; in writing this is sometimes run together as one word – wharenui
* Whare whakairo carved meeting house
* Whare kai dining hall
* Whare paku lavatory, toilet
* Whare horoi ablution block, bathroom

Concepts

* Aroha compassion, tenderness, sustaining love
* Ihi power, authority, essential force
* Mana authority, power; secondary meaning: reputation, influence
* Manaakitanga respect for hosts or kindness to guests, to entertain, to look after
* Mauri hidden essential life force or a symbol of this
* Noa safe from tapu (see below), non-sacred, not tabooed
* Raupatu confiscate, take by force
* Rohe boundary, a territory (either geographical or spiritual) of an iwi or hapū
* Taihoa to delay, to wait, to hold off to allow maturation of plans, etc.
* Tapu sacred, not to be touched, to be avoided because sacred, taboo
* Tiaki to care for, look after, guard (kaitiaki – guardian, trustee)
* Taonga treasured possessions or cultural items, anything precious
* Tino rangatiratanga the highest possible independent chiefly authority, paramount authority, sometimes used for sovereignty
* Tūrangawaewae a place to stand, a place to belong to, a seat or location of identity
* Wehi to be held in awe
* Whakapapa genealogy, to recite genealogy, to establish kin connections
* Whenua land, homeland, country; also afterbirth, placenta

People and their groups

* Ariki person of high inherited rank from senior lines of descent, male or female
* Hapū clan, tribe, independent section of a people; modern usage – sub-tribe; to be born
* Iwi people, nation; modern usage – tribe; bones
* Kaumātua elder or elders, senior people in a kin group
* Ngāi Tātou a way of referring to everyone present – we all
* Pākehā this word is not an insult; its derivation is obscure; it is the Māori word for people living in New Zealand of British/European origin; originally it would not have included, for example, Dalmatians, Italians, Greeks, Indians, Chinese, etc.
* Rangatira person of chiefly rank, boss, owner
* Tama son, young man, youth
* Tamāhine daughter
* Tamaiti one child
* Tamariki children
* Tāne man, husband, men, husbands
* Teina/taina junior relative, younger brother of a brother, younger sister of a sister
* Tipuna/tupuna ancestor
* Tuahine sister of a man
* Tuakana senior relative, older brother of a brother, older sister of a sister
* Tungāne brother of a sister
* Wahine woman, wife (wāhine women, wives)
* Waka canoe, canoe group (all the iwi and hapū descended from the crew of a founding waka)
* Whāngai fostered or adopted child, young person
* Whānau extended or non-nuclear family
* Whanaunga kin, relatives

Components of place names

Ordinary geographical features such as hills, rivers, cliffs, streams, mountains, the coast and adjectives describing them, such as small, big, little and long, are to be found in many place names. Here is a list so you can recognise them:

* Au current
* Awa river
* Iti small, little
* Kai one of the meanings of kai is food; in a place name it signifies a place where a particular food source was plentiful, e.g., Kaikōura, the place where crayfish (kōura) abounded and were eaten
* Mānia plain
* Manga stream
* Maunga mountain
* Moana sea, or large inland 'sea', e.g., Taupō
* Motu island
* Nui large, big
* ō or o means 'of' (so does a, ā); many names begin with ō, meaning the place of so-and-so, e.g., ōkahukura, ōkiwi, ōhau, etc.
* One sand, earth
* Pae ridge, range
* Papa flat
* Poto short
* Puke hill
* Roa long
* Roto lake; inside
* Tai coast, tide
* Wai water
* Whanga harbour, bay

Greetings

* E noho rā Goodbye (from a person leaving)
* E haere rā Goodbye (from a person staying)
* Haere mai Welcome!, Come!
* Hei konā rā Goodbye (less formal)
* Kia ora Hi!, G'day! (general informal greeting)
* Mōrena (Good) morning!
* Nau mai Welcome! Come!
* Tēnā koe formal greeting to one person
* Tēnā kōrua formal greeting to two people
* Tēnā koutou formal greeting to many people
* Tēnā tātou katoa formal inclusive greeting to everybody present, including oneself

