Dictionary Of South African Expressions

Every country has it’s own dialects and expressions. Sometimes the same word has different meanings, or is used in different contexts. This is particularly apparent in the US marketers’ approach, in their emails, sales pages and so on. They probably don’t even consider that people from different countries, will be reading their work and that several expressions and euphemisms will not mean a thing, to those people. It is bad enough, that they spell differently to everyone else, but really should try, to make themselves more applicable to other countries. England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa are some of the main English speaking countries and all have different dialects and accents, but at least the written word is spelt the same way.

We write articles, for syndication around the world and always encounter problems with the US submissions, as they assume we have spelt our words wrongly. Also, we all speak of winter and autumn. What is the fall? It is when somebody, or something drops to the ground, through stumbling. It is not a season. A Sloppy Joe is an untidy fellow, not a burger, so when they say “for less than the price of a sloppy joe”, who are they referring to? Would they know what we meant by saying “for less than the price of walkie talkies”?

Here are a few of the traditional South African expressions, for our friends in the US. If you are South African and know a few more, that we haven’t mentioned, leave a comment at the end of this article, so that we can include them in our dictionary. Enjoy looking them over.

Afrikaans (arf-frick-arns) - local language of the Afrikaaners
Aikona (eye-corner) - uh uh, no, never, not on your life
Ale (ay-il) - any beer
Ama Bokke Bokke (ummah-borker, borker) the national rugby Springboks
Apteek (up-tea-yik) - pharmacy, chemist, drugstore
Babbalas ( bubble-us) - hangover
Bafana Bafana ) buff-arner, buff-arner) - the soccer boys, national football team
Baie dankie (buy-uh-dunky) - thanks very much
Bakkie, (buck-kee) - light delivery vehicle, ldv, any open backed small motor vehicle
Ballie (bah-lee) - old guy, father, elderly man
Bath (baarth) - to wash or bathe
Beshu (bear-shoo) - traditional African loincloth of hide
Biltong (bill-tong) - dried salty meat, jerky
Bioscope (buy-scope) - cinema, movies
Black (black) - any blackman, African
Bles (bless) - bald, little or no hair
Bobotie ( bob-borty) - traditional Cape Malayan dish of spiced minced meat
Boerewors ( boor-uh-vors) - traditional spicy sausage
Boet (booht) - brother, friend, pal
Bogs (bogz) - toilet, lavatory
Bokkie - young girl,
Bonnet (bon-nit) - front engine cover of car, hood
Bonsella (bon-seller) - gift, tip, freebie, present
Boom (booh-im) - dagga, marijuana, Afrikaans for tree
Bosberaad - (bos-buh-raad) - conference in the bush
Bra (braah) - brother, my mate
Brandewyn (brun-nuh-vain) - Afrikaans for Brandy
Brak (bruck) mongrel,
Bread (brehd) - money, cash
Bru (brew) - short for broer, brother, boet, my mate
Braai (bry-ee) - barbecue, cook meat on fire, short for braaivleis
Braaivleis (bry-e-flace) cook meat on open fire, barbecue
Bredie (breedy) - meat stew, tomato based gravy
Buck (buck) - any antelope, gazelle
Bucks (bucks) - money, cash
Bull (bull) - any un-neutered male animal, mostly used in cattle, steer,
Bumper (bum-puh) - protective bar at front and back of a vehicle
Bush (bush) anywhere out of town, the country, untamed land
Cab (cab) - any car, motor vehicle
Car (kaar) - any motorised road vehicle, automobile
Caravan (cair-a-van) - camper, mobile home, trailerhome, rv
Cellar (seller) - condiment shaker
