Kiwi Slang: The Letter M

Ooooweee it's been a minute but the slang train is chugging along once again, arriving today at probably my favorite letter of the whole Kiwi Slang alphabet.

Kiwi slang and phrases starting with the letter M

Mare – Short for nightmare, but not like a real nighttime sleeping nightmare. More like, “Sorry I’m late, I’m had a mare with the hairdryer.”

Marmite – The Kiwi version of Vegemite. Supposedly eating it keeps the sand flies away…let it be noted that I’m not convinced.

Mate – Used interchangeably with friend, you know, the way you hear the typical Aussie, “G’day, mate!” But it’s also used the way Americans say “dude” or “bro.” Ex: “Ah MAAAATE what’re ya doin’?!”

Meant to – This isn’t technically “slang” but it’s what they say instead of “supposed to” in most cases. Ex: “The weatherman said it’s meant to be sunny today.”

Mean – A descriptor used to express that something cool or awesome is extra cool or awesome.

Mint – Hands-down, without a doubt, my favorite of the Kiwi slang. Mint means sweet/dope/great/perfect/pristine/awesome. Ex: “MIIIINT.” (Said every time you see another stunning vista, which happens a lot.)

Munted – Wrecked, ruined, or totally messed up. When I asked the kid who rear-ended me how his car was he responded, “Pretty munted, aye.”