New Zealand Slang: Cuzzie

We are always looking at how we can help you understand New Zealand’s wonderful slang. Today we are looking at the term: Cuzzie.

This term really means your friend, mate or cousin. Often can be interchanged with the term ‘bro’ or added together to say “cuzzie bro!”.

The term originated from ‘Cousin,’ abbreviated to ‘Cuzzie’ and finally to ‘Cuz’. You will often hear locals saying “what up cuz?” or “up to cuz?” which translates to: “What are you up to bro?”.

Below are a couple of formal translations, which one is your favourite?

Translation #1:
Another term for your friend or cousin.

E.g. “Wats up my cuzzie, how are you doing?” or “Hey, I haven’t seen my cuzzie in a long time, he lives far away.”

Translation #2:

cuzziecuzzie-bro (ˈkʌzɪˌbrəʊ)
noun NZ – a close friend or family member, often used in direct address.

Which definition is your favourite? Do you have any better examples to use the term Cuzzie? Have you tried our NZ Slang quiz?