pavement: sidewalk (generally on wider city streets)
pear-shaped, going pear-shaped: messed up, when it all goes to Hell
penny dropped: light dawned (figured it out)
people mover: minivan
perve: stare sexually
phone's engaged: phone's busy
piece of piss: easy
pike out: give up, wimp out
piss awful: very bad
piss up: drinking (noun) a piss-up
pissed: drunk
pissed as a fart: very drunk. And yes, this is an actual expression.
play up: act up
playing out of his skin: playing very well
plunger: French Press coffeemaker
PMT: PMS
pohutukawa: native tree; called the “New Zealand Christmas Tree” for its beautiful red blossoms at Christmastime (high summer)
poi: balls of flax on strings that are swung around the head, often to the accompaniment of singing and/or dancing by women. They make rhythmic patterns in the air, and it’s very beautiful.
Pom, Pommie: English person
pong: bad smell
pop: pop over, pop back, pop into the oven, pop out, pop in
possie: position (rugby). Pronounced “pozzie.”
postie: mail carrier
pot plants: potted plants (not what you thought, huh?)
pounamu: greenstone (jade)
prang: accident (with the car)
pressie: present
puckaroo: broken (from Maori)
pudding: dessert
pull your head in: calm down, quit being rowdy
Pumas: Argentina's national rugby team
pushchair: baby stroller
put your hand up: volunteer
put your head down: work hard
rapt: thrilled
rattle your dags: hurry up. From the sound that dried excrement on a sheep's backside makes, when the sheep is running!
red card: penalty for highly dangerous play. The player is sent off for the rest of the game, and the team plays with 14 men.
rellies: relatives
rimu: a New Zealand tree. The wood used to be used for building and flooring, but like all native NZ trees, it was over-logged. Older houses, though, often have rimu floors, and they’re beautiful.
root: have sex (you DON'T root for a team!)
ropeable: very angry
ropey: off, damaged (“a bit ropey”)
rort: ripoff
rough as guts: uncouth
rugged up: dressed warmly
ruru: native owl
Safa: South Africa. Abbreviation only used in NZ.
sammie: sandwich
scoff, scoffing: eating, like “snarfing”
serviette: napkin
shag: have sex with. A little rude, but not too bad.
shattered: exhausted
sheds: locker room (rugby)
she'll be right: See “no worries.” Everything will work out. The other Kiwi mantra.
shift house: move (house)
shonky: shady (person). “a bit shonky”
shout, your shout, my shout, shout somebody a coffee: buy a round, treat somebody
sickie, throw a sickie: call in sick
sink the boot in: kick you when you're down
skint: broke (poor)
slag off: speak disparagingly of; disrespect
smack: spank. Smacking kids is illegal in NZ.
smoko: coffee break
snog: kiss; make out with
sorted: taken care of
spa, spa pool: hot tub
sparrow fart: the crack of dawn
speedo: Not the swimsuit! Speedometer. (the swimsuit is called a budgie smuggler—a budgie is a parakeet, LOL.)
spew: vomit
spit the dummy: have a tantrum. (A dummy is a pacifier)
sportsman: athlete
sporty: liking sports
spot on: absolutely correct. “That’s spot on. You’re spot on.”
squiz: look. “I was just having a squiz round.” “Giz a squiz”: Give me a look at that.
stickybeak: nosy person, busybody
stonkered: drunk—a bit stonkered—or exhausted
stoush: bar fight, fight
straight away: right away
strength of it: the truth, the facts. “What's the strength of that?” = “What's the true story on that?”
stroppy: prickly, taking offense easily
stuffed up: messed up
supporter: fan (Do NOT say “root for.” “To root” is to have (rude) sex!)
suss out: figure out
sweet: dessert
sweet as: great. (also: choice as, angry as, lame as … Meaning “very” whatever. “Mum was angry as that we ate up all the pudding before tea with Nana.”)
takahe: ground-dwelling native bird. Like a giant parrot.
