List of South African slang words From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Contents 1 Afrikanerisms 2 Words from Khoi San languages 3 Words from Xhosa, Zulu and the other Nguni Languages 4 Words from Sesotho and Setswana Languages 5 Words from Portuguese 6 Original South African English coinages 7 Slang originating from other countries 8 Slang terms originating from ethnic minorities 8.1 South African slang 8.2 South African Portuguese slang 8.3 South African Indian slang 8.4 South African Jewish slang 8.5 South African Lebanese slang 9 Special-use slang 9.1 Kasi / township slang 9.2 Gay slang also called 'gayle' 10 See also 11 Example 12 References 13 External links Afrikanerisms This list of "Afrikanerisms" comprises slang words and phrases influenced by Afrikaans and other African languages. Typical users include people with Afrikaans as their first language but who speak English as a second language; and people living in areas where the population speaks both English and Afrikaans. Many of these terms also occur widely amongst ethnic/native South Africans. These terms do not occur in formal South African English. Fanakalo also refers to when people of non Zulu origin attempt to speak Zulu without the proper pronunciation and throat sounds. Fanakalo in Zulu literally means "same as this" – (fana – same, ka – as, lo – this). ag man – oh man; ag as the Afrikaans equivalent to "oh" (pronounced \ach\ like German ACHtung), man pronounced as in English. antie – an older female authority figure. [Derived from the English "aunt".] anties – breasts aweh/awe (pronounced \AAAH-WHERE\ --> not rolling the "R") – said in excitement, as in: Aweh; my boss said I can go home early today. The word has many meanings or uses: "hello", "goodbye", "yes". Also associated with prison use. (Greeting) "Aweh, my bru." (Hello my friend). Similar: howzit, yooit, hoesit, yo. baas – boss babbelbekkie – Someone who talks a lot babelaas / babbelas – hangover (of Zulu origin) bakgat – cool; expression of appreciation for something very well accomplished bakkie – a utility truck or pick-up truck, now a mainstream word in South African English. Can also refer to a small container. bakvissie – a giggly teenage girl (from bakvis, a fish too small to be kept and thrown back into the water). bale – (TV) used to signify annoyance (pronounced barlee) befok – really good, exciting, cool; as in "The rock-show was befok." [Do not confuse with gefok.] Can also mean "crazy" in a very strong sense, as in "Are you befok?" — derogatory. Can also mean "to have sex with". bek – derogatory term for mouth (Afrikaans: an animal's mouth); Hou jou bek! – "shut up!" , "Shut your trap!" (literally: "hold your [animal's] mouth"). This translates well into British English as "Shut your gob." bergie – from Afrikaans berg, which translates to "mountain", originally referring to vagrants who sheltered in the forests of Table Mountain; now a mainstream word for a particular subculture of vagrants, or homeless persons, especially in Cape Town. bill – used to ask for the cheque; as in: "Can I have the bill, please?", identical to British English. biltong – dried meat, similar to jerky (a mainstream word) blerrie/bladdy hell – damn/damnit bliksem – strike, hit, punch; also used as an expression of surprise/emphasis. It derives from the Dutch word for "lightning", and often occurs in conjunction with donner. Used as a curse in Afrikaans: "Jou bliksem!" (You bastard!) bioscope, bio – cinema, movie theatre (now dated), originally an international English word that became defunct elsewhere, it has survived longer in South Africa[1] as a result of the influence of the Afrikaans cognate bioskoop. Also related to the Dutch word "bioscoop", which still means "cinema" in Netherlands usage. blou – being sad, as in the English language feeling blue bloutrein – literally "blue train", referring to methylated spirits, sometimes used for drinking (filtered through a loaf of white bread). Also refers to the Blue Train (two words), a luxury train that travels from Pretoria to Cape Town. boer – literally "farmer" in Afrikaans. English-speaking people use the word to indicate an Afrikaans farmer, especially in a derogatory way, like "country bumpkin", "boorish"; but Afrikaners use it with much pride, indicating a person with a deep love of the soil of Africa, a provider of food. boere (the plural form) can also refer to the police. "Boer" does not only refer to an Afrikaans farmer, but also to a proudly Afrikaans person, whether he farms for a living or not. boerewors – popular type of sausage in South Afric. In Afrikaans, literally "farmer-sausage", used as a mainstream word in South African English. boet – male friend (from boetie, informal form of broer meaning brother, see also bru and bra below); compare American English: "dude" bokkie – (diminutive of bok, literally meaning "little buck" or "doe") a popular term of endearment, comparable to "sweetheart", "honey", etc. boom – Literal translation is "tree" but is commonly used to refer to marijuana bosberaad – strategy meeting held outdoors, for example in a game reserve bossies, or bosbefok – crazy, whacko, mad. Also a term for one who has shell shock. Refers to the time of the South African Border War where soldiers spent time in the bush ("bos/bosse") and would return home suffering battle flash-backs (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). bradley - vagina brak – mongrel dog, can also refer to brackish water. broekie – panties or ladies underwear. From Afrikaans: broek, meaning "trousers". Common usage: "Don't get your broekies in a knot" which means "Calm down". broekie lace – ornate ironwork found on Victorian buildings (lit. 'pantie lace'), the tie that you find on board shorts bra – male friend bru – A term of affection. (see also "bra" and "boet"). Shortened from Afrikaans broer, meaning "brother". An example would be "Hey, my bru, howzit?" buk – Put your head down quickly, as in "Buk when you go in the door, it's really low." button – mandrax tablet (Slang Only) braai – a barbecue, to barbecue (from braaivleis - grilled meat), used as a mainstream word in South African English. cheekyprawn – a term of foul abuse cherry – "meddie", see tjerrie china/chine – a friend; as in the greeting Howzit my china? Likely origin: Cockney rhyming slang "China plate" (meaning "my mate"); from early British immigrants. chan – a derogatory term for an overweight, metrosexual South African. (likely origin: derived from the slang term china/chine). Also used as a variation to bru and bra. chommie/chomma – a friend (similar to English "chum"); also refers to the perineum area between vagina and anus. Also spelled tjommie. choty goty – beautiful girl chrisco – a party/disco where Christian music mainly features. A combination of the words 'Christian' and 'Disco'. Chwee chweereekeys– getting high cuiter – somebody one has a strong dislike for. It has a similar meaning to the word cunt in the English language. cullis – young girl who is extremely lead. dagga – most commonly used word for marijuana. dikbek – grumpy, in a huff (literally: "thick mouth" (pout), with an image of puffed-out cheeks like a bullfrog) dinges – thingamabob, a wotzit or a whatchamacallit. Dutch - dinges. doos – literally the Afrikaans translation for "box". Depending on context, the slang/derogatory version can mean prat, twat or idiot. domkop – idiot (lit. Dumbhead), same as German "Dummkopf" or Dutch "domkop" donner – to beat up. Used together with "bliksem". Derived from "donder" (thunder, related to Thor). Amounts to an ancient curse. Like "Nick i'm going to donner you" dof – stupid or slow to understand. dop – alcohol, to drink alcohol, to fail. For example: "Come and drink a dop (a drink) with me" or "I'm gonna dop that test." Originally refers to a tot (measure). dorpie – small town doss, dorse, dossing – Sleep or nap. Droëwors – (Afrikaans) 'dry sausage', similar to biltong dronkie – drunkard druk – to embrace or squeeze, hug (noun) "Gee my 'n drukkie," "Give me a hug." (not necessary sexually) dwankie – someone or something that is lame, stupid, uncool, or generally undesirable. Generally used as an insult or in a derogatory way. Zef slang] Can be used as both a noun: "Look at those dwankies over there!" and an adjective: "My chinas have gone dwankie!" eina! – ouch! used as a mainstream word in South African English. [Probably of Khoisan origin.] eish! - Wow! What? Expression of surprise. Of Bantu origin. ek sê – I say! entjie – Cigarette. For example, "Awe ou. Steek 'n ent!" flaterwater – correction fluid (e.g.: Tipp-Ex, Wite-Out) [comes from flater (mistake) and water (water)] flou – an unfunny (weak) joke (from the Afrikaans word for weak), can also refer to weak coffee or tea or weak alkoholic drink. A person that is weak. (Die man is te flou "The man is too weak"). fok – Afrikaans for "fuck", can be used in most ways it is used in English. Fokken = fucking, gefok = fucked. Dutch - Fokken = breeding (animals). goffel – Ugly girl/woman. For example,"What a G!". Also a degrading term for a person of coloured origin. gomgat – bumpkin, redneck (in the US sense, not to be confused with rooinek, the literal translation of redneck). goof, ghoef – swim, take a dip gooi – throw, chuck or to "tune" (see below) someone. goose – also chick, cherry : a young woman or girlfriend (used mainly during the 1950s, now dated) also famous line by South African comedian Barry Hilton houding – character or style heita – "hello" or "hi". It was from this that telecommunications company Telkom got the name 8.ta for their mobile addition. hoesit, hoezit, howzit – derived from "How is it going? – contracted to how's it?_In English SA context, howzit is more a greeting of "hello" rather than "how are you?", similar to SA black slang's "eta" or "ola" in sy moer – badly damaged, destroyed (rude, often considered profanity due to 'moer' to beat up).