slang help

[salixbabylon]

I wasted 3 hours looking on the internet and can't find a convincing answer:

What is New Zealand slang for 'balls'? Bollocks? Knackers? BALLS?

Anyone who has been there or listened to lots of interviews or had a best friend whose great uncle twice removed went there in WWII, ANYTHING, please help me.

Comments

[february-sea.livejournal.com]

Ask snottygrrl. She's an absolute LOVE and lives in NZ. Just crash on over to her LJ and tell her I sent you. (GOD. Does that sound like a line out of some B-movie, or WHAT? *g*)

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Posted - it definitely felt like crashing. ;)

[snottygrrl.livejournal.com]

never crashing, am always happy to chat.

[february-sea.livejournal.com]

:)) She's really very kind and generous...not to worry. :)

[julia-goolia.livejournal.com]

when i lived there, it was bollocks. this was 5-6 years ago. there was something else though...and it completely eludes me now....shit. i'll get back to you if i remember.

(i realise that prolly doesn't help)

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Well, do let me know if you remember the other term. Otherwise, bollocks it is. :)

[nzlemming.livejournal.com]

"Bollocks" is generally more a UK usage, except on a farm, about animals. I mean, *I* use it a lot ("that's complete bollocks, you wanker") and I'm born and bred in NZ, but I grew up on British films, radio, tv and books. And I generally use it because others don't ;-)

"balls" is pretty common, as is "nuts". "Cobblers" also rates, but is again more UK-oriented. I don't know where snottygrrl's been hiding (actually, I do, but she's so sheltered) but knackers is quite common. The word dual-purposes into "tired" as in "I'm so knackered, I could sleep for a week" but it's not that uncommon to hear " the bastard kicked me right in the knackers!" - note when referring to testicles it's alwaus in the plural, while balls and nuts can be used in the singular.

ETA have just Googled "kiwi slang knackers" and it appears "knackers" is more Australian than NZ. Much Aussie and Kiwi slang is interchangeable, and I may just have a bunch of Aussie friends :-p

Run your finished story past some kiwis (*volunteers*) and we'll tell you if anything sticks out like dog's balls as being wrong or inappropriate.

See also:
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~sarah/content/slang.html (http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~sarah/content/slang.html)
http://www.cellphonerentals.co.nz/kiwislang.htm (http://www.cellphonerentals.co.nz/kiwislang.htm)

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I got that it was Aussie slang, too. WHat I need is a phrase... To quote my other comment I have one final oh-so-very-clever sentence of a naughty story I'm writing that needs a "Kiwi-ism" -- may I email you? I don't want to post and ruin the punchline just in case someone actually thinks it's funny.

And thanks for the links - I bookmarked them for the future!

[snottygrrl.livejournal.com]

ironically i was going to try and get you to answer this, and you already have.

[*ponders the smallness of the lj world*]

[snottygrrl.livejournal.com]

when i just asked my co-worker he looked at me like i was strange. i've heard them called 'balls' & 'nuts'. i've only heard bollocks used when people are saying that's bollocks!. never heard knackers.

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

That's the problem with slang - it's so indefinite. :P

I have one final oh-so-very-clever sentence of a naughty story I'm writing that needs a "Kiwi-ism" -- may I email you? I don't want to post and ruin the punchline just in case someone actually thinks it's funny.

[snottygrrl.livejournal.com]

you are more than free to email me (though i am an american transplanted to nz (3 yrs), where as nzlemming is a kiwi born and bred).

i have a paid account, so i have the unsername@livejournal address. will do my best.

ironically, i did as nzlemming's sibling harrismint and her response is here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/harrismint/15027.html).