| mad | Crazy. “I think he’s gone mad!” |
| mad as a meat axe | Very crazy. “That old guy is as mad a meataxe.” |
| main | The primary dish of a meal. Main course. |
| Maori | The indigenous people of New Zealand. Sometimes translated as meaning “The People”, however the word maori means “natural”, “ordinary”, or “normal”, and distinguishes between ordinary human beings (tangata maori) and deities or spirits (wairua). Many Maori people use the term tangata whenua (“people of the land”) to describe themselves. Also used to refer to Maori language (te reo Maori). “We are learning to speak Maori at school?” |
| mate | A Friend. A close friend. Buddy. “I’m going to a party with my mates.” A person in general. “Excuse me mate, can you tell me where Puketai Street is?” |
| metal road | An unsealed country road with a gravel or shingle surface. See also loose metal. |
| mission, mish | A task or adventure. Something that is supposedly difficult. “The car kept breaking down. It was a real mish to get home!” |
| mongrel | A term of contempt for a person or thing. “Stay away from that guy, he’s a real mongrel.” |
| morning tea | 1. A mid-morning snack or light meal. 2. A short (10-15mins) break from work in morning. See also afternoon tea. 1. “I will be meeting him for morning tea on Tuesday.” 2. “I’ll go to the bank at morning tea time.” |
| motorway | Freeway. |
| mountain oysters | Testicles from a lamb. |
| Mum | Mother. Mom. “It’s my Mum’s birthday next week.” |
| munted | Used to describe something that is broken. Stuffed. “After the crash his car was completely munted.” Munter was the nickname of one of the characters in the popular New Zealand drama Outrageous Fortune. |
| murder house | The dentists, especially referring to the room where the school dental nurse practiced. “I have to go to the murder house at 10 o’clock.” |
Kiwi Slang Dictionary
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If you hear or read a New Zealand colloquial or slang word or phrase and would like an explanation of what it means then feel welcome to ask a question in the form below.
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