Body parts

* Arero tongue
* Ihu nose
* Kakī neck
* Kauae, kauwae chin
* Kōpū womb
* Māhunga hair (when used for hair must always be used in plural, indicated by ngā [the, plural]), head
* Manawa heart
* Niho teeth
* Poho chest (also called uma)
* Puku belly, stomach
* Raho testicles
* Ringa hand, arm
* Toto blood
* Tou anus
* Turi knee (also known as pona)
* Tūtae excrement, ordure
* ū breast (breast-milk is wai-ū)
* Upoko head
* Ure penis
* Waewae foot, feet, leg, legs

A note on pronunciation

The following English equivalents are a rough guide to pronouncing vowels in Māori:

* a as in far
* e as in desk and the first 'e' in where; it should be short and sharp
* i as in fee, me, see
* o as in awe (not 'oh!')
* u as in put, foot

There are fewer consonants, and only a few are different from English:

* r should not be rolled. It is pronounced quite close to the sound of 'l' in English. The tongue is near the front of the mouth.
* t is pronounced more like 'd' than 't', with the tip of the tongue slightly further back from the teeth
* wh counts as a consonant; the standard modern pronunciation is close to the 'f' sound; in some districts it is more like an 'h'; in others more like a 'w' without the 'h'; in others again more like the old aspirated English pronunciation of 'wh' (huence for whence)
* ng counts as one consonant and is pronounced like the 'ng' in the word 'singer'. It is not pronounced like the 'ng' in 'finger', i.e., Whāngārei is pronounced Far-n(g)ah-ray (not Fong-gah-ray); Tauranga is pronounced Tow- (to rhyme with sew) rah-n(g)ah (not Tow-rang-gah).

The macron – a little line above some vowels – indicates vowel length. Some words that look the same have different meanings according to their vowel length. For example, anā means 'here is' or 'behold': Anā te tangata! (Here is the man!) But ana, with no macron, means a cave. Some writers of modern Māori double the vowel instead of using macrons when indicating a long vowel, so the first example would be Anaa te tangata!

Maori Words & Phrases

aroha love
atua spiritual essence
hahi church
he mana te matauranga knowledge is power
hci mutunga in closing
hopo a form of psychological withdrawal
i te kore, ki te po, ki te ao marama from nothing, into the darkness, into the world of light
io matua korc the original essence, when nothing else existed
iwi tribe; people
kaho horizontal battens or purlins
kaikorero spcaker/s
kanohi ki te kanohi face to face
karakia incantation, prayer, chant
kauwae runga, kauwae raro accessible knowledge, sacred knowledge
kawa local protocols
koha gift
kopaiti, ihonui, kauwhanga spatial dividers of groups
kotahitanga unity
kupu word
mana whcnua family members of sub-tribe genealogically connected to a particular geographical area
manaakitanga ability/process of caring for others and/or something of worth. Help and support for each other
mana whenua the name given to members of the family of sub-tribe who are genealogically connected to a particular geographical area
