You know you’re South African when….: Facebook group

Facebook has really taken off in South Africa, in the same way that Brazil took to Orkut..In droves.

This group has a nice list, highlighting some endearing (and some not) South Africans idiosyncrasies.

Please note the crime references in this list pertain mainly to Johannesburg 🙂

You know you’re South African when:

* You call a bathing suit a “swimming costume”

* You call a traffic light a “robot”

* The employees dance in front of the building to show how unhappy they are

* The SABC advertises and shows highlights of the program you just finished watching

* You get cold easily. Anything below 16 degrees Celsius is Arctic weather

* You know what Rooibos Tea is, even if you’ve never had any

* You can sing your national anthem in four languages, and you have no idea what it means in any of them

* You know someone who knows someone who has met Nelson Mandela

* You go to “braais” (barbecues) regularly, where you eat boerewors (long meaty sausage- type thing) and swim, sometimes simultaneously

* You know that there’s nothing to do in the Free State

* You produce a R100 note instead of your driver’s license when stopped by a traffic officer

* You can do your monthly shopping on the pavement

* You have to hire a security guard whenever you park your car

* You can count the national soccer team’s scores with no fingers

* To get free electricity you have to pay a connection fee of R750

* Hijacking cars is a profession

* You can pay your tuition fees by holding up a sign at a traffic light

* The petrol in your tank may be worth more than your car

* More people vote in a local reality TV show than in a local election

* People have the most wonderful names: Chris tmas, Goodwill, Pretty, Wednesday,

Blessing, Brilliant, Gift, Precious, Innocence and Given

* “Now now” can mean anything from a minute to a month

* You continue to wait after a traffic light has turned to green to make way for taxis traveling in the opposite direction

* Traveling at 120 km/h you’re the slowest vehicle on the highway

* You’re genuinely and pleasantly surprised whenever you find your car parked where you left it

* A bullet train is being introduced, but we can’t fix potholes

* The last time you visited the coast you paid more in speeding fines and toll fees than you did for the entire holiday

* You paint your car’s registration on the roof

* You have to take your own linen with you if you are admitted to a government hospital

* You have to prove that you don’t need a loan to get one

* Prisoners go on strike

* You don’t stop at a red traffic light, in case somebody hijacks your car

* You consider it a good month if you only get mugged once

* Rwandan refugees start leaving the country because the crime rate is too high

* When 2 Afrikaans TV programs are separated by a Xhosa announcement of the following Afrikaans program, and a Zulu ad

* You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from SA

South African sayings.. and definitions!

1. Ag-ja (pronounced: ‘ach*-yaa’) – Sure

2. Aikona! (pronounced: ‘Eye-kawn-uh) – No!

3. Amped – Excited

4. Arvie – Afternoon

5. Amabhokobhoko (pronounced: ‘Um-muh-baw-kaw-baw-kaw’) / Springboks – South African national rugby side

6. Amaglug-glug (pronounced: ‘Um-muh-glue-glue-g’) – SASOL; South African under 20 football side

7. Amajita (pronounced: ‘Um-muh-jee-tuh’) – Guys

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8. Babbalas (pronounced: ‘Bubble-us’) – Hangover

9. Baggies – Boardshorts

10. Bakkie (pronounced: ‘buck-key’) – Pick-up truck

11. Ballie (pronounced: ‘b-ul-lee) – Old person

12. Bankie – Bank bag filled with dope

13. Bell – To phone someone

14. Biltong (pronounced: ‘bill-tong’) – Jerky

15. Bioscope – Movies

16. Bleak – Disappointed

17. Biscuit – Term of affection (i.e. Timmy, you biscuit!) / Cookie

18. Blaps (pronounced: ‘blups’) – Mistake

19. Bliksem (pronounced: ‘blik-sum’) – (Exclamation – similar to ‘Jislaaik’)/ To hit.

20. Blind – Embarrassing

21. Bob – Money

22. Boerewors (pronounced: ‘boo-re-vors’) – Sausage

23. Boet – (Term of affection) Friend

24. Bog – Toilet

25. Bokkie (pronounced: ‘baw-key’) – Girl/woman

26. Boomie (‘boom-me’) / Boomelaar (‘boom-eh-laa-r’) – Homeless person

27. Boot – Trunk

28. Box – Television

29. Braai (pronounced: ‘br-eye) – Barbeque

30. Bru – Friend/person

31. Bundu – Wilderness

32. Bunny Chow – Curry inside a loaf of bread

Bossies – Crazy/Mad
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33. Café (pronounced: ‘caf-fee’) – Corner store (pronunciation is most important)

