H

haere mai

Welcome, come here (prn high-re my). Haere rä - goodbye. Haere atu! - go away!

haka

'War dance' is the perceived modern meaning but traditionally speaking any sort of dance. 

half-pie

From Maori "pai" for "good"; half-and-half, neither one thing nor the other, imperfect, unsatisfactory.

hang out

To crave for, to have a craving for. "I'm hanging out for a beer."

hangi

Steam oven in ground - popular at special events

hapü

(sub-) Tribe, clan

hard as nails

Physically or mentally very hard or tough, unyielding.

hard case, hard shot

Amusing character (see also dag)

hard earned

Hard-earned cash, or money.

hard word

"To put the hard word on" someone, to ask for a favour or loan, a proposition (especially one involving sexual favours), to put pressure on someone.

heaps

General expression to mean a lot, as in "miss you heaps", or try hard; "give it heaps" 

high dudgeon

Feeling of deep disgust or irritability

hikoi

Step, march

hissy fit

Throwing a tantrum when things don't go your way or when someone does something to offend you.

hit up for

To ask someone for money

hoe in(to)

To attack vigorously, to 'get stuck in'

hoick, hoik

To clear one's throat and spit, also a gob of phlegm

hokey pokey

Type of caramel lolly and ice cream flavouring

hollywood, to do (pull, throw) a

To feign or exaggerate injury during a game to gain some advantage or respite.

home and hosed (or dried)

Safe, completed successfully 

homebake

Home-made morphine or heroin

honesty box

Slotted money box for unsolicited donations in return for goods.

hongi

Greet by lightly pressing foreheads and noses (and clasping hands), not a rubbing of noses as many think

hoon

Gang member, a rough person 

hooning

Playing about, verb form of hoon

hooray

Goodbye

hosing down

Raining heavily

hose in

To win by an easy margin

hose off

To thoroughly displease, to piss off

hose out

To overcome completely, to 'clean out', to 'whitewash'.

hotel

Pub, accommodation hotel

hottie

Hot water bottle

housie

Bingo

hui

Meeting, conference, etc

hunky dory

Everything's fine, as in "my life is hunky dory"

huntaway

Dog that drives a mob or herd

I

iceblock

Ice lolly

improve, on the

Improving, 'on the mend', regaining health

informal vote

Invalid vote

Intermediate School

School between primary and secondary accommodating forms one and two (basically ages 11 & 12).

Islander

Pacific Islander - esp Polynesian, often has special entry rights into NZ

iwi

Maori tribe

J

jack at, to have a

To have/take a look.

jack-up

A swindle, a con, an underhand deal.

JAFA

A non-Auckland originating derisive acronym: "Just Another Fucking Aucklander"

jake, she'll be

Expressing confidence in a happy outcome.

jandals

Usual name for flip-flops, thongs, "Japanese riding boots" - type of rubber sandal (from brand name)

jerry-built

Something constructed in a flimsy, unprofessional manner.

jersey

Usual name for pullover, sweater, sports team shirt

joker

Man

journo

Journalist

judder bar

Speed bump

just quietly

In confidence, 'between you and me'.

K

kai

Food, eat

kapai

Very good, agreed!

kia ora

Hello

kia kaha!

Be strong!

kina

Sea egg

kindie, kindy

Kindergarten

kip

Sleep

kit

Basket, kete

kiwi

Several species of a near-extinct flightless bird, 35 - 55cm, Apteryx - national symbol, New Zealander.

Kiwi Green

Locally grown cannabis

kiwi ingenuity

The supposed native talent of NZers and their ability to make all kinds of weird and wonderful contraptions out of "a bit of No.8 fencing wire".

knackered

Exhausted (from Knacker, an archaic profession whose practitioners destroyed old horses) 

knock-back

A refusal, a snub.

knock off

To dispose off, to sell.To finish (as in work).

koha

Gift, the value of which is based on perceived mana of receiver, also term used by PC pakehas for financial donation

kuia

(respected) Old woman

kumara, kümara

Sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas, prn. 'ku-mara (the West Coast township is prn. ku-'ma-ra - ' signifying stressed syllable)

L

L&P

Lemon and Paeroa soft drink, originally made in Paeroa, North Island, now by Coca Cola and marketed as "World Famous in New Zealand"; perhaps the last local soft drink brand

lamb's fry

Sheep's liver

lamington

Cubes of sponge cake covered in icing and coconut about 4 - 5 cm a side

last shower, not to have come down in the

Indicating experienced awareness by the speaker, who 'wasn't born yesterday'.

laughing, to be away

To be off to a good start, to be in the lead, to be well on the way to success.

laughing gear

Teeth

layby

Type of time payment where goods are kept by the shop until paid off (not a parking space)

league

Rugby league

licensee

Publican

littlie

Infant, small child

lollies

Sweets (not lollipops); lolly scramble - handfuls of free lollies thrown out to kids at fairs etc

long drop

Outdoor privy built over a hole in the ground.

long paddock

Grass along country road grazed illegally

long road to hoe

Urban variation on 'long row to hoe'. A long way to go before reaching completion.

lose one's block, to

To lose one's head, to become angry or excited.

M

maimai

Duck shooter's hide, miamia (prn my-my)

Mainland(er)

South Island(er)

mana

Power, respect, influence, etc

Maori

Original inhabitant of NZ of Polynesian stock, Tangata Whenua, also Cook Island Maori, Rarotongan, also spelt Mâori, Maaori, Mäori

marae

Meeting place

marching girls

Club of uniformed girls doing competition marching and drills

mate

Pal, friend

mate's rates

Reduced preferential rates of payment for friends or acquaintances.

metal

Gravel used on country roads (e.g. a metal road) 

mighty

Excellent, fine, an expression of approval or agreement.

milo

Popular chocolate and sugar drink invented by Oz chemist, marketed by Nestles 

mission, bit of a

A difficult undertaking

mob

Flock or herd of sheep (but never "mob of cattle"), also used to describe tireless admirers of public figures, such as "Rob's Mob" (Robert Muldoon, past PM)

moko

Patterned facial tattoo

mort

A moron, a stupid person

mountain oysters

Dish of rams testicles

mousetrap (food)

Slices of bread spread with tomato relish and a mixture of beaten egg, grated cheese, chopped onion, bacon etc., browned in an oven

mozzie, mossie

Mosquito

munter

A fool or prat.

munted

Broken.

murder house

School dental clinic

muso

Musician

muttonbird

Sooty shearwater

N

naff off!

Get lost!

named after

Named for, eg "Cook Strait is named after Captain James Cook."

Nappy Valley

Stereotypical ideal subdivision filled with young couples just starting a family

naughty, having a

Sexual intercourse

New Zild

New Zealand, NZ speech - from supposed pronunciation

nick, in the

Naked

nick away, nick out

To slip away

nick over

To pay a hurried visit

nipper

Young child

No.8 fencing wire

Supposedly the main component of contraptions invented by "kiwi ingenuity"

no-hoper

Hopelessly ineffectual or incompetent person

nonce

Knowledge, experience for the task.

North Cape

Northern tip of NZ. From North Cape to The Bluff - from one end of NZ to the other.

no worries

Not a problem

nugget

Common term for shoe polish (noun and verb) eg, "Go get the nugget and nugget your shoes, they're dirty" - from brand name depicted by shining gold nugget

nut off

To lose control of oneself, to lose temper