What it means
A friendly nickname for a New Zealander, usually said with pride, not shade. It comes from the wee flightless kiwi bird, a national icon, so the label stuck. Depending on context it can also mean the bird itself, and overseas it can mean the fruit. In New Zealand we usually say kiwifruit for that one, to dodge the mix-up.
Usage examples
"At the pub in Wellington he asks if I'm Aussie. Nah bro, I'm a Kiwi. Sweet as, he says, and shouts the next flat white."
"My cousin married a Kiwi and now they alternate Christmases between Auckland and Brisbane."
"The Kiwis beat the Wallabies in the test match yesterday, two points to one in the last five minutes."
"Met a couple of Kiwis in London and within ten minutes they were chatting like we'd known each other for years."
"She's a proud Kiwi, still says jandals and dairy even after living in Sydney for ages."
Where it comes from
From Māori kiwi, the name of the native flightless bird. It became a New Zealand national symbol in the early 20th century, and by World War I Kiwi was already a warm label for New Zealand soldiers. After that it stuck properly and grew into the everyday nickname for New Zealanders in general.
This expression also appears in