matauranga knowledge (in this context 'Maori knowledge')
mate-ora death - life
mauri tu, mauri ora, mauri noho, mauri mate *a saying about vitality and life force, when we stand up and strive the desire to live is strong, when we give up or sit down we are more prone to sickness and death
mokopuna grandchildren
Ngai Tahu descendents of Tahu Potiki, tribe traditionally located in the South Island
oriori lullaby
paepae beam at the front of the whare, threshold between sacred from profane
puhi-kuia young girl - old woman
pukenga atawhai Maori mental health worker
rangatira-ringawera leaders - supporters
rangi-tu-haha heavenly realms
rehutai and rukatai symbols of knowledge and wisdom
rohe region
taha Maori things Maori; Maori 'side'
tahuhu ridgepole, representing the passage from darkness to the world of light
tane-wahine man - woman
tangata whaiora Maori people/patients seeking wellness
tangata whenua Maori; indigenous people
tangata whenua-manuhiri people of the land - visitors
tapu sacred; restricted
tapu-noa restricted - profane
te ao Hou uture hopes and aspirations
te ao Hurihuri the modern world
te ao Maori the Maori world
te ao Tawhito traditions, mythology; the ancient world
te hangaitanga introduction, background
te kete Aronui the natural world that lies before us, perceived by normal sense perception
te kete Tuatea the world that lies beyond space and time
te kete Tuauri a world of psychic and cosmic energy that operates behind the natural world
te korekore the absolute nothingness
te korekore te rawea absolute nothingness that could not be wrapped up
te korekore te tamaua absolute nothingness that could not be fastened
te korekore te whiwhia absolute nothingness that could not be bound
te po i pepeke the loftiest night
te po i tuturi the lowest night
te po tangotango the night to be felt
te po uriuri the thick night
te reo Maori the Maori language
Te rohe o Ngai Tahu tribal area of Ngai Tahu
Te Tai Rawhiti The East coast of the North Island
Te Wai Pounamu The South Island
tihi-o-manono highest realm
tino rangatiratanga self determination.
tuakana- teina elder-younger relationship (in this context implicates mentoring)
tikanga principles which govern correct action; Maori values and processes
tupuna/tipuna ancestor or ancestors
tupuna rangatira esteemed ancestors
waiata song
waiora wellbeing
wairua spirit
wairuatanga practices pertaining to maintenance within the spiritual dimension
waka canoe
waka wairua vehicle containing spiritual essence
wero challenge
whakapapa Maori genealogy or ancestry
whakama may be associated with shyness, embarrassment or a sense of shame
whakawhanaungatanga process of strengthening relationships and extended family relationships
whanau extended family, sometimes used in a metaphorical sense
whanaungatanga relationship, interconnection
whare runanga carved meeting house; also known as whare whakairo or whare tipuna
whare wananga house of learning
whatumanawa emotions