Cellphone (sell-fone) - cellular telephone, mobile
Cement (suh-ment) - mortar
Cherrie - young girl
Chick (chick) - young girl
Chow (tchow) - food, to eat, goodbye
Clobber (clob-buh) - clothing, clothes
Coke (coke) - originally Coca Cola, now any mineral, cold drink, mixer
College (kol-lij) - any learning institution apart from school and varsity, usually technical
Corn (korn) - foot sore, bunion
Cowboy (kow-boyi) - young herdsman
Dam (dam) - any inland stretch of water, lake
Dance (daarns) - dance
Dagga ( d-ugh-uh) - marijuana, cannabis, the weed
Dirt (duhrt) - filth, rubbish, mess
Donga (dong-guh) dry watercourse, small ravine
Donner (door-ner) bliksem, beat up someone, attack
Dof (dorf) - stupid, ignorant
Dop (dorp) tot of spirits, a drink of alcohol
Dorp (door-p) small town, country village
Drugs (drugs) - illicit drugs like cocaine
Drugstore (drug-stor) - no such thing, but probably a shebeen that sells illicit drugs
Drywors (dry-vors) - dried sausage, form of biltong
Ek se’ (eck-sair) - I’m telling you, I say
Eina (A-naar) ouch,
Electricity (ee-lek-tris-itee) - wiring, vehicle or household power
Engine (en-jin) - internal combustion device in all cars
Fanagalo (fun-uh-galore) local slang language, mixture of English, Afrikaans and Zulu
Farm (fahrm) - any agricultural holding, spread
Father Christmas (far-thuh-cris-mis) - santa
Fishing (fish-ing) - angling, catching fish
Flat (flatt) - apartment, small garden cottage
Fishing rod (fish-ing-rod) - rod or pole or stick used to catch fish
Four-by-four (fore-by-fore) - any SUV, utility vehicle, 4 wheel drive ldv
Fridge (frij) - refrigerator, ice box, cooler
Frikkadel (frick-ah-dell) - meatball, rissole
Fundi (foon-dee) expert, ace
Gadoyi (gah-dooi) - mongrel, horrid dog, even applies to an unsavoury person
Garage (gah-raj) - service station, petrol station, vehicle workshop, place to park a car
Gat (gatt) - gun, revolver, pistol
Gas (gas) - gaseous substance, lpg
Gat (ghutt) - Afrikaans for hole
Geyser (ghee-zah) - water heating device
GI - (jee-eye) - short for glucose index
Glasses (glaar-siz) - both spectacles and drinking tumblers of any form
Glue (gloo) - adhesive, paste
Gogga (gh-or-gh-uh) insect, bug
Graze (grays) - to eat
Grub (grub) - food, meal
Gumboots (gum-boots) - galoshes, wellingtons, waterproof shoes
Hau (huh-woo) - hey! Surprise, astonishment, jee
Heater (hee-tuh) - device for warming the house
Howzit (how-zit) - hi, hello, how are you
Indaba (inn-dar-buh) - conference, meeting
Indian (in-dee-in) - Asian, somebody from India
Izzit (is-it) oh really, oh okay
Ja-nee (yar-nee-uh) - maybe, oh well, yes
Ja-well-no-fine (yar-well-no-fine) - yeah okay but..
Jersey (jehr-zee) - cardigan, sweater, pullover
Jislaaik (yis-lie-ick) - wow, gee whizz, crikey
Jol (jawl) - party, mess around, to play
Joller (jaw-ler) - ducktail, hooligan
Jong (yawng) - young, you
Jova (jaw-vah) - injection, stab, prick
Just now (recently, soon, yes I will do it soon
Kaartjie (kaar-tchey) - ticket, voucher, reefer, joint, dagga zol
Kehle (care-shluh) - elderly man
Kerrie (kerry) - stick, club, baton
Kettie (catty) - catapult, slingshot
Kids (kidz) children
Kif (kiff) - nice, attractive, lekker
Knobkerrie (nob-kerry) - stick with a ball on one end, club, kerrie
Koeksuster (cook-sister) traditional sweet cake, plaited, deep fried and coated in syrup
Konfyt (con-fate) - fruit preserve, home made jam
Koppie (corp-ee) - hill, small mountain
Kraal (cr-ahl) - enclosure for animals, traditional Zulu hut
Krantz (craahntz) - cliff, precipice, canyon, gorge
Kuk (cuck) - horrible, lousy, not nice
Kwaito (k-why-toe) - African pop music, township music
