| pack a sad | To be moody. To sulk. “If he doesn’t get his own way, he packs a sad.” When referring to an object it can mean that it is broken or dead. “My car has packed a sad. It won’t start at all.” |
| paddock | A field. Also used to refer to a sports field, especially a rugby field. |
| paint the town red | To go out and have a good time. |
| pakaru | The Maori word for broken. See also puckeroo. |
| Pakeha | A non-Maori person, generally applied to people of British or European descent. Some Caucasian New Zealanders find the term offensive, while others happily refer to themselves as Pakeha. |
| panel beater | A person who repairs cars, primarily the panel work of the car, for instance after a crash or to remove rust. It can also refer to the actual workshop. Auto body shop. Auto repair shop. Panel shop. |
| pav | Shortened form of pavlova (pavalova), a famous New Zealand dessert usually topped with whipped cream and kiwifruit. Named after the Russian ballet dancer Ánna Pávlova. |
| pavement | The sidewalk. See also footpath. |
| perve | To stare at someone. “Stop perving at the girls!” |
| petrol | Gasoline. |
| piece of piss | Something that is easy. “That job was a piece of piss.” |
| pike out | To give up on something, especially when things get difficult. See also piker. “He piked out of the race after only 30 minutes!” Also used in reference to stopping doing something, such as drinking or party. “I was at a party on Saturday night, but I piked out early and went home.” |
| pikelet | A small pancake often served with whipped cream and jam. |
| piker | A slacker. A person who gives up when things get difficult. See also pike out. “Come on mate, don’t be such a piker.” |
| pinky, pinky finger | The little finger of the hand. |
| Pinky Bar | A Cadbury bar made from marshmallow and caramel, covered in chocolate. |
| piss | Alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, or spirits) “We’re going to get on the piss this weekend.” |
| piss about, piss around | To waste time or effort. See also fart about. “Stop pissing about and get back to work!” |
| piss awful | Very unpleasant. |
| piss easy | Very easy. |
| piss up | A party or social gathering with the focus being on drinking alcohol. “Let’s have a piss up this weekend.” Also part of a saying referring to people who lack ability or talent. “He couldn’t organise a piss up at a brewery.” |
| piss up large | Drinking of large quantise of alcohol. “I’m going to piss up large on Friday night.” |
| pissed | To be drunk. Inebriated. “Man, that guy is so pissed he can hardly stand up!” |
| pissed off | Annoyed. Angry. Upset. The equivalent of the US English meaning of pissed. |
| pisshead | Someone who drinks a lot of alcohol. A heavy drinker. An alcoholic. “Dave is such a pisshead.” |
| pissing down | Raining heavily. Pouring down. “It is pissing down outside. |
| plaster | A sticking plaster. |
| plod | A friendly term for a local policeman. |
| plonk | Cheap liquor. Cheap wine. “I’ve got a bottle of plonk, so I’m happy.” |
| pong | A bad smell. Stink. “After working all day my feet pong.” |
| pony tail | Long hair, especially a girl’s or woman’s hair, tied at the back of one’s head. |
| pop over, pop in | To visit. “I’m just popping over to see my sister.” “Next time you’re in town, pop in an see me.” |
| pop out | To go out. To take out. “I’m just popping out for a few minutes.” “I didn’t mean to break it. This part just popped out.” |
| postal code / post code | Zip code. |
| potluck dinner | A dinner gathering where everyone brings a plate of prepared food to share with all the other guests. Sometimes used to refer to something being the luck of the draw. |
| pottle | A small tub or container. Often used to refer to a small container of yoghurt, or a disposable cardboard cup containing food such as hot potato chips. |
| power cut | A power outage. |
| pram | From paramulator. A baby carriage. See also push chair. |
| prang | A minor car accident. “I had a prang in my car. Luckily there was only a small amount of damage.” |
| pressie | A present. A gift. |
| pub | From public bar. A bar where alcoholic drinks are served. |
| puckeroo | To be broken. Destroyed. Buggered. Rooted. Dysfunctional. From the Maori word pakaru, meaning broken. |
| pudding | Dessert. “I like to eat ice cream for pudding.” |
| push bike | A bicycle. |
| push chair | A usually collapsible chair-shaped carriage for babies and toddlers. A stroller. A baby buggy. See also pram. |
| pushing up daisies | Dead and buried. |
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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