NZ words

New Zealand English vocabulary

Shared with Australia or other countries

• Bloody - used predominantly as a replacement for swearing (also see bugger)
• Bogan — a derogatory term describing a person (usually caucasian) who is perceived to be uncultured, uneducated, and/or of a lower class background. (See also 'Westie', below.)
• (bring a) plate — informal on invitations to social functions it constitutes a request that people attending should arrive with a plate-full of food, because catering is not provided. Many new arrivals in New Zealand have mistaken this and turned up with an empty plate, but only once. Perhaps used more by the older generation. Shared with Australia.
• Bubble and squeak - recooked leftovers.
• buckie/bucket - slang for smoking marijuana using a plastic softdrink bottle and a bucket of water.
• Bugger - more recently used as a replacement for swearing.
• by Jingoes/Jingles/Crickey - used also as a replacement for swearing, especially when annoyed.
• chips and chippies, — potato chips or french fries (USA). Shared with the UK and some other Commonwealth countries. Never crisps
• chunder, slang — vomit, from "Watch out under".
• chunder mile — a once popular sporting event, particularly at universities, in which participants would run a lap of a running track, eat a cold pie, scull a jug of beer, and continue until the above 'chunder' would occur. Now largely banned by the university authorities.
• Claytons, slang adj. — low-quality imitation, not the real thing. Originated in Australia. For example, a hasty, temporary repair may be only a Claytons solution to a problem. Originally from the brand-name of a non-alcoholic whisky-flavoured beverage. Generally used by the older generation. See Claytons.
• crook - slang for sick or ill; as in "feeling crook".
• fanny, slang — a crude word for female genitals, as in the UK. Although, sometimes buttocks as in the USA. Words such as "Fanny Pack" should be avoided in New Zealand (the New Zealand term is "beltbag" or "bumbag").
• footpath, — pavement or sidewalk. Shared with Australia.
• flat — a rented dwelling. Often a large multilevel home will be converted into an upstairs and downstairs flats, but there are fully-detached flats and blocks of flats as well. The term apartment is usually used for blocks of flats with shared internal access. (This is distinctly different from the British usage of the term, which is restricted to units within a block of flats). Also flatting, to share a flat.
• footy, slang — football (usually Rugby Union, rarely League or soccer).
• G'day!/ Gidday!, interj. — A friendly, informal greeting, as in Australian English (From "good day") Examples, Gidday mate. Mostly used by the older generation.
• "good as gold" - Great, fine - as a form of agreement.
• growl/growling/growled - telling off
• have someone on — To pull someone's leg: I was just having you on.
• kiwi — informal a New Zealander, or as an adjective instead of New Zealand. New Zealanders never use kiwi to refer to kiwifruit. Used in foreign exchange circles to refer to the New Zealand dollar.
• longdrop — informal as in US "outhouse" or "portapotty"
• lolly, — any of various sweets (pieces of candy). Iced lollies are called "ice blocks".
• pom, n. — British person, usually English. Possibly from Prisoner Of (Her) Majesty. See Alternative words for British.
• the rentals - used more recently as a replacement for parents. From the word parentals.
• rubber - Another word for an eraser. It is called this because you "rub out" mistakes, and because they were made of rubber.Shared with the UK. Note condoms are never referred to as 'rubbers'.
• scab - verb and noun, meaning the act of (or someone) scrounging, asking for food or money.
• sesh — slang a period of time spent smoking marijuana. Shortened from 'session'. Less commonly used to refer to marijuana directly, ie to ask someone "have you got a sesh?" means the same as "do you have any marijuana?"
• shake a leg - hurry up.
• your shout - your turn to buy - usually the next round of alcoholic drinks
• smoko, — rest break during work, originating in the days when smoking was a common practice and would take place during such breaks. Pronounced "smoke-o".
• stirrer - someone who manipulates trouble/conflict amongst others.
• super, — the old age pension scheme. Contraction of "superannuation".
• sweet as/sweet, adj. — fine as far as I'm concerned. The use of 'as' as an intensifier for adjectives has spread, for example 'It's cold as outside', or 'This summer has been hot as'. 'Sweet as' was, until recently with the exporting of NZ television and humour, unique to NZ.
• Ta - possibly a contraction of 'Thanks', can mean both "Goodbye" and "Thanks"; also used to ask for something to be given to you. (Shared with UK).
• togs - bathing suit; swimming costume. Non-gender specific, can apply to speedos, swimming shorts, bikini, or any swimming clothing.
• Up the Duff — As in UK a noun for a pregnant woman, e.g. "I heard she was up the duff"
• wag, slang v. — To play truant, as in Tom's wagging school today.
• wagon, — station wagon (USA), estate car (UK). Contraction of "station wagon"; the full term is often used.

