November, 1996"I Yield to My China from the Opposition Benches"A further installment of the survival guide for visitors to South Africa: A lexicon of words they need to know aboutOne of our valued readers, James Richardson of Melbourne, Australia, said this about Main Street's Cyberbraai lexicon of South African words and phrases: "These are words which are hard to do without no matter how long one has been overseas." James is quite right and this is probably the reason why the lexicon has become so popular. It is hard for South Africans to talk about "sneakers" when they really mean "tackies" or to order a "soda" when they are dying for a "cooldrink." The original purpose of the lexicon was to explain to visitors what South Africans are talking about when they use words unique to the country. A number of uitlanders have written to express their appreciation. But it appears that South Africans themselves are enjoying this exercise and this pleases us immensely. Here is the latest installment of the lexicon. Keep the suggestions coming in. We'll use as many as we can - and they cheer up the otherwise sober corridors of Main Street South Africa's imposing corporate headquarters in suburban McLean, Virginia. For previous installments of the Cyberbraai lexicon, click here. BOKKIE: One of South Africa's nicest words, this is a term of endearment which can be applied to either sex. In literal translation it means "little buck" or "little deer", and its English equivalent is "sweetheart." When a couple walks down the road hand-in-hand, somebody may remark that they are "bokkies." If one of them is in a blue uniform and is joined to his or her companion by handcuffs, then they are obviously not bokkies. BREEKER: You probably won't find a breeker taking afternoon tea at the venerable Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town. He is more likely to be found in one of those pubs where the smell of brandy overpowers even the flies who stagger out in a dazed state through the swing doors. A "breeker" is a tough - someone you don't want to mess with because his reasoning powers are unusually limited. CHINA: Borrowed from Cockney rhyming slang, this word is a great favourite in South Africa. It means "friend" or, more accurately, "pal" and it comes from "China plate - mate." It is widely used but it is not always appropriate. For instance, a Member of Parliament would be unlikely to say during debate: "I yield to my china, the Honorable Member from the National Party." But he could use the term in casual conversation in the lobby as in: "No, howzit my china!" The answer will be: "No, sawright." COOLDRINK, COLDDRINK: This is what South Africans call a soda. If you order a soda, you will get a club soda. If you want an orange soda, ask for an orange cooldrink. If you want ice in it, make that clear. South Africans don't routinely put ice in cooldrinks as is done in the United States. One of the most popular cooldrinks is brandnamed Coo-ee, and if anyone has a better name than that, we would like to hear of it. DEURMEKAAR: Bamboozled, puzzled, confused, buggered, screwed up - all these states of existence can be described with this uniquely South African word. It is one of many Afrikaans words that English-speakers use with such familiarity that they have probably forgotten it is purloined. If you are having one of those days, you can explain it thus: "I am all deurmekaar today." Everyone will understand without needing further details. DORP: A small town is a dorp. A really small town is a one-horse dorp. Some dorps in the Northern Cape are so small that if you yawn while driving through, you could miss them. At least one of them is reputed to have just one tree which is referred to as: "The Tree". People like dorps in general because they seem innocent somehow in a world where innocence is in short supply. Television, introduced for the first time in 1976, changed that, however. Now people who live in dorps see all the bad stuff that everyone else sees. DURBS: A nickname for the great city of Durban. Johannesburg is called "Joburg", sometimes "Joeys" and sometimes "Egoli". The city of Potchefstroom is called "Potch" and Port Elizabeth is generally known by its initials, "P.E." Cape Town has a couple of nicknames but nobody actually uses them. The place is just Cape Town. GE: The meaning of this word is roughly the same as "china". A "ge" - pronounced "ghay" - is a pal, a chum, a mate, a crony, a china. We have no idea where it comes from. It is not a word one hears in genteel circles. 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 told: "We'll graze first - and then hit the flicks." It is, of course, an informal word. The master of ceremonies at the annual dinner of the Medical Association is unlikely to say: "I am delighted to see so many old friends and colleagues at this year's graze." In fact, he definitely won't say that. IMMUNERTELLYA: This word was sent in by a reader and it means what it sounds like. A father will say to his son: "Immunertellya just one time to clean up that mess in your room." An hour later he will say: "Immunertellya just one more time." It can be repeated endlessly but will not necessarily produce the desired results. KAALVOET: An Afrikaans word used by English-speakers, it means bare-footed and is pronounced "carl-foot." Schoolboy rugby players from sissy suburbs are wary of opposing players who run on the field kaalvoet. It means they are hardened, feel little pain, and should be avoided if possible. In the platteland (see that entry), many youngsters and quite a few adults routinely walk about kaalvoet, even in winter. But in the city it is not advised because you never know what you'll step into. PLATTELAND: South Africans use this word when they refer to the boondocks, the countryside. It means literally "flat land" but is applied to mountainous and hilly regions too, like the area near Cape Town where the world's best wine comes from. SAWRIGHT: This word comes in handy on many occasions. Condensed from the phrase, "It's alright," it is usually pronounced "sawraht." If you stub your toe on a stone while wearing sandals, you can respond "sawright" to sympathetic inquiries about the pain. You can also mutter "sawright" when your application for a pay raise is turned down. In the latter case, it means it's actually not alright and you are quite cross about it. THISARVIE: The short form of "this afternoon", it is heard all over South Africa: "See you thisarvie" or "The job will be finished by thisarvie." Oddly enough, the same principles of word shortening are not applied to morning, evening or night. You will never hear "thismornie", "thisevie" or "thisnightie", which seems a pity really when you think about it. VOETSTOOTS: If you buy a car in South Africa, you may be told that the sale is "voetstoots". Pronounced "footstoots", it means "as is." It is probably a good idea to find a china who knows about cars and get him to check it out. LEXICON 1: Isit? Jawelnofine! |
