Birdnapped cockatoo wins Quote of the Year

The six-year-old female cockatoo named Pepper came to prominence earlier this year when she was stolen from Staglands Wildlife Reserve in Upper Hutt. Police got her back but could only confirm she was the same cockatoo when she chirped “Hello Darling” excitedly when Staglands staff came to fetch her

Staglands General Manager Sarah Purdy is so pleased with the win that she has promised to share her muesli with Pepper again, as the bird enjoyed it so much the night she was brought home from the Porirua Police Station. It’s also been revealed that Pepper is going to get muesli again on Christmas morning at the manager’s home.

This is the first time in the 14 years of the competition that a bird – in fact, a non-human – has won the popular vote. This year a majority of the other top quotes were from central government politicians or world-class Kiwi sports stars.

Dozens of nominations are received, and the top 10 go out for public voting. This year, more than 7,000 votes were received.

In second place was Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s retort to a radio interview, “Let me be clear: I’m wealthy, I’m – you know – sorted.”

Previous winners have been impromptu wisecracks, or slips of the tongue, such as “spread your legs” instead of stretch your legs by the then Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, or “Paula Benefit” instead of Paula Bennet by the then National Party leader Simon Bridges.

The quotes are the ones the public find memorable in one way or another.

The way to compose a one-liner that appeals to Kiwis is to use vivid words and an authentic light-hearted tone, according to founder of Quote of the Year, Dr Heather Kavan, as she pointed out in her new book on Kiwi quotes They Said What?!

She wrote that Kiwis like the quote more if the person is spontaneous and even stumbles.

“The world wants our humanity more than our eloquence,” she wrote.

A reminder of the top 10 quotes in 2024

1. “You’ve got enough room out there for like three rugby fields.” Ruby Tui to King Charles, referring to the Buckingham Palace gardens.
2. “Let me be clear: I'm wealthy, I'm ‒ you know ‒ sorted." Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on property, the media and success.
3. “Hello darling!" Pepper the bird-napped cockatoo identifying herself at the Porirua Police station with her signature words.
4. "Lounging on the couch, eating Maccas and KFC and popping out babies." Portia Woodman-Wickliffe on retiring after the Olympics.
5. “What the hell is this? Look what I’ve been sleeping on the whole time!” Speed climber Julian David looking at his unusual mattress at the Olympic village.
6. "Was this a difficult case for me? I think it was a difficult case for everyone."  Crown solicitor Alysha McClintock to reporters after the Polkinghorne ‘not guilty’ verdict. 
7. “I hate those symbols and salutes, but I quite like knowing who the idiots in society are.” David Seymour on people who use Nazi symbols and salutes.
8. "I felt like he needed the hug more than me." Ayesha Leti-I’iga on asking King Charles for a hug.
9. “If he were in New Zealand, he would be called 'Fish and Chip shop-sy.” Jeremy Corbett on the theory that graffiti artist Banksy got his name from tagging banks.
10. "Kāwana!” “No, don’t do that.” “Ka whakamanuwhiritia koe e au…” MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke before doing a haka in parliament and Speaker Gerry Brownlee simultaneously trying to keep order.