Unique to New Zealand

• au, - pronounced "o", from the Maori word aua meaning "I don't know". Common in Northland and Gisborne.
• bach, — a small holiday home, usually near the beach, often with only one or two rooms and of simple construction. Pronounced "batch". Comes from bachelor. (See also 'crib', below).
• boondocks, — rural, isolated part of the country (not unique, however)
• bunk/bunking - truancy
• chilly bin - An Esky or other portable polystyrene/plastic food and beverage cooler
• choice! — informal excellent! Great idea! Common in Auckland
• chur bro — Slang, humorous 'pronounced as a deep 'chair' usually a strong voicing of thanks but also a parting salutation. Shortened from "cheers brother" although can be said to either male or female. Common in Auckland. More recently this can and has often been shortened to "chur bo", as "bro" loses its 'r'.
• crib — another word for bach, more commonly used in the south of the South Island.
• cuz — as in male or female cousin.
• Dag(g) — similar to a "hard-case" i.e. a comedian or funny person. Commonly used in the phrase: "What a dag!". NZ comedian John Clarke's stage name Fred Dagg was influenced by this.
• dairy — equivalent to the British term corner shop or American term convenience store.
• dak — marijuana
• The Ditch — slang the Tasman Sea, the "ditch" separating New Zealand and Australia, almost always used in the phrase: "across the ditch", meaning, Australia. Occasionally also refers to Cook Strait, which separates the two main islands of the country.
• domain — as well as its common overseas uses, a public park or reserve, often with sports or camping facilities.
• egg - mild insult meaning 'fool' or 'dork'. Enjoyed widespread use in the 1980s, still used today. Used to be used occasionally with the partner (and now all but obsolete) "spoon".
• eh! (occasionally spelled "aye") — Slang used for emphasis at the end of a sentence, eh!. Can be used as meaning "isn't it". (A similar but not identical usage is found in Canadian English). See Eh. Possibly adapted by derivation from the Maori oral punctuitive syllable "e" (pronounced as the 'e' in "egg") eg "e hine e", "e tu", "tino pai e". More recently spelt "ay" or "aye", which is a closer phonetic spelling in the NZ accent.
• eoh; eoa; aoh (no agreed spelling, conversational only) derived from the Maori "e hoa" (friend). Used as a friendly term meaning "mate" in the NZEng equivalent, or bro; also used as "hey" or "yo" in place of subject's name if at the beginning of a phrase. Non-gender specific, and pronounced like a very short, clipped "our" perhaps without the final 'r', or like out without the 't'. Was common in Auckland but was popularised by the television show 'bro'Town', where it is both pronounced and written as 'ow'. "Eoh, you coming or not?"; "Where you been eoh?".
• Et/Eta/Eta Harry, - pronounced "Etta". Common in Gisborne, exclamation similar to "whatever". Derived from the Maori word "Eta".
• freezing works — a meat-packing plant, an abattoir.
• fulla — slang guy, from 'fellow'.
• green fingered bro — slang for someone who regularly smokes cannabis; usually referring to a person from Kaitaia.
• Godzone - informal New Zealand: corruption from 'God's Own Country'.
• halfpai - slang meaning half-arsed eg "doing a halfpai job at doing the dishes"; actual meaning: half-good from the Maori word pai = good.
• hamu (pron. ha-moo) - verb or noun meaning scab (as above) or scrounge. Bay of Plenty origins, uncommon elsewhere.
• hard case — slang a person who has a very good sense of humour, a comedian.
• hau - expression: 'wow'; often pronounced with a long drawn-out tail "hauuuuuu"; Maori origins, sometimes transmuted into hau-ly (holy), to punctuate the expression.
• hoon- Young delinquent
• JAFA - a derogatory acronym used to describe Aucklanders. This stands for Just Another Fucking Aucklander. Aucklanders refer to it as Just Another Fantastic Aucklander. This acronym has particular sentimental significance to NZers, being the name of an iconic cinema sweet consisting of a spherical (slightly smaller than) marble sized shell of orange/red candy filled with chocolate. This explains the superfluous 'F' in the acronym here. Variant spellings have often dropped this 'F'.
• Jandals — slang as in US and UK "flip-flops", Australia "thongs". Portmanteau of Japanese Sandal. See Jandals.
