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Q: Even though New Zealanders and Americans technically speak the same language, there are probably words that are innocent in one country and faux pass in the other. What should the American traveler not say?

LAWLESS: Fanny pack. We say bum bag, because fannies in New Zealand are not located at the back. They're at the, uh, other side, round the front. [Laughs] Also, knickers are underpants. And all my life I've heard people say, "Oh, bugger off" or "Well, bugger me!" In my country no one thinks about what that really means. It's just an expression like "Blow me down with a feather." But in a America it's a different story. We also say "Good on ya" a lot. It's like a blessing--"Good for you," a word of encouragement. One American producer thought we were saying, "Get on ya," and he'd reply, "Well, get on me then!" He would laugh and we'd try to be polite and go "Ha-ha--what the hell is he laughing at?" It took us a year and a half to figure that out. Also, people down under don't understand the generosity of the American spirit. In America, if you catch somebody's eye you'll say "How are ya?" If you do that in New Zealand--and I've seen this time and time again with Americans who come down--people turn away quickly. They're embarrassed. Eye contact with strangers is impolite.

Q:You are fair-skinned. How come Xena is so tan?

LAWLESS: It's partly my fault. In the beginning I pushed for her to look busty and sexy and dark, like those statues in Madrid--big and curvaceous and bronzed, with a mane of hair. I imagined something Gabriela Sabatini-esque, but with brains. So they paint on the tan with a sponge and it takes about five minutes. It takes a lot longer to get it off. My bathroom is a mess, and I hate cleaning tile grout.

Q:If Xena were to marry Hercules, what labors would she require him to do around the house?

LAWLESS: He would be very handy for picking up that centaur poop. However, no one's yet written that episode because it's so, well, unattractive. She'd have him in a French maid's outfit. She'd subjugate him, make him wear a collar. Actually I doubt the wisdom of a match between Xena and Hercules. He's innately good-natured, and her pendulum swings violently. It would just be a vortex of misery. Xena would be whining to Gabrielle, "He's not passionate enough! He's so nice." I see a match made in hell.

Q:What sort of ancient decor do you have in your home?

LAWLESS: I have some breakaway Grecian urns for smashing people over the head. And I always keep a sword from the show in the back of my car. It's rubber-covered metal and quite weighty. I need to practice a lot.