Kwela (k-where-luh) - form of African jazz featuring pennywhistle
Laager (laar-guh) - circle of wagons, defensive barricade
Laatjie (light-ee) - any youngster, kid, children
Lekker (lack-kuh) - nice, enjoyable, Afrikaans for sweet and candy
Links (luh-ngs) - Afrikaans for left side
Lorry (lorree) - truck, heavy vehicle
Lounge (lounj) - sitting room, living room
Lousy (lough-zee) - nasty, not nice
Ma (maah) - mother, mom, older woman
Maas (maars) - sour, curdled milk
Mal (mull) - mad, crazy, ridiculous
Mampara (mum-pah-ruh) - fool, idiot
Mampoer (mum-poor) - potent fruit alcohol
Matric (mat-trick) - final year of school, standard 10, grade 12
Medicine (med-uh-sin) - any curative medical substance
Mielie (me-lee) - maize, corn usually on the cob
Mlungu (im-loong-ooh) - a white man
Mossie (moss-see) - sparrow, finch
Motor (moh-tah) - electric motor, turning device that generates electric current
Mudguard (mud-gaard) - fender of a vehicle
Muti (moo-tea) - medicine
Naartjie (nahr-tchey) - nectarine, citrus fruit
Ninkempoep (ningk-um-poep) - ninnie, idiot, dunce
Nooit (naw-eet) - no, never, it can’t be
Now now -(now-now) - shortly, in a moment, soon
Nyoka (in-yor-gah) - snake
O (oh) - nought, zero,
Oke (oak) - anybody, someone, usually a male
Ooh gats (oo-ghuts) - oh shucks
Oom (ooh-im) - Afrikaans for uncle, any male older
Ox (oks) - a castrated bull
Padkos (putt-course) - food for a trip, food to take with you for later
Panga (pan-gah) - caneknife, bushknife
Pap en wors (pup-en-vors) - traditional dish of sausage and stiff porridge
Petrol (peht-ril) - car fuel
Piet-my-vrou (peat-may-frowe) Red chested cuckoo
Piss up (piss-up) - drinking, a drinking session of alcohol
Pissed (pisst) - drunk, inebriated
Plaas jaapie (plaars-yarpee) - country bumkin, out of towner
Poofter (poof-tuh) - sissy, ninnie, crybaby, homosexual, queer
Pootjiekos (paw-ee-key-cors) traditional stew cooked in thick pot on fire
Possie (pozzee) - home, house, place
Post (poh-st) - mail, letter
Pub (pub) - bar, inn, hotel
Puncture (punk-cha) - flat tyre
Putu (pooh-too) traditional dish of thick crumbly porridge
Regs (reghhs) Afrikaans for right side, okay, correct
Radiator (ray-dee-ater) - vehicle cooling system
Robot (row-bot) traffic lights
Rockspider (rock-spy-dah) - derogatory name for Afrikaaner
Rondavel (ron-dar-vil) - circular hut, normally thatched
Rooinek (roy-neck) - Afrikaans name for Englishman, normally derogatory
Rubber (rub-buh) - eraser, condom
Rubbish (rubb-ish) - any litter, trash
Saarmie (saar-mee) - any sandwich, slice of bread
School - (skoo-l)- formal schooling of kids from pre-school up to matric
Sea (see) - marine, ocean, beach, surf
Shot (shot) - well done
Sies (sea-ss) - exclamation of disgust, horrible,
Siestog (seas-torgh) - expression of pity, shame
Sink (sienk) - basin, washtub,
Sis (sis) - horrible, nasty, exclamation of disgust
Shame (shayme) - English expression of pity, sympathy
Shebeen (shuh-bean) township pub, bush drinking spot, illegal vendor of alcohol
Shop (shop) - store, mall, any retail outlet
Sjambok (sham-bock) whip,
Skabenga (skah-ben-gah) - naughty person, mischievous individual
Skidonk (skuh-donk) - old and battered, usually a decrepit vehicle
Skietpiet (skeet-peet) - someone who is trigger happy
Skinder (skinner) gossip, scandal
Skokkiaan (scock-ee-arn) - potent township alcoholic brew
Skollie (scolly) - hoodlum, badman, often a Cape Coloured gangster
Skrik (skrick) - fright,scare
Slap tjips - (slup-chips) - slices of potatoe, deep fried, but underdone, with salt and vinegar
Slegs (slare-ghs) - only, bad, poor quality
Slipslops (slipslops) - slops, any open shoe, sandal
Sloppy Joe - an untidy fellow, badly dressed, like “giddy gout”