• Joker - bloke, guy, fulla... usually a general term for kiwi male, with positive connotations. Sometimes a "good joker" or "funny joker", never used in derogation. Although about two generations old from the time of entry, it is still recognised and understood.
• kina - sea urchin
• Mainland — informal usually, but not always, refers (sometimes mildly humorously) to the South Island, which, despite its much smaller population, is the larger of the two main islands of New Zealand.
• Manus - A derogatory term meaning idiot or imbecile. Pronounced 'Mah - niss'. Derived from 'male' 'anus'. Common in West Auckland.
• Mucky - informal A term used for making a mess, or some something that can be messy.
• OE or Big OE — informal overseas experience, time spent travelling and working overseas, usually beginning in London.
• P - a recently adopted term for Crystallised Methamphetamine. "P" stands for "pure", which it was also called. During the mid-2000s, the New Zealand Media popularised this term for the illegal drug, and other terms are all but unused.
• paua - abalone
• pecking order - order of which siblings are born.
• pottle — in some areas, the unit by which strawberries and certain other fruit are sold. In other parts of New Zealand, the terms "chip" and "punnet", shared with UK English, are better known.
• Queen Street farmer — informal humorous a usually pejorative term for an investor in rural land with no knowledge of land use.
• Rej - pronounced "reedge". Abbr. of "reject", a schoolyard insult.
• Remuera tractor/Fendalton tractor — slang humorous a usually pejorative term for an SUV (known as a "four wheel drive" locally) (compare Queen Street farmer, above). See Toorak Tractor.
• Rogernomics - a political term applied to so-called 'economic reforms' of the 1980s, and continuing worldwide today. These involved turning public assets and property over to private interest; selling government land and companies for short-term , one-off profit. Named in honour of its spearheading MP, Sir Roger Douglas.
• rolls/rollies - rolling tabacco (see tayllies)
• scarfie — slang a university student, particularly one studying at the University of Otago.
• schraps - slang, coins/loss change
• Shot - slang said instead of thanks or cheers, commonly as "Shot bro" or "Shot g"
• sookie bubba noun (sometimes spelt 'sooky baba' or variants) - NZ version of crybaby, wimp, tangiweto (maori). Extension of 'sook' as used elsewhere.
• stores - slang, groceries (mainly used in Gisborne)
• tayllies - cigarettes; shortened from taylor-made cigarettes.
• tin - slang Corrugated roofing iron, an icon of New Zealand architecture and widely used in old and new houses.
• tinny (also spelled 'tinnie') - 1. slang a tinfoil wrap containing marijuana, sold at a "tinny house". 2. older meaning 'lucky', as in 'tinny bastard', or 'tin-arse'. 3. slang a can of beer. 4. slang a small aluminium-hulled boat, usually unpowered.
• Too Much - Good, Great, very pleased
• Twink - A popular brand of correction fluid that has become a generic term. Similar to Jandals.
• Tu Meke - Maori word meaning 'Great'
• up the Puhoi — slang far from civilisation. The Puhoi is a river just north of Auckland. Over the years the phrase has evolved and is now often heard as "Up the Boohai". It is also sometimes attributed to other New Zealand rivers. Again, more characteristic of the older generation.
• Vivid -A popular brand of permanent marker that has become a generic term. Similar to twink.
• Waka — slang term for any kind of vehicle or means of transport, from the Maori term waka used for a canoe or watercraft.
• Warewhare - pronounced wa-re-wha-re, nickname for the Warehouse stores.
• Westie — a derogatory term which refers to an inhabitant of West Auckland, usually Caucasian. It is also used by people from West Auckland instead of "Bogan" for people who may not even reside there. Has some similar sentiment to the term "white-trash" which is common in the U.S. Westies may be identified by their affinity for black clothing,(including tight jeans), Heavy Metal music, 'muscle cars' and aggressive dog breeds. Their women, children and pets are often just as tough as the men.
• West Island - humorous name for Australia due to it being west of NZ.
• WOF/Warrant — (Warrant of Fitness), vehicle roadworthiness test, similar to British MoT and the Australian Roadworthy Certificate, except that it is required 6-monthly for older vehicles. Often pronounced as 'woof'.
• Wops/Wopwops - slang rural areas or towns/localities on the fringes of larger towns/cities. (Wop Wops or the Wop Wops are also used but less commonly).