takeaway: takeout (food)
Tangata Whenua: Maori (people of the land)
tapu: sacred (Maori)
Te Papa: the National Museum, in Wellington
tea: dinner (casual meal at home)
tea towel: dishtowel
throw a wobbly: have a tantrum
tick off: cross off (tick off a list)
ticker: heart. “The boys showed a lot of ticker out there today.”
togs: swimsuit (male or female)
torch: flashlight
touch wood: knock on wood (for luck)
track: trail
trainers: athletic shoes
tramping: hiking
trolley: shopping cart
tucker: food
tui: Native bird
turn to custard: go south, deteriorate
turps, go on the turps: get drunk
Uni: University—or school uniform
up the duff: pregnant. A bit vulgar (like “knocked up”)
ute: pickup or SUV
vet: check out
waiata: Maori song
wairua: spirit, soul (Maori). Very important concept.
waka: canoe (Maori)
Warrant of Fitness: certificate of a car's fitness to drive
wedding tackle: the family jewels; a man’s genitals
Weet-Bix: ubiquitous breakfast cereal
whaddarya?: I am dubious about your masculinity (meaning “Whaddarya … pussy?”)
whakapapa: genealogy (Maori). A critical concept.
whanau: family (Maori). Big whanau: extended family. Small whanau: nuclear family.
wheelie bin: rubbish bin (garbage can) with wheels.
whinge: whine. Contemptuous! Kiwis dislike whingeing. Harden up!
White Ribbon: campaign against domestic violence
wind up: upset (perhaps purposefully). “Their comments were bound to wind him up.”
wing: rugby position (back)
wobbly; threw a wobbly: a tantrum; had a tantrum
Yank: American. Not pejorative.
yonks: ages. “It's been going on for yonks.”
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The Escape to New Zealand series
Reka & Hemi’s story: JUST FOR YOU
Hannah & Drew’s story: JUST THIS ONCE
Kate & Koti’s story: JUST GOOD FRIENDS
Jenna & Finn’s story: JUST FOR NOW
Emma & Nic’s story: JUST FOR FUN
Ally & Nate’s/Kristen & Liam’s stories: JUST MY LUCK
Josie & Hugh’s story: JUST NOT MINE
Hannah & Drew’s story again/Reunion: JUST ONCE MORE
Faith & Will’s story: JUST IN TIME
Nina & Iain’s story: JUST STOP ME
Chloe & Kevin’s story: JUST SAY YES
Nyree & Marko’s story: JUST SAY (HELL) NO
Zora & Rhys’s story: JUST COME OVER
The Sinful, Montana, series
Paige’s & Jace’s story: GUILTY AS SIN
Lily & Rafe’s story: TEMPTING AS SIN
Willow & Brett’s story: SEXY AS SIN
The Portland Devils series
Dakota & Blake’s story: SILVER-TONGUED DEVIL
Beth & Evan’s story: NO KIND OF HERO
The Not Quite a Billionaire series (Hope & Hemi’s story)
FIERCE
FRACTURED
FOUND
The Paradise, Idaho series (Montlake Romance)
Zoe & Cal’s story: CARRY ME HOME
Kayla & Luke’s story: HOLD ME CLOSE
Rochelle & Travis’s story: TURN ME LOOSE
Hallie & Jim’s story: TAKE ME BACK
The Kincaids series
Mira and Gabe’s story: WELCOME TO PARADISE
Desiree and Alec’s story: NOTHING PERSONAL
Alyssa and Joe’s story: ASKING FOR TROUBLE
Thanks to my alpha read duo, Kathy Harward and Mary Guidry, for their advice and inspiration as they read along with this book, and to Mary for her assistance with other author business so I could write.
Thanks to my husband, Rick Nolting, for reading along, and to my sister, Erika Iiams, for talking with me about the characters. Thanks as well to my son, James Nolting, for giving me my first view of the Moeraki Boulders at sunrise. True magic.
Thank you to New Zealand for being itself.
And finally, one big giant thank-you to my wonderful readers. I appreciate you.