A Dictionary of Modern New Zealand Slang 1999

slang

Compiled over a number of years by the late Harry Orsman, editor of the Dictionary of New Zealand English (1997), this dictionary captures the informal vocabulary of New Zealanders since the beginning of the Second World War. It differs from earlier compilations of New Zealand slang in that it consists of terms of a more urban origin and use. The illustrative citations offer a socio-historical commentary, showing that people from The Long White Cloud/the long white shroud/the wrong white crowd are far from being a ‘passionless people’.