rerun 03/09

I have learned many interesting points and many new uses for words since I was in Kansas.  You can read about 'new' stuff I have already posted about here  and  things I have learned about New Zealand here.

I'm sure the list will be never-ending, so I consider this a continuation of the list....

Where 'vacuum' is a verb in the US, they use 'hoover' here.

The dot at the end of a sentence here is called a 'full stop'.

I find the made-up word 'mugwump' very amusing.  It means, well, nothing specific really.  I asked what a bird on a fence was called and wonderful, understanding Hubby told me it was a mugwump. Never having heard of one before, I asked if that was a native of New Zealand.  He shrugged and said "I don't think so.  Any bird that sits on a fence with his 'mug' on one side and his 'rump' on the other is a mugwump."  [He was treated for minor injuries at the Emergency Room and released.]

Over 1/3 of this whole country is set aside as land reserves.

'Trainers' are not people who help you exercise here.  They are athletic shoes.
I guess that's not any stranger than calling them 'tenny-runners' when I was a kid.

All the rolls of kitchen things like foil and waxed paper and saran wrap come as plain rolls.  They don't usually have boxes much less any cutting edges built into the box.  I have learned to tear them rather efficiently.

Pound cake, chili, home-made mac and cheese were all new to my new family.

I still can't get a decent saltine cracker.  We have one brand, but they are way too thick for my liking.  Hubby thinks they are fabulous, though.  Interestingly enough, there is a NZ brand called Jatz that tastes exactly like a Ritz. And they sell Ritz crackers, too.

The small towns all roll up the sidewalks early and don't bother to open the shops on weekends. Just the hardware/garden centers and maybe a couple other stores on main street ('High Street') are open on Saturday mornings. Liquor stores, the video shop, convenience stores and some of the many owner/operated 'dairies' are usually open.  There was a poll taken by the newspaper concerning weekend-shopping and it has been the front-page news for the last 3 weeks.  Yes, that's how small this town is.