Quote of the Year winner: Pepper the cockatoo wins Massey University competition

By RNZ

For the first time in its 14-year history, Massey University’s Quote of the Year competition has been won by an animal.

The honours in 2024 went to a stolen 6-year-old cockatoo who blurted out “hello darling” when she was found.

Pepper was stolen from her Staglands Wildlife Reserve aviary on November 17, and recovered a week later. Police were able to confirm her identity when she squawked her catchphrase excitedly when Staglands staff arrived to pick her up.

Pepper the Cockatoo said 'hello darling' when she was found.

“This is the first time in the 14 years of the competition that a bird – in fact, a non-human – has won the popular vote,” Massey said in a statement on Friday.

It turned out Pepper had been purchased – and the new “owners” only realised they had bought her when the story of her birdnapping aired on 1 News.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s boast of being “wealthy” and “sorted” financially came in second.

Previous winners in the annual competition include Chris Hipkins’ “spread your legs” (later turned into a mug), Simon Bridges’ “Paula Benefit” gaffe and David Seymour’s jibe about a former finance minister and lamingtons: “I would have thought that Grant Robertson would be a much bigger threat to lamingtons than lamingtons would be a threat to Grant Robertson.”

Three Cyclone Gabrielle heroes won it last year.

According to Massey, these were the top 10 quotes of the year.

• “You’ve got enough room out there for like three rugby fields.” Ruby Tui to King Charles, referring to the Buckingham Palace gardens.
• “Let me be clear: I’m wealthy, I’m, you know, sorted.” Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on property, the media and success.
• “Hello darling!” Pepper the bird-napped cockatoo identifying herself at the Porirua police station with her signature words.
• “Lounging on the couch, eating Maccas and KFC and popping out babies.” Portia Woodman-Wickliffe on retiring after the Olympics.
• “What the hell is this? Look what I’ve been sleeping on the whole time!” Speed climber Julian David looking at his unusual mattress at the Olympic village.
• “Was this a difficult case for me? I think it was a difficult case for everyone.” Crown solicitor Alysha McClintock to reporters after the Polkinghorne ‘not guilty’ verdict.
• “I hate those symbols and salutes, but I quite like knowing who the idiots in society are.” David Seymour on people who use Nazi symbols and salutes.
• “I felt like he needed the hug more than me.” Ayesha Leti-I’iga on asking King Charles for a hug.
• “If he were in New Zealand, he would be called ‘Fish and Chip shop-sy.” Jeremy Corbett on the theory that graffiti artist Banksy got his name from tagging banks.
• “Kāwana!” “No, don’t do that.” “Ka whakamanuwhiritia koe e au …” MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke before doing a haka in Parliament and Speaker Gerry Brownlee simultaneously trying to keep order.

- RNZ

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