Gents:
When I'm in Zimbabwe I pick up on words and phrases that are unique to that country. Here is what I have. Can you add to the list?
Thanks for looking.
Cal


Anchors--auto's brakes
Bonnet--auto's hood
Boot--auto's trunk
Bore hole--water well
Bottle store--store that sells alcohol
Bum--butt
Butchery--meat market
Caravan--vehicle and camping trailer
Cheeky--funny, also sarcastic attitude
Chemist--pharmacy
Dust bin--waste basket
Dust up--talk negatively
Give way--yield
Head master / mistress--school principal
Heads--bullets
Hide--blind
Hiding--spanking or whipping
How's it--greeting
Indicators--auto's directionals
Is it?--really?
It is--yes, it's a fact
Lay by--highway rest area
Longs--long pants
Long drop--out house
Loo--toilet
Make a plan--organize a procedure
Mate--close friend
Overtake--to pass an auto on the highway
Pan--water hole
Panel beater--auto body shop
Paraffin--kerosene
Petrol--gasoline
Robot--traffic signal
Smart--in style, also sour
Torch--flashlight
Tyre--tire
Windscreen--auto's windshield

Those words are unique to South Africa, Zim and Namibia.

Many/most of those are commonly used in many/most English speaking countries outside of the USA.

Yep with a few differences we use the same here in Australia.

Anchors--auto's brakes- Just brakes
Bonnet--auto's hood- same
Boot--auto's trunk- same
Bore hole--water well- same
Bottle store--store that sells alcohol- BottleO
Bum--butt- same
Butchery--meat market- Butcher
Caravan--vehicle and camping trailer- same
Cheeky--funny, also sarcastic attitude- same
Chemist--pharmacy- same
Dust bin--waste basket- bin
Dust up--talk negatively
Give way--yield- same
Head master / mistress--school principal
Heads--bullets
Hide--blind- same
Hiding--spanking or whipping- same
How's it--greeting- GDay
Indicators--auto's directionals- Flickers/Blinkers
Is it?--really?- Same
It is--yes, it's a fact- same
Lay by--highway rest area- Rest stop
Longs--long pants- Pants
Long drop--out house- Same
Loo--toilet- Same
Make a plan--organize a procedure- Same
Mate--close friend- same
Overtake--to pass an auto on the highway- same
Pan--water hole- Dam
Panel beater--auto body shop- same
Paraffin--kerosene- Kero
Petrol--gasoline- same
Robot--traffic signal- Lights
Smart--in style, also sour- Flash
Torch--flashlight- same
Tyre--tire- same
Windscreen--auto's windshield- same

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
Many/most of those are commonly used in many/most English speaking countries outside of the USA.

Don't expect the bloody Yanks to speak the Queens English!

The whole reason the English left them in disgust was because they spent so many years trying to teach to speak proper English, which never worked!

They left in disgust!

One of the first phrases I heard in America was "you bitcha"

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
Many/most of those are commonly used in many/most English speaking countries outside of the USA.

Don't expect the bloody Yanks to speak the Queens English!

The whole reason the English left them in disgust was because they spent so many years trying to teach to speak proper English, which never worked!

They left in disgust!

One of the first phrases I heard in America was "you bitcha"

Two nations divided by a common language!

Cal:

Piss-up - drinking party
pissed - drunk
pissed off - annoyed
take the piss - make fun of
piss-poor - useless
grog - booze
water hole - bar
skid lid - helmet
crapper - out house
pushing up the daisies - dead & buried

mush (pronounced "moosh") = nice/good

What about "sure"??? I still have completely figured out the Zim definition...maybe "really?" but I am not sure.

But I thought "cheeky" meant "tough...willing to fight"

IE: Me: I can't believe that wildebeest got up and thought of coming after that shot! Zim PH: "They're cheeky...aye?

