An English friend who lives in New Zealand has introduced me to such a great word: munted.
She used the slang, which means ‘damaged beyond repair’, to describe Christchurch after the earthquake.
Apparently everyone latched on to it as an appropriate adjective, according to this blogger, who bemoans the fact that the word was cool in the 1990s but has since lost its impact from being used by everyone from the prime minister to maiden aunts.
My Oxford English Dictionary describes ‘munt’ as offensive slang in South Africa but I think the Kiwi version of ‘ruined’ is a much more satisfying alternative, don’t you?
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There is also another derogatory word directly related to your Kiwi slang: munter. If your NZ definition is correct, then this appears to mean “one who is damaged beyond repair”. Certainly, it usually refers to a man or woman who is not pleasing to the eye, and is often coupled with other colourful and politically incorrect adjectives. A similar metamorphosis happened to the descriptive Scottish adjective “minging” (always pronounced mingin’), which used to simply mean unpleasant. For example, “It’s minging outside today.” This evolved to describe aesthetically displeasing individuals of both sexes who became known as mingers. So, to be ultra nasty when talking about someone you really don’t like, you can say: “That minger’s totally munted!”
Hmm, I like the alliterative possibilities but can’t think of anyone I dislike that much! Still, I’ll keep it in mind, thanks.