American English and Kiwi English come from the same root but have grown in different ways over the centuries. The accent along with many of the words and phrases I hear in New Zealand are familiar to me from our travels visiting Paul’s British cousins in England but many words and phrases are new to me. Hope you enjoy them as much as I have.
If on vacation you are on holiday, your RV is your caravan and your campground is a Holiday Park or a homely bach, pronounced bach like in bachelor, which is a small cozy weekend dwelling. If you are going hiking you are tramping and if you bring your truck it is called a Ute. If I fall behind while hiking, I will “catch you up” instead of catch up with you. Your beer is stored in a flagon instead of a growler and kept cool in your chilly box as opposed to your cooler. And watch out for the mossies or mosquitos.
Remember to mind the road signs when traveling; watch out for loose chips or gravel, roads being slippery when frosty, instead of icy, and don’t forget to “merge like a zip” or zipper when you go from two lanes of traffic to one. A farm with animals is called a station so watch for “wandering livestock” signs and “high crash area” signs on the curvy mountain roads. Those signs really instill road confidence, yikes! If things don’t go well they have “gone pear shaped” and you will then need to find someone to “sort you out” or solve your problem. Wear your jumper or sweater when it‘s cold and your jandals or flip flops to the beach.
When clothes shopping don’t forget to “gander the racks” or look around and remember to check out the opportunity stores or ops shops which are our thrift stores and finally, put your trundler or grocery cart back in the right place after unloading groceries into your car boot or trunk. Food and drink require some especially important translations. Our coffee order is one short black & a flat white that translates to one espresso & one espresso with whipped milk; which is different from a latte but I am not sure how. All hotel rooms have coffee plungers or French press coffee makers. The chips with your fish are fries and if you go on a picnic remember to pack sammies or sandwiches along with your crisps or potato chips. And don’t forget your Sauvie or Sauvignon Blanc white wine. If you need straws they must be metal so they can be cleaned and reused and when you buy a pack they come with a cute little cleaning brush. Finally, there are very few garbage cans in public places as you are expected to take your trash home and sort and dispose of it in an environmentally correct manner in your own trash and recycling bins. Oh, the joys of adapting to new cultures!
2019