Smallholding (smorl-holding) - country estate, small farm
Soccer (sock-uh) - football
Socks (socks) - men’s stockings
Soil (soyl) - garden earth, dirt, sand
Soldier (sole-juh) - any member of the army
Sosatie (soss-arty) - kebab, meat on a skewer
Spoek en diesel (spook-in-dee-zel) nickname usually for cane and Coke
Spruit (sprayt) - watercourse, stream, spring
Stockings (stock-ingz) - ladies nylons, pantihose
Stoep (stoop) - verandah, porch
Stove (stoeve) - cooker, hotplate, oven
Suh (ssuh) - fetch him, to set dogs upon
Sukkel (suh-kill) - struggle, battle
Sweet (sweet) - nice, okay, candy,
Tach (tach) - moustache
Takkies (tack-ease) - trainers, tennis shoes, canvas shoes
Tannie (tunny) - aunt, older woman
Tap (tap) - valve, water faucet
Tape (tay-p) - both noun and verb for all video and audio recordings
Taxi (taxee) - cab, minibus, public transport
Tearoom (tee-room) - café, store, shop
Tokoloshe (torque-a-losh) - evil spirit, traditional Zulu bad spirit, ghost, spook
Tomato sauce (tom-ar-toe-sors) - ketchup
Toppie (torp-pee) - old person
Totsiens (tort-siens) - Afrikaans for goodbye
Toyi toyi (toy-toy) - traditional African protest dance
Tracksuit (track-suit) - any comfortable elasticised sweatsuit
Trailer (tray-ler) - any towed facility, open or closed, used to load and transport
Train (trayn) - loco, engine, railtrucks
Tsotsi (tsort-sey) - black gangster, African crook, burglar, badman
Tula - (tool-ugh) - ssh, quiet, shutup,
TV (tee-vee) - television, telly, tube
Tyre (tie-yuh) - rubber outer casing on wheel
Twak (twuck) - tobacco, nonsense, rubbish
Varsity - (vaar-sit-ee) - short for university, secondary education, after completing matric
Vasbyt (fuss-bait) - hang in, keep trying, grit your teeth
Velskoen (fell-skoon) shoe of untanned leather
Veldt (felt) - wild grass area, grazing land
Verandah (vuh-ran-duh) - porch, stoep
Vetkoek (fet-cook) - traditional savoury cake deep fried
Vlei (flay) - marsh, bog
Voetsek (foot-sack) - buzz off, go,
Vuvusela (voo-voo-zeh-luh) long horn like instrument, blown at soccer matches
Yebo (yeah-boar) - yes, okay, alright
Wag ‘n bietjie (vagh-ah-bick-key) wait a minute, hang on
Waai (vyie) - go, let’s waai = let’s go
Walkie-talkies (wor-key-tor-keys) - traditional Black dish of chicken feet and heads
Windgat (vint-ghutt) - show off, know it all
Wood (wood) - timber, lumber, plank
Wors (vawse) - short for boerewors, sausage
Wyn (vain) - Afrikaans for a wine
Zed (zed) - zee, last letter of alphabet
Zinc (zinc) - galvanised roof sheet
Zol - (zawl) - dagga, marijuana, cannabis

Derek Robson is an up and coming, South African, internet marketer, with a vision of empowering all fellow South Africans and non U.S folk, to have equal opportunity and success, on the internet. He is a syndicated article writer. He and his wife Sally, have started a string of sites, resources, courses and articles, as part of Dersalsites. For daily postings and articles, on Internet marketing, South African business, list building, affiliate marketing, the law of attraction, rugby and general topics, check his blogsite, at: http://dersalsites.com/southafricanbusiness

To remain informed of our progress, in trying to find satisfactory alternatives, by newsletter and mail and to get recommended tools and lessons and to start your journey to wealth, sign up here. It’s free. Click this link: http://www.dersalsites.com/newsletter/ We will even throw in some free software for you, when you join.

Bookmark to:

| Posted in South Africa

Best Deal Ads :

Passkey: prosperity

Feeds and Navigation

Dictionary Of South African Expressions

Best Deal Ads :

Leave a Reply