A Guide for foreigners friendly, dating or married to South Africans

From Jay:

A Guide for foreigners friendly, dating or married to South Africans

*AG

This is one of the most useful South African words. Pronounced like
"ach" in 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 mieliepap then." It can stand
alone too as a signal of irritation or of pleasure.

* 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 mealie at a braai.



* HEY

Often used at the end of a sentence to emphasise the importance of
what has just been said, as in "Jislaaik boet, you're only going to
get a lekker klap if you can't find your takkies now, hey ?" 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
owner-ship." It is quite appropriate to respond by saying, "Isit?"


* JAWELNOFINE

This is another conversation fallback word. Derived from the four
words "yes", "well", "no" 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, if 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?"


* KLAP

Pronounced "klup" - an Afrikaans word meaning smack, whack or spank.
If you spend too much time at the movies at exam time, you could end
up catching a sharp klap from your pa. In America, that is called
child abuse. In South Africa, it is called promoting education.


* 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.


* TACKIES

These are sneakers or running shoes. The word is also used to
describe automobile or truck tyres. "Fat tackies" are big tyres, as in "Where
did you get those lekker fat tackies on your Volksie, hey?"


*DOP

This word has two basic meanings; one good and one bad. First, the
good. A dop is a drink, a cocktail, a sundowner, a noggin. If you are
invited over for a dop be careful. It could be one or two sedate
drinks or a blast, depending on the company you have fallen in with.
Now the bad. To dop is to fail. If you dopped Standard Two (Grade 4)
more than once, you probably won't be reading this.


*SARMIE

This is a sandwich. For generations, school children have traded
sarmies during lunch breaks. If you are sending kids off to school in
the morning, don't give them liver-polony sarmies. They are the
toughest to trade.


*HOWZIT

This is a universal South African greeting and you will hear this
word throughout the land. It is often used with the word "no" as in this
exchange: "No, howzit?". "No, fine." "No, isit?".


*WHAT'S POTTING ?

Local vernacular for " Whats happening " or " What's up" . This term
has no gardening connotation whatsoever.


* BIOSCOPE

A local word now losing a little fashion. Meaning movie theatre,
cinema, flicks or pictures, depending on which part of the world you
come from.

* JUST NOW

Contrary to it's apparent meaning, ' just now ' can mean anytime from
now right through to the next millennium. Asked to do a job you don't
particularly like, you would reply: "Ja, I'll do it just now"


*NOW NOW

In much of the outside world, this is a comforting phrase: "Now,
now, don't cry - I'll take you to the bioscope tomorrow." But in South
Africa, this phrase means a little sooner than soon. "I'll clean my
room now now Ma." Knowing that you will receive a well deserved '
klap ' if you don't do it at once. It is a little more urgent than
"just now".


*BOET

This is an Afrikaans word meaning "brother" which is shared by all
language groups. Pronounced "boot" as in "foot", it can be applied
to non-brother. For instance a father can call his son" boet" and
friends can apply the term to each other too. Sometimes the diminutive
"boetie" is used. Don't use the term with someone you hardly know - it would be thought patronising.


*PASOP

From the Afrikaans phrase meaning "Watch out!". This warning is used
and heeded by all language groups. As in: "Your ma hasn't had her
morning coffee yet Boet so pasop and stay out of her way." Sometimes
just the word "pasop" is enough without further explanation.
Everyone knows it sets out a line in the sand not to be crossed.


*VROT

Pronounced "frot". A wonderful word which means "rotten" or "putrid"
in Afrikaans. It is used by all language groups to describe anything
they really don't like. Most commonly it describes fruit and
vegetables whose shelf-lives have long expired, but a pair of tackies
(sneakers), worn a few times too often, can be termed "vrot" by
unfortunate folk in the same room as the wearer. Also, a rugby
player who misses important tackles, can be said to have played a vrot game; but not to his face because he won't appreciate it. We once saw a
movie review with this headline "Slick Flick, Vrot Plot."


*JA-NEE

Afrikaans for "Yes/No". This expression's origin is believed to have
originated when a family member starts talking politics (what else do
we talk about in South Africa?) and you don't want to cause a
political argument and get klapped or donnered. Then every now and
then you mutter, "Ja-Nee." ( pronounced yah -near )


* GRAZE

In a country with a strong agricultural tradition, it is not
surprising that farming words crop up (pun intended) in general
conversation. Thus to graze means to eat. If you are invited to a
bioscope show, you may be asked: "Do you want to catch a graze now
now?"


*CATCH A TAN

This is what you do when you lie on the beach pretending to study for
your matric exams. The Brits, who have their own odd phrases, say
they are getting "bronzed". Nature has always been unkind to South
African school children, providing beach and swimming pool weather
just when they should be swotting for the mid-summer finals. If you
spend too much time "catching a tan" at exam time, you could end up
catching a sharp "klap" from your pa.


*ROCK UP

To rock up at some place is to just sort of arrive. You don't make
an appointment or tell anyone you are coming - you just rock up. Friends
can do that, but you have to be selective about it. You can't just
rock up for an interview or at a five star restaurant. You give them
a bell first, then you can rock up.

*BELL

South African vernacular for telephone call; as in "Ja Boet, I'll
give you a bell just now." Which means phoning anytime from now to
eternity.

*SCALE

To scale something is to steal it. A person who is "scaly" is not
nice. He's a scumbag and should be left off the Christmas party
invitation list.