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Home / Lifestyle

Yeah nah, sweet as bro! New Zealand's top slang words revealed

NZ Herald
7 Oct, 2019 11:22 PM2 mins to read

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When it comes to growing up in Aotearoa, it's safe to say our vocabulary is based around our original and sometimes ridiculous slang we've created over the years. Photo / Getty

When it comes to growing up in Aotearoa, it's safe to say our vocabulary is based around our original and sometimes ridiculous slang we've created over the years. Photo / Getty

When it comes to growing up in Aotearoa, it's safe to say our vocabulary is based around our original and sometimes ridiculous slang we've created over the years.

Whether you're from the top of the North Island to those who roll their R's in the south, there's a lot of common slang words we've made our own in the land of the long white cloud.

Often foreigners give us strange looks before adopting our slang and take them back home to spread the gospel.

Now, after an extensive survey, New Zealand's top 10 slang words have been revealed.

Thanks to iLoveNZ which conducted the survey, more than 18,000 Kiwis and foreigners weighed in on our country's top quirky and original sayings.

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More than 18,500 votes can't be wrong!

Posted by I Love New Zealand on Sunday, 6 October 2019

Of the respondents, just over 47 per cent are based in New Zealand, with a broad range of age groups putting forward their top New Zealand slang words.

TOP 10 KIWI SLANG WORDS FOR 2019:

10. "Ta" - Thank you, cheers.

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9. "Gutted" - Devastated or disappointed.

8. "Tiki tour" - To take the scenic route or long way to a destination.

7. "Dairy" - The local corner store or small supermarket.

6. "Yeah right" - A sarcastic way to disagree with someone or shoot down one's statement.

5. "Yeah, nah" - A non-committal statement, a way to continue dialogue without adding any substance to a conversation, a way to kind of sorta not really agree with someone.

4. "Chilly bin" - An ice box or cooler bag.

3. "Togs" - Swimming wear.

2. "Knackered" - Tired, buggered, worn out or damaged from excess use.

1. "Sweet as" - Awesome, thanks, sounds good, a happy reaction to a piece of news or statement.

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