A Guide to South African Living
New SA Toons
New South African Currency
ISIT? JAWELNOFINE!
�
�� ������ A survival
guide to South Africa.
��������������
You better read this, hey.
�
What is a braai? A braai is a backyard barbecue and it will
take place whatever the weather. So you will have to go even if
it's�raining like mad and hang of a cold. At a braai you
will be introduced�to a substance known as mealiepap. Read
further for an explanation of "pap".
Now that you know what a braai is, here are some other words
and�phrases you will encounter in South Africa, used by folk
of all persuasions, genders and ethnic adherences. You do need to
know what they mean. Really.
Ag: This one of the most useful South African words.
Pronounced like the "ach" is the German
"achtung", it can be used to start a reply when you are
asked a tricky question, as in: "Ag, I don't know." Or
a sense of resignation: "Ag, I'll have some more pap
then." It can stand alone too as a signal of irritation or
of pleasure.
Biltong: Similar to jerky, it is dried, salted meat and can be
made from beef, ostrich, antelope or anything that was once alive
and fairly large. It is usual for expatriate South Africans to
say: "What�I really miss is my biltong, man."
Bioscope: Pronounced "byscope", its use is going out
of fashion and in some urban areas, regrettably, it is being
replaced by "movies" and� "flicks."
Sometimes it is reduced to "bio" or
"'scopes." But you may still be asked if you would like
to go to the byscope.
�
Blooming: Pronounced "blimming", it is roughly
equivalent to "helluva", as in: "Ag, that pap I
had at the braai made me blooming
sick." For emphasis, "blooming" can be replaced
by "bladdy" which, in turn, is a corruption of the
Australian "bloody".
�
Cafe: This is the generic term for convenience stores and it
is pronounced "caff" or "cayf." Traditionally
operated by people of
Portuguese, Greek or Asian ancestry, it is a good place to buy
smokes� (q.v.), biltong or the Alka Seltzer you will need
after trying pap at the braai.
�
Dirtbin: Self-explanatory, this is a garbage can. It is also
called a"rubbish bin." If you refer to rubbish as
"garbage" you will be
considered blooming pretentious.
�
Doll: A term of affection between males and females, it is
used mostly in the Johannesburg area. A corrupted form of
"darling", it will be heard thus: "Your turn to
take out the dirtbin, Doll." "But I took it� out
it last time, Doll." "Well take the bladdy thing out
again, Doll."
�
Donner: A rude word, it comes from the Afrikaans
"donder" (thunder).� Pronounced
"dorner", it means "beat up." Your rugby team
can get donnered in a game, or your boss can donner you if you do
a lousy job.
�
Eina: Widely used by all language groups, this word, derived
from the Afrikaans, means "ouch." Pronounced
"aynah", you can shout it out in sympathy when someone
burns his finger on a hot potato at a braai.
�
Fixed up: This means "good." An example is this
exchange: "You don't� have to take the dirtbin out,
Doll -- I took it already." "Fixed up, Doll."
�
Hang of: This the same as the American "heck of", as
in: "I have a� hang of a headache" or "I had
a hang of a good time at the braai."
�
Hap: Pronounced "hup", this means "bite"
and is used in the following fashion: "Give me a hap of your
apple. Ag, please."
�
Hey: Often used at the end of a sentence to emphasize the
importance of what has just been said, it can also stand alone as
a question.�� Instead of saying "excuse me?"
or "pardon?" when you have not heard� something
directed at you, you can say: "Hey?"
�
Isit?: This is a great word in conversations. Derived from the
two words "is" and "it", it can be used when
you have nothing to
contribute if someone tells you at the braai: "The
Russians will succeed in their bid for capitalism once they adopt
a work ethic and� respect for private ownership." It is
appropriate to respond by� saying: "Isit?"
�
Jawelnofine: This is another conversation fall-back word.
Derived from� the four words "yes",
"well", "no" (q.v.) and "fine", it
means roughly "how about that." If your bank manager
tells you your account is overdrawn, you can say with confidence:
"Jawelnofine."
�
�Jislaaik: Pronounced "Yis-like", it is an
expression of astonishment.�� For instance, it someone
tells you there are a billion people in����
China, a suitable comment is: "Jislaaik, that's a hang of a
lot of people, hey."
�
Just now: Universally used, it means "eventually"
and sometimes� "never". If someone says he will do
something "just now" it could be� in 10 minutes or
tomorrow. Or maybe he won't do it at all.
�
Lekker: An Afrikaans word meaning nice, this word is used by
all language groups to express approval. If you see someone of
the opposite sex who is good-looking, you can exclaim:
"Lekkerrr!" while drawing out the last syllable. But
that use is now thought politically incorrect in some areas.
�
Marmite: Contrary to American disinformation, Marmite is not
discarded� axle grease. Bought in small glass jars at
supermarkets and cafes, Marmite is a salty vegetable extract and
is the S.A. answer to peanut� butter. Generations have grown
up with it on their school sandwiches�� and, in turn,
have inflicted it on their own children. This process��
has been going on for so long now, Marmite has become
unstoppable.
�
Nappy: This is a diaper. The editors don't want to go further
into this topic because their children are now grown up and the
subject is closed for ever.
�
No: This word has many meanings in South Africa other than
the�� opposite of "yes". Your host at the
braai is likely to say: "No, I see� your plate is
empty. You want some more pap?". Another example --
If�� the clerk in a shoe shop asks if she can help, you
may reply: "No, I'm� looking for some tackies
(q.v.)". This means: "Yes, I'm looking for some
tackies."
�
Oke: A "guy" or "chap" or
"bloke". If you quite like someone you can� say:
"Ag, he is an OK oke". Instead of "oke" you
can also say "ou"� which is pronounced
"Oh."
Pap: Encountered at braais, pap is boiled corn meal.
Pronounced "pup"� it has the appearance,
consistency and -- many say -- the taste of� moist Plaster
of Paris. Lots of South Africans pretend to like it.� Eating
pap is character-building in the sense that one learns to grin
and bear adversity, rather like Americans in the South have grown
spiritually by consuming grits. In a religious context, this
process is called self-flagellation.
�
Shame: Like "No", this word can mean the opposite of
its meaning in� other parts of the world. If someone shows
you a baby, you can say:�� "Ag, shame." This
does not mean the baby is ugly -- it means the baby� is
cute. If the baby is ugly, it is more accurate to say:
"Shame,��� hey." If the baby is truly
hideous, it is appropriate to say:���
"Jislaaik." This may not be appreciated by the baby's
parents.
�
Smokes: These are not sausages, but cigarettes. A packet of smokes is� a pack of cigarettes. An American who wants
smoked sausage can go to a caff and ask for "horrogs."
�
Tackies: These are sneakers or running shoes. The word is also
used to describe automobile or truck tires. "Fat
tackies" are big tires, as� in: "Where did you get
those lekker fat tackies on your Volksie (VW),� hey?"
TOP
OF PAGE