"Just now." Vague, but useful. Not quite right now, pretty soon. As opposed to "now-now."

flat battery - dead battery

crisp - potato chip

cool drink - cold soda (or water)

The whole "now", "just now" and "now, now" thing drives me bugshit!

I think every one of them mean some interminable time right before you die of old age..........

As Bakes says "MAKE A PLAN" really has to symbolize Zim! I have been " MAKING A PLAN" all day just to get a few payments made even though we have money in the bank!!!!!

Watch a few seasons of the Jeremy Clarkson years of "Top Gear" (or "The Grand Tour" now on Amazon) and you fellas will be up to speed on 90% of the words mentioned.

I love Zim speak. If I had the resources I would live in Zim at least 3 months a year.

"Shooa" = "oright."

quote:

Originally posted by Buzz Charlton:
As Bakes says "MAKE A PLAN" really has to symbolize Zim! I have been " MAKING A PLAN" all day just to get a few payments made even though we have money in the bank!!!!!

I have heard getting paid out in quarters is pretty cool

Mike

Hooter--horn (on an automobile).

Yes, and that whole just now, now now thing drove me crazy at first, too.

When telling time, as an example they will say "half six", still cannot remember if that is 5:30 or 6:30

Fishing machine - rod and reel
Shaving machine - disposable razor
There is no zesa today - the electric power is off

Bakkie-Pickup Truck
Flatdog-Crocodile
Pooza-Alcoholic Beverage
Mokoro-Dugout Canoe

The one that got me on my first trip to New Zealand over 25 years ago, were their road directions:

"Just drive down this road until you reach the Dairy, then turn right."

I drove for miles before I called and admitted that I was lost. I hadn't see a cow the whole time.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeBurke:
When telling time, as an example they will say "half six", still cannot remember if that is 5:30 or 6:30

Yep! That's another good one......

Well.....the best to me is 'Lekker'. But I need a real native Zimbo to do the translation justice.
Like saying....'it's a proper lekker elephant'. Or, 'that's lekker man'.

How about "hold thumbs"? Meaning keep your fingers crossed that this or that will happen.

Mark

I did not see "bloke" listed anywhere.

What about "Oakes" (sp) Never really knew who that referred to.

Mark

Can't believe no one brought up

BAKIE = Truck or Rover.

My favorite.. Tomato Sauce = Ketchup

Howabout "chuffed" for enthusiastic?

" Lekker " is afrikaans, BTW we use the same word in norwegian...english spoken africans often use boer words for slang..

Like talking shit is.. kak prat.. snake shit is slang kak, etc...

quote:

Originally posted by MikeBurke:
When telling time, as an example they will say "half six", still cannot remember if that is 5:30 or 6:30

5:30 is half five....you guys can't speak

When hunting with Dylan Clote, a Zim lad, I found we spoke the same language quite well. Walter had trouble understanding us however.

quote:

The whole reason the English left them in disgust was because they spent so many years trying to teach to speak proper English, which never worked!

They left in disgust!

I'm quite sure that they left in disgust, but it wasn't voluntarily.

I remember "clever" which means a very wise smart tuned in animal

quote:

Originally posted by Bakes:
Yep with a few differences we use the same here in Australia.

Anchors--auto's brakes- Just brakes
Bonnet--auto's hood- same
Boot--auto's trunk- same
Bore hole--water well- same
Bottle store--store that sells alcohol- BottleO
Bum--butt- same
Butchery--meat market- Butcher
Caravan--vehicle and camping trailer- same
Cheeky--funny, also sarcastic attitude- same
Chemist--pharmacy- same
Dust bin--waste basket- bin
Dust up--talk negatively
Give way--yield- same
Head master / mistress--school principal
Heads--bullets
Hide--blind- same
Hiding--spanking or whipping- same
How's it--greeting- GDay
Indicators--auto's directionals- Flickers/Blinkers
Is it?--really?- Same
It is--yes, it's a fact- same
Lay by--highway rest area- Rest stop
Longs--long pants- Pants
Long drop--out house- Same
Loo--toilet- Same
Make a plan--organize a procedure- Same
Mate--close friend- same
Overtake--to pass an auto on the highway- same
Pan--water hole- Dam
Panel beater--auto body shop- same
Paraffin--kerosene- Kero
Petrol--gasoline- same
Robot--traffic signal- Lights
Smart--in style, also sour- Flash
Torch--flashlight- same
Tyre--tire- same
Windscreen--auto's windshield- same

I was thinking the same thing Tony!