New Zealand

Auckland
Wellington
Christchurch
Hamilton
Dunedin
Tauranga
Palmerston North
Hastings
Nelson
Napier
Rotorua
New Plymouth
Whangarei
Invercargill
Wanganui
Gisborne
Timaru

alphanumeric

!	it means: I have a comment
.02	it means: your (or my) two cents worth
?	it means: I have a question
@TEOTD	At The End Of The Day
^rup^	it means: read up please
^URS	Up Yours
<3	it means: heart
1174	it means: nude club
121	it means: one to one
1337	it means: elite
143	it means: i love you
14AA41	One for All and All for One
182	it means: i hate you
19	it means: 0 hand
20	it means: location
2B or not 2B	To Be Or Not To Be
2BZ4UQT	Too Busy For You Cutey
2G2B4G	Too Good To Be Forgotten
2G2BT	Too Good To Be True
2moro	Tomorrow
2nite	Tonight
404	it means: i haven't a clue
411	it means: info
420	it means: marijuana
459	it means: i love you
4EAE	ForEver And Ever
4ever	Forever
4NR	Foreigner
5FS	5 Finger Salute
8	it means: oral sex
86	it means: out of, over, to get rid of, or kicked out
9	it means: parent is watching
99	it means: parent is no longer watching

A

A/S/L/P	Age/Sex/Location/Picture
A3	Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime
AAAAA	American Association Against Acronym Abuse
AAF	As A Friend
AAK	Asleep At Keyboard
AAMOF	As A Matter Of Fact
AAMOI	As A Matter Of Interest
AAR	At Any Rate
AAR8	At Any Rate
AAS	Alive And Smiling
AATK	Always At The Keyboard
AAYF	As Always, Your Friend
AB	Ass Backwards
ABITHIWTIDB	A Bird In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush
ABT2	About To
ACD	Alt Control Delete
ACE	Access Control Entry
ACK	Acknowledgement
ACORN	A Completely Obsessive Really Nutty person
ADAD	Another Day Another Dollar
ADBB	All Done Bye Bye
ADIH	Another Day In Hell
ADIP	Another Day In Paradise
ADN	Advanced Digital Network -or- Any Day Now
ADR	Address
AEAP	As Early As Possible
AFAGAY	A Friend As Good As You
AFAHMASP	A Fool And His Money Are Soon Parted
AFAIC	As Far As I'm Concerned
AFAICS	As Far As I Can See
AFAICT	As far As I can Tell
AFAIK	As Far As I Know
AFAIU	As Far As I Understand
AFAIUI	As Far As I Understand It
AFAP	As Far As Possible
AFAYC	As Far As You're Concerned
AFC	Away From Computer
AFDN	Any F***ing Day Now
AFGO	Another F***ing Growth Opportunity
AFIAA	As Far As I Am Aware
AFINIAFI	A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed
AFK	Away From Keyboard -or- A Free Kill
AFPOE	A Fresh Pair Of Eyes
AFT	About F***ing Time
AFZ	Acronym Free Zone
AGB	Almost Good Bridge
AGKWE	And God Knows What Else
AIAMU	And I'm A Monkey's Uncle
AIGHT	All Right
AIH	As It Happens
AIMB	As I Mentioned Before
AIMP	Always In My Prayers
AISB	As I Said Before
AISE	As I Said Earlier
AISI	As I See It
AKA or a.k.a.	Also Known As
ALAP	As Late As Possible
Alcon	All Concerned
ALOL	Actually Laughing Out Loud
ALOTBSOL	Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life
ALTG	Act Locally, Think Globally
AMAP	As Many As Possible -or- As Much As Possible
AMBW	All My Best Wishes
AMF	Adios Mother F***er
AML	All My Love
AMRMTYFTS	All My Roommates Thank You For The Show
ANFAWFOWS	And Now For A Word From Our Web Sponsor
ANFSCD	And Now For Something Completely Different
ANGB	Almost Nearly Good Bridge
AOAS	All Of A Sudden
AOB	Abuse Of Bandwidth
AON	Apropos Of Nothing
AP	Apple Pie
AS	Ape Sh**
ASAFP	As Soon As F***ing Possible
ASAMOF	As A Matter Of Fact
ASAP	As Soon As Possible
ASL	Age/Sex/Location
ASLMH	Age/Sex/Location/Music/Hobbies
ATAB	Ain't That A Bitch
ATC	Any Two Cards
ATST	At The Same Time
ATW	All the Web -or- Around the Web
AWGTHTGTTA	Are We Going To Have To Go Through This Again
AWGTHTGTTSA	Are We Going To Have To Go Through This Sh** Again
AWLTP	Avoiding Work Like The Plague
AWNIAC	All We Need Is Another Chair
AWOL	Absent Without Leave
AYC	Aren't You Clever -or- Aren't You Cheeky
AYCE	All You Can Eat
AYK	As You Know
AYSOS	Are You Stupid Or Something
AYTMTB	And You're Telling Me This Because
AYV	Are You Vertical?

