New Zealand

Submitted by Ken Stevens

General Info

This is a cute story from New Zealand. Goes to show you how different languages and dialects can play a role in understanding. This is a quote from a reader who posted it in our discussions board. On a trip to New Zealand, I read in the inflight magazine that tipping was not the custom in New Zealand. After renting a car at Auckland’s airport I started driving. Every once in a while, I noticed a sign at the side of the road saying, “Refuse Tip”. I thought, boy, they are really serious. After some investigation I learned Refuse meant “Trash” and Tip meant “container”.

Errata: Naomi writes: it is stated above that ‘tip’ means a container. This isn’t correct, a “tip” or “rubbish tip” (“refuse tip” as cited is not that common) refers to a landfill, not a container.