Only one that is missing is "Brilliant" and the other B one that Americans so love.

Actually, on second thought, I don't see "ute"

Don't forget "cock-up", otherwise known as "F*&k-up"....

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
How about "hold thumbs"? Meaning keep your fingers crossed that this or that will happen.

Mark

I first heard this getting to know Gail Selby - took me a bit to figure it out.

Another one she told me, and I use all the time, is: "Shat on from a diizzzyy height," meaning really pissed (mad not drunk). Not sure exactly where that is from but I love it.

Great thread - I dig this type of stuff.

Babalas: hangover (Zulu)
Bally: mild expletive, derived from "bloody"
Blallered; hit
Benzi: crazy
Bareka: run
Blerry: mild expletive, derived from "bloody"
Bonsella: bonus
Bog: toilet or bathroom
Bog roll: toilet paper


Chaya: to hit
Chemering: to cry
China: friend
Chitenge: piece of cloth or wraparound
Coolbox: cooler
Curry muncher: East Indian
Dagga: marijuana
Donga: low-lying area prone to flooding
Deezering: running
Donnering: to hit
Dopping: drinking alcohol

Fodya: tobacco ( Shona)
Fossils: slang for old people
Fundi: expert

Goffle: person of mixed blood
Gondie: derogatory term from blacks
Goolies: testicles
Gwai: tobacco

Hazeku ndaba: no problem
Henry the Fourth: HIV
Hobo: a lot
Hokoyo: beware (Shona)


Hondo: war
Hu-hoos: slang for insects
Hunnering: yelling or shouting
Hunna-hunna: long, involved tiresome problem
Huzzes: throws or hurls

Imbwa: dog (Shona)
Indaba: problem
Ingutchini: to go mad, name of the mental asylum in Zim

Kak: shit
Kapenda: small, sardine-like fish
Katundu: luggage
Kundala: far away

Lapa: over there
Laaities: children

Mai we: my mother!
Mambo: king
Maninge: a lot
Mawhori: whore
Mbambaira: shona for potatoes, slang for land mines
Moffies: homosexuals
Munts: derogatory term for blacks
Murra: a lot
Mwari: God

Nyama:meat

Ooh blicksem: oh my goodness
Ous: guys

Pamsor: lift
Pawpaw: papaya
Penga: mad
Porks: slang for Portugese
Ptozzie: prostitue
POM: prisoner of mother England
Putzi: the maggot formed when a fly lays it's eggs under the skin

Sadaza: porridge made from ground maize
Scribble : to kill
Skop: head
Shateen: backcountry
Sjambok: whip, pronounced shambok
Spazed: mentally impaired, zoned out
Sterek: a lot
Stompie: cigarette butt
Stone China: best friend
Stonked: killed
Struze fact: true as fact
Sumudza: on top

Tatenda : thank you
Thrombie: long harangue, from thrombosis

Underrods: underwear

Vleis:low,seasonally wet area
Voddies: vodka

Wagon Burner: derogatory term for East Indians
Wazungu (pl.): white person
Wee wee: wimp

Personally, I found that "not far" means something completely different in Zim than it means here...

Spanner as in a wrench or rachet and socket

Dumb as a box of spanners

I think it has been mentioned but I really got a kick out of "getting pissed". It translates to getting drunk.

Also: "shit on the liver" = "acting like an asshole"