We’ve had a great time traveling by car through New Zealand over the last few weeks including some minor translation difficulties and good laughs along the way. With that in mind, we’d like to share some fun local expressions that might otherwise cause confusion as well as a few select items of interesting Kiwiana.
- Hokey Pokey – an ice cream flavor not a dance from your childhood
- Tramp – a hike in the woods not a hobo
- Flannel – a wash cloth not a shirt or type of soft fabric
- Capsicum – a bell pepper
- Jangles – flip flops, or (if you prefer) thongs
- Tomato sauce – ketchup, or (if you prefer) catsup
- Bach [batch] – a small cottage or summerhouse
- Togs – swimwear
- Jersey – sweater
Some classic Kiwiana that we’ve had the pleasure to experience include the buzzy bee, the paua shell and the pavlova (a meringue-based desert). We were introduced to the first 2 at Fred and Myrtle’s house of kitsch (see South Island post) and we enjoyed an authentic Kiwi pavlova made by Jackie’s mom during our stay in Wellington.
