Lost in translation? The A-Z of South Africanisms (Feature)

By Clare Byrne Jun 3, 2010, 3:01 GMT

Johannesburg - South Africa-Mexico, Soccer City, June 11.

One of the Mexican forwards stumbles during a tackle. 'Sorry, man' the South African defender says. 'Aha,' the Mexican thinks. 'An admission of guilt!'

Actually, what the South African is really saying in this hypothetical scenario is that he is sorry for the Mexican. He is not expressing remorse.

Saying 'sorry' to someone that you have not wronged is one of the many wonderful South Africanisms foreigners will come across at the World Cup.

Following is a A-Z glossary of other typical terms or expressions found in South African English, which is heavily influenced by the country's 10 other languages.

Ayoba A slang word for cool that has been made into a World Cup refrain by sponsor MTN, which has incorporated 'ayoba' into all its advertising, e.g. 'We don't say ole, we say ayoba!'

Babalas Hangover, taken from the Zulu word isibhabalazi. Usually treated with a sachet of Grandpa (a local headache powder).

Cooldrink A chilled soda or a euphenism for a bribe. eg 'If you buy me cooldrink, I'll forget about that speeding fine.'

Dagga (pronounced dach-ha) Marijuana.

Eish! (pronounced aysh) An expression of surprise/resignation, eg 'Eish, I'm so broke.'

Fong Kong A Chinese counterfeit, eg a fong kong football jersey or takkies (runners).

Geyser It's got to do with hot water alright, but it's the hot water tank in a house, not a spring.

Howzit/heita (pronounced heyta) 'How are you?' in English and a mix of Afrikaans and Xhosa.

Is it/izzit? An expression of surprise, used even when the preceding statement did not include the verb 'to be', eg 'Brazil first play North Korea' or 'I have a toothache.' Response: 'Is it?'

Just now/now now Denote varying levels of urgency. Phoning someone 'now now' is sooner than 'now' or 'just now' but not as soon as 'right now.'

Kugel A middle-class Jewish girl or woman from northern Johannesburg, who speaks with a nasal voice and is preoccupied with her appearance

Lekker From the Afrikaans word for delicious, meaning nice or fun, eg 'We had a lekker time last night.'

Muti A catch-all term for African medicinal remedies and rituals. Footballers can use muti to bring bad luck on a rival team.

Ne Is it not so? Used liberally by Afrikaans speakers for emphasis, e.g. 'I went to the shop, ne, and I bought some milk, ne, and then I came home, ne...

Ouma Afrikaans word for grandmother or old woman. Also the name of a brand of rusk.

Pap A stiff porridge made of maize. Pap 'n vleis (meat stew, pronounced flies) is the staple dish in townships.

Robot Traffic lights, which you 'jump' rather than go through, eg 'Jump the robot and take a short (first) right.'

Sharp sharp Understood, agreed, sorted.

Tsotsi A gangster or thug. Also the title of an Oscar-nominated South African film about a robber in Johannesburg.

Umqombothi (pronounced um-kom-bow-tee, from Xhosa) Popular cheap beer made of sorghum and maize.

Vuvuzela Plastic trumpets blown by South African fans, which are being talked up as the 12th man of the host team because they have the effect of deafening their opponents

Woza 'Come' or 'come on' in Zulu, eg 'Woza 2010!'

Xhosa One of South Africa's biggest ethnic groups and a language of the same name that is sprinkled with clicks. The 'xh' in Xhosa is pronounced as a click.

Yebo 'Yes' in Zulu.

Zulu South Africa's most populous nation and widely-spoken language.