B

B&F	Back and Forth
B/C	Because
B4	Before
B4N	Bye For Now
B4U	Before You
B4YKI	Before You Know It
BAG	Busting A Gut -or- Big Ass Grin
BAK	Back At my Keyboard
BAMF	Bad Ass Mother F***er
banana	it means: penis
BAU	Business As Usual
BB	Be Back
BB4N	Bye Bye for Now
BBAMFIC	Big Bad Ass Mother F***er In Charge
BBB	Bye Bye Babe -or- Boring Beyond Belief
BBBG	Bye Bye Be Good
BBFBBM	Body By Fisher, Brains By Mattel
BBFN	Bye Bye for Now
BBIAB	Be Back In A Bit
BBIAF	Be Back In A Few
BBIAS	Be Back In A Sec
BBIAW	Be Back In A While
BBL	Be Back Later
BBMFIC	Big Bad Mother F***er In Charge
BBN	Bye Bye Now
BBSD	Be Back Soon Darling
BBSL	Be Back Sooner or Later
BBT	Be Back Tomorrow
BBW	Big Beautiful Woman
BCBG	Bon Chic Bon Genre -or- Belle Cu Belle Geulle
BCBS	Big Company, Big School
BCNU	Be Seein' You
BCOZ	Because
BD	Big Deal -or- Baby Dance -or- Brain Drain
BDBI5M	Busy Daydreaming Back In 5 Minutes
BDC	Big Dumb Company -or- Big Dot Com
BDN	Big Damn Number
BEOS	it means: nudge
BF	Boyfriend -or- Best Friend -or- Bitch Features
BFD	Big F***ing Deal
BFE	Bum F*** Egypt
BFF	Best Friends Forever
BFFN	Best Friends For Now
BFFTTE	Best Friends Forever Til The End
BFN	Bye For Now
BFR	Big F***ing Rock
BHAG	Big Hairy Audacious Goal
BHG	Big Hearted Guy -or- Big Hearted Girl
BHOF	Bald Headed Old Fart
BI5	Back In Five
BIBI	Bye Bye
BIBO	Beer In, Beer Out
BIF	Basis In Fact -or- Before I Forget
BIL	Brother-In-Law
BIOIYA	Break It Off In Your Ass
BIOYE	Blow It Out Your Ear
BIOYIOP	Blow It Out Your I/O Port
BIOYN	Blow it Out Your Nose
BITCH	Basically In The Clear Homey
BITD	Back In The Day
BJJDI	Billy Joel Just Drove In
BKA	Better Known As
BL	Belly Laughing
BLBBLB	Back Like Bull, Brain Like Bird
BM	Byte Me
BMF	Bad Mother F***er
BMGWL	Busting My Gut With Laughter
BMOF	Bite Me Old Fart
BMOTA	Byte Me On The Ass
BNDN	Been Nowhere Done Nothing
BNF	Big Name Fan
BO	Bug Off -or- Body Odor
BOB	Battery Operated Boyfriend
BOBFOC	Body Off Baywatch, Face Off Crimewatch
BOCTAAE	But Of Course There Are Always Exceptions
BOFH	Bastard Operator From Hell
BOHICA	Bend Over Here It Comes Again
BOTEC	Back Of The Envelope Calculation
BOTOH	But On The Other Hand
BPLM	Big Person Little Mind
BR	Bathroom
BRB	Be Right Back
BRT	Be Right There
BS	Big Smile -or- Bull Sh** -or- Brain Strain
BSAAW	Big Smile And A Wink
BSBD&NE	Book Smart, Brain Dead & No Experience
BSEG	Big Sh** Eating Grin
BSF	But Seriously, Folks
BSOD	Blue Screen of Death
BT	Byte This
BTA	But Then Again -or- Before The Attacks
BTDT	Been There Done That
BTDTGTS	Been There, Done That, Got The T-shirt
BTFO	Back The F*** Off -or- Bend The F*** Over
BTHOOM	Beats The Heck Out Of Me
BTSOOM	Beats The Sh** Out Of Me
BTTT	Back To The Top -or- Bump To The Top
BTW	By The Way
BTWBO	Be There With Bells On
BTWITIAILW/U	By The Way I Think I Am In Love With You
BW	Best Wishes
BWDIK	But What Do I Know
BWL	Bursting With Laughter
BWO	Black, White or Other
BYKT	But you Knew That
BYOA	Bring Your Own Advil
BYOB	Bring Your Own Bottle -or- Bring Your Own Beer
BYOW	Build Your Own Website -or- Bring Your Own Wine
BZ	Busy