34. Carrots – To get screwed

35. Charf – Joke / Flirt

36. Charles – Castle Lager (Beer)

37. Check – Look

38. Checkers – Plastic carrier bag

39. Cherrie – Woman

40. Cheers – Thanks / Good-bye

41. China – Friend

42. Chips – Look out / A warning / French fries / Crisps

43. Chocolate / Chocolate bar – R20 note

44. Chop – Moron

45. Chorb – Pimple

46. Chorrie (pronounced: ‘Chore-ree’) – Car

47. Cotch – Vomit

48. Circle – Roundabout

49. Classic – Awesome / excellent

50. Clipper – R100 note

51. Coke / Cream Soda – Leaded or Unleaded petrol (refers to the colour coding at the petrol station)

52. Connection – Person (Can be a friend or a vaguely related person)

53. Cool drink – Soda

54. Crash – Sleep

55. Cubby hole – Glove compartment

Chuffed – happy/proud

Chunder – puke/vomit
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56. Dagga (pronounced: ‘duh-ch*-uh’) – Marijuana

57. De Klerk – R2 coin

58. Deck – Punch

59. Deurmekaar (pronounced: ‘dee-yer-mek-car’) – Confused

60. Dinges (pronounced: ‘ding-us’) – Thing

61. Dodgy – Suspiscious

62. Doss (pronounced: ‘daws’) – Sleep

63. Duck – Leave

64. Disco Biscuit – Ecstasy tablet

65. Dish – Satellite TV dish

66. Doek (pronounced: like ‘book’ but with a ‘d’) – Scarf worn on the head (like a bandana) / cloth

67. Dof (pronounced: ‘dawf’) – Dumb

68. Dolphin – BMW

69. Donga – Ditch

70. Dosh – Cash

71. Dummy – Pacifier

(Doos -Box)
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72. Eina! (pronounced: ‘ay-nah’!) – Ouch

73. Eish! – Exclamation / confessing confusion

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74. Flossie (pronounced: ‘Flaw-sea’) – Girlfriend

75. Fong-Kong – Fake

76. Foofy slide – Zip Line

77. Full on – Absolutely

78. Fully – Yes

79. Funagalore (pronounced: ‘Fun-nah-galore’) – Mixture of South African languages

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80. Gaai (pronounced: ‘ch*-eye’) – Nothing

81. Gafoefel (pronounced: ‘ch*-uh-foo-fill’) – To fidget with / To fool around with

82. Ganja (pronounced: ‘Gun-juh’) – Marijuana

83. Gatvol (pronounced: ‘ch*-ut-fol’) – Fed Up

84. Gogga (pronounced: ‘ch*-aw-ch*-uh’) – Insect

85. Goof – Swim

86. Goofed – Stoned

87. Gooi (pronounced: ‘ch*-oy’) – Throw / To vomit

88. Graft – Hard work

89. Grammadoelas (pronounced: ‘ch*-ramma-do-lus) – Wilderness

90. Granadilla – Passion Fruit

91. Guff – Fart

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92. Hayibo! (pronounced: ‘hi-baw’) – (Exclamation/Surprise) Wow!)

93. Half and half – Half brandy, half coke drink

94. Half-tiger – R5 coin

95. Hap (prounounced: ‘Hup’) – Bite of

96. Hectic – Extreme

97. Heita! (pronounced: ‘ay-tah’) – Hi!

98. Higher grade – Reference to our schooling system and is usually used in a derogatory sense when a task is too complex for someone (i.e. China, it’s not that higher grade, just do it!)

99. Hone – Stink

100. Hooter – Car horn

101. Hose – Laugh

102. Howzit! – Hi!

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103. Izzit / Is it? (pronounced: ‘zawl’) – Oh really?!

