Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(N.Z.) mad; eccentric; stupid.

1863		T. Moser Mahoe Leaves 38: The majority of the conference did not appear to pay much attention, one observing to me that [...] the koroheka (old man) was ‘porangi’ (foolish).
1872		A. Domett Ranolf and Amohia 435: Twas nothing – he was not to mind her – she Was foolish-was ‘porangi’ and would be / Better directly.
1883		Transactions N.Z. Institute XV. 423: A man who told such marvellous stories that he was deemed to be porangi or insane [DNZE].
1891		Richmond-Atkinson Papers (1960) 11 583: All the witnesses on one side declare the testatrix was ‘porangi’ (mad). The other side say she was a ‘tohunga’ and a prophet and had gifts of healing [DNZE].
1917		N.Z. At the Front 161: He t’e plurry Porangi, I t’ink [DNZE].
1933		P.A. Eaddy Hull Down 34: Te Maori, he can’t get to steep. Bruddy well porangi [DNZE].
1941		Baker N.Z. Sl. 42: We slipped into the easy way of calling a person porangi instead of crazy or stupid.
1960		N. Hilliard Maori Girl 49: He’s porangi, that fellow, sick in the head.
1970		W. Ihimaera in Listener Short Stories (1977) 91: Some people called my nanny crazy, porangi [DNZE].
1983		Dominion (Wellington) 12 Nov. 6: The class was in fits. The teacher marched him off to the headmaster where Patu did his porangi act again [DNZE].
1988		McGill Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 87/1: porangi mad, eccentric, stupid.
1992		North and South (Auckland) Jan. 110: We had words you didn’t find in the dictionary but which we all used: ‘porangi’, ‘whare’, ‘taihoa’ [DNZE].
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. [as cit. 1988].