American Versus New Zealand Vocabulary     The New Zealand variation of English is called "New Zild" which is firmly based on British English.   For that reason, there are quite a few differences compared to American English, which resulted in a few blank looks in the first few years when I was speaking to Americans. Maori Words Food and Cooking Around the House Cars and Driving Around and About Miscellaneous Spelling Differences Maori Words     One of the main things which separates New Zild from other types of English are the words borrowed from the language of the Maori, the polynesian inhabitants of New Zealand who arrived some 500 to 1000 years before Europeans.   The most striking evidence of these borrowed words is in the hundreds and hundreds of Maori placenames all over New Zealand, with some real tongue-twisters for the uninitiated, like Ngaruawahia, Paraparaumu, and the ultimate example: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu, which translates into English as "the place where Tamatea, the man with big knees, who slid, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as 'landeater,' played his flute to his loved one".   It's considered by most of the people who know about such things to be the longest place name in the world.     Actually, Maori place names are really easier than English place names to pronounce, because they're totally phonetic, only pure vowels are used and there are only 16 letters in the Maori alphabet!      Here's a list of ordinary Maori words which all New Zealanders know: Aotearoa New Zealand, "land of the long white cloud" aroha love haka dance hangi food cooked in an earth oven hui meeting iwi tribe kai food kumara sweet potato marae community gathering place with several buildings pa fortress pakeha European paua abalone poi ball with a string tied to it, swung in intricate rhythmic patterns by women during a haka, often in pairs tangi funeral taniwha a type of water-dwelling monster utu revenge waka canoe whanau family whare house But there are plenty of other differences between New Zild and American English which have nothing to do with the Maori language: Food and Cooking   NEW ZEALAND AMERICA brown bread wheat bread white bread white bread mincemeat ground beef beef patty salisbury steak brawn head cheese (hot) chips (french) fries hot dog corn dog American hot dog hot dog crayfish lobster shrimp prawn shrimp filled roll hoagie sub (New York) poor boy (Louisiana) hero biscuit cookie porridge oatmeal icing sugar powdered sugar candy floss cotton candy soft drink soda pop  (Chicago) soda pop sweets lollies candy smarties M and Ms jelly jello jam jelly capsicum bell pepper sweet pepper beetroot red beet swede rutabaga telegraph cucumber English cucumber spring onions green onions rock melon cantaloupe kiwifruit kiwi tasty cheddar cheese sharp cheddar cheese to grill to broil to barbecue to grill to barbecue chilly bin cooler ice chest Around the House   NEW ZEALAND AMERICA flat apartment flatmate roommate toilet bog (very colloquial) bathroom tap faucet tea towel dish towel cupboard cabinet bench counter power socket electric outlet electric lead electric cable electric cord electric cord electric cable electric cable garage sale yard sale writing pad writing tablet   (but writing pad is used in Texas)  guillotine paper cutter rubber eraser drawing pin thumb tack torch flashlight clothes peg clothes pin duvet comforter jersey sweater jandals flip flops running shoes sneakers gumboots galoshes togs bathing suit Cars and Driving   NEW ZEALAND AMERICA bonnet hood boot trunk wing fender windscreen windshield accelerator gas pedal   (but accelerator is used in Texas) hand brake parking brake indicator blinker towbar hitch tyre tire wheel nuts lug nuts spanner wrench jumper leads booster cables   (but "jumper cables" is used in some places) split pin roll pin petrol gas to pink to lug to top up to top off to take away (food) to go insurance excess insurance deductible motorway freeway roundabout traffic circle zig-zag switchback car park parking lot judder bar speed bump glove box glove compartment Around and About   NEW ZEALAND AMERICA footpath pavement sidewalk road surface pavement pedestrian crossing crosswalk power pole telegraph pole lift elevator elevator elevator shop store shop (Chicago) dairy convenience store 7/11 shopping trolley shopping cart toilet bathroom washroom restroom tip garbage dump jumbo bin dumpster tramping hiking Miscellaneous   NEW ZEALAND AMERICA bum bag fanny pack nappy diaper dummy pacifier concrete block cinder block gib/gib board/gibraltor board sheet rock axe ax or axe (axe is used in Texas and elsewhere) primary school elementary school grade school high school college high school university college school university staff room teachers' lounge duster eraser writing pad writing tablet ground floor first floor mum mom post, postman mail, mailman cockie farmer birdwatcher birder busker street musician girl guide girl scout stirrer troublemaker bludger freeloader ladybird ladybug stick insect walking stick slater pill bug jellyfish jelly vacation holiday vacation statutory holiday holiday flypast flyby, flyover cowpat cow chip cow pie dodgy flaky pissed drunk angry pissed anti-clockwise counter-clockwise counter-clockwise counter-clockwise ousting ouster bill (in a restaurant) check flipper (footwear for divers) fin out back in back spat spit dragged drug (in New Jersey and some other places) sawn-off sawed-off '.' = full stop '.' = period '#' = hash '#' = pound '!' = exclamation mark '!' = bang or exclamation mark Spelling Differences   NEW ZEALAND AMERICA centre, metre... center, meter... cheque check colour, flavour... color, flavor... grey gray dialogue dialog judgement judgment maths math plough plow storey story (of a building) aluminium aluminum traveller traveler