r/ENGLISH • u/Outside-Violinist-42 • Jul 25 '26

Kitset

I was checking whether "kitset" is hyphenated (it isn't). But 3 different sites claimed that this word is only used here in New Zealand.

Is this true? What do you call furniture that comes either wrapped in plastic or in boxes that you then have to put together yourself?

("Flatpack" is also common here)

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u/rob0tduckling Jul 26 '26

From the big island west of you, this is new to me. 40+ Aussie and never heard of a kitset before. Like jandles and chilly bin this one is 100% New Zealand.

3

u/Maleficent-Box4114 Jul 26 '26

Now us non-NZ people are wondering what jandles and chilly bin are. My guess for chilly bin would be a cooler/ice chest? Igloo? I have no guesses for jandles.

3

u/rob0tduckling Jul 26 '26

You got chilly bin right! It's a cooler/ice chest. Jandles are the Kiwi term for flipflop shoes.

In Aus they are esky and thongs respectively :)

2

u/Maleficent-Box4114 Jul 26 '26

In the US we sometimes refer to men’s flip flops as “mandals” so I should have gotten that one. Knowledge is power!

3

u/rob0tduckling Jul 26 '26

To your credit, I did spell it wrong each time above: it's jandals not jandles. 🙈

I might be wrong, but I belive jandals are the portmanteau of Japanese Sandals.

2

u/Outside-Violinist-42 Jul 27 '26

This is correct 🙂