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104. Jags (prounounced: ‘yuch*-s’) – Horny

105. Ja-nee (pronounced: ‘yaa’ ‘knee-ya’) – Equivalent of ‘I don’t know’ / sure

106. Jawelnofine (pronounced: ‘yaa’ ‘well’ ‘no’ ‘fine’) – (Response) Alright

107. Jeet – Leave

108. Jislaaik (pronounced: ‘yis-like’) – Holy Crap!

109. Johnnie Walker – Someone who doesn’t own a car

110. Jol (pronounced: ‘Jawl’) – Party

111. Juice – Petrol

112. Just now – Later

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113. Kak – crap

114. Kief (pronounced: ‘keef’) – Cool/awesome

115. Koki (pronounced: ‘Coke-key’) – Permanent marker

116. Kombi – Minibus / Small van

117. Koppie (pronounced: ‘kaw-pea’) – Small hill / small person’s head

118. Kreepy / Kreepy Krawly – Pool skimmer

119. Kugel (pronounced: ‘Coo-gill’) – Posh women

120. Kwaai (pronounced: “kw-eye’) – Cool

121. Kwaito (pronounced: ‘kw-eye-toe’) – Township Music

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122. Laduma! (pronounced: ‘La-doom-a’!) – Scoring a goal in football

123. Laaitie (pronounced: ‘light-tea’) – Child

124. Lank – A lot

125. Lappie (pronounced: ‘lupp-pea’) – Cloth

126. Larny – Fancy OR Person/friend (i.e. Howzit my larny?!)

127. Lekker – Cool/awesome

128. Location – Informal settlement

129. Lus (pronounced: ‘lis’) – Craving

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130. Madiba (pronounced: ‘muh-dee-buh’) – Nelson Mandela (affectionate reference)

131. Mampara (pronounced: ‘Mum-puh-ruh’) – Fool

132. Marmite – South African equivalent of Australian’s Vegemite

133. Matchbox – Typical township house

134. Matric – Final year of high school

135. Meerkat (pronounced: ‘me-yer-kat’) – Mongoose

136. Metro – Traffic officers

137. Mielie (pronounced: ‘me-lee’) – Corn

138. Mif – Disgusting / upset

139. Mission – Awesome / Difficult

140. Moegoe (pronounced: ‘Moo-ch*-oo’) – Idiot / Someone who farts in the bath and then smells it! (Well that’s what I know it as … could be wrong! LOL).

141. Moffie (pronounced: ‘maw-fee’) – Homosexual

142. Moja (pronounced: ‘Maw-juh’) – Good (derived from ‘Mojo’)

143. Muti (pronounced: ‘Moo-tea’) – Medicine

Mal – Crazy
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144. Naartjie (pronounced: ‘naar-chee’) – Tangerine

145. Nappy – Diaper

146. Né? (pronounced: ‘neh’) – hey?

147. Niks – Nothing (Afrikaans) / Not (i.e. Niks … I’m not getting the door!)

148. Nine-Nine – Straight (i.e. I told him nine-nine!)

149. Nooit (pronounced: ‘noyt’) – Never (usually used as an exclamation)

150. Now now – Soon

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151. Oke (pronounced: ‘Oak’) – Person

152. Ola / Ola 7 (pronounced: ‘Aw-la’ ‘seven’) – Hi!

153. One Wiper – Mercedes Benz

Outoppies – Parents

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154. Packet – Carrier bag

155. Pap (pronounced: ‘Pup’) – Porridge / Flat (i.e. My car’s tyre went pap)

156. Parktown Prawn – King cricket

157. Pavement – Sidewalk

158. Pavement pizza – Vomit

159. Pavement special – Mongrel dog

160. Phuza (pronounced: ‘Poo-zuh’) – To drink

161. Piss-cat – Heavy drinker

162. Plakkies (pronounced: ‘pluck-keys’) – Flip-flops

163. Pomp (pronounced: ‘pawmp’) – To have sex

164. Pondo (pronounced: ‘Pawn-daw’) – R2 (derived from £ (Pound) – but from back in the day when it was ACTUALLY R2 to a Pound!)

165. Pozzie (pronounced: ‘pozz-zee’) – House

166. Pull in! – Come around!

Padkos – Travel food
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Quart – 750ml of beer

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167. Raboebie (pronounced: ‘ra-boob-bie’) – Spiderman

168. Robot – Traffic light

169. Rock up – Arrive

170. Rods – Underwear (briefs)

171. Rooibos (pronounced: ‘Roy-bos’) – Tea

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172. Safe – Cool/awesome

173. Samoosa (pronounced: ‘sum-moose-uh’) – Triangular Indian snack

174. Sarmi (pronounced: ‘saar-me’) – Sandwich

175. Sat (pronounced: ‘Sut’) – Tired/dead

176. Scale – To steal / To jump over

177. Shame – Used normally but also a term of sympathy (i.e. Ag shame, he’s so cute!)

178. Sharp – Fine / Great

179. Shongololo (pronounced: ‘shawng-gaw-law-law) – Millipede

180. Shot – Thanks

181. Shweet – Cool/awesome

182. Sif – Disgusting

183. Skat (pronounced: ‘skut’) – Term of affection. I.e. Don’t worry, my skat

184. Skedonk – Battered old car

185. Skinner – Gossip

186. Skollie (pronounced: ‘skol-lee’) – Riff-raff

187. Skop, skiet, en donner (pronounced: ‘skawp’, ‘skeet’, en ‘dawn-ner’) – Fighting

188. Skraal (pronounced: ‘skraa-l’) – Hungry/thin

189. Skyf (pronounced: ‘Skafe’) – Cigarette

190. Slap chips (pronounced: ‘slup’ ‘chips’) – French fries

191. Slip slops – Flip flops (we just had to go and be different!)

192. S.M.S. – Text Message

193. Smaak (prounounced: ‘smaark’) – To like/love

194. Smiri-miri (pronounced: ‘Sm-i-ree’ ‘Mi-ree’) – Smirnoff Vodka

195. Snackwich – A toasted sandwich with an assortment of fillings

196. Snollie (pronounced: ‘Snol-lee’) – Snot

197. Sosatie (pronounced: ‘Soss-sartie’) – Kebab on a stick

198. Space Case – Pencil Bag

199. Spanspek (pronounced: ‘Spun-speck’) – Cantaloupe

200. Spaza – Corner café

201. Spook and Diesel – Spirits (usually cane) and Coke

202. Squatter camp – Informal settlement

203. Squif (pronounced: ‘Skwif’) – Skew

204. Starter Pack – Entry-level car (especially a Toyota ‘Tazz’)

205. Stick (i.e. To ‘stick’ someone) – To sponsor/compensate someone money. Example: ‘Let’s go have lunch, I’ll stick you’

206. Stiffy – 3 ½ inch floppy disk

207. Stina (pronounced: ‘Stee-nuh’) – R1000 (translated from the Afrikaans ‘baksteen’ meaning ‘Brick’)

208. Stokies (pronounced: ‘stow-keys’) – Slippers

209. Sucker – Lollipop

210. Swak – Bad

211. Swimming Costume – Bathing Suit

Spliff – Joint

Skaam – embarresed
(can aslo mean shame, ie ‘He has no skaam’)

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212. Takkies – Sneakers

213. Taxi – Minibus

214. Tiger – R10

215. Tjommie (pronounced: ‘chom-me’) – Friend

216. Tomato Sauce – Ketchup

217. Toppie (pronounced: ‘tawp-pee’) – Old person

218. Torch – Flashlight

219. Trek – Walk / Journey

220. Tsotsi – Gangster

221. Tune (pronounced: ‘Choon’) – I’m telling you / warning you

222. Two Tiger – R20

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223. Veld – Wilderness

224. Vienna – Hotdog sausages/’Wieners’

225. Voetsek! (pronounced: ‘foot-sack’) – (Derogatory) Go Away!

226. Volksie (pronounced: ‘fawlk-see’) – Volkswagen (usually a ‘Golf’)

227. Vrot (pronounced: ‘frawt’) – Stale (i.e. food past its expiry date) / Disgusting / Weak (i.e. My car is vrot!)

Vetkoek – (Pronounced fet-cook) deep fried bread dough… either eaten sweet with jam or savoury with mince
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228. Walala Wasala (pronounced: ‘Wuh-laa-luh’ ‘Wuh-saa-luh’) – You snooze you lose!

Waai – leave/go

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229. Yebo (pronounced: ‘yeah-baw’) – Yes

230. Yoh! / Yoh, yoh, yoh! (pronounced: ‘yaw’) – Expression of amazement (i.e. Yoh, I don’t believe it!)

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Z
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Zol – Marijuana