Wikipedia

Sowetanslang

Joined 20 June 2008

'Soweto Life'

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Eish! Walking around the streets of Jozi can be difficult when you don't understand what people are saying. Slang has become so common, everyone knows what is meant by: "Heita chommie".

If you feel that you've been left in the dark, here is the Sowetan's guide to help you understand what your chommies are saying.

A

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Amajita - Refers to a group of guys.

It is also the name of the South African under-20 national soccer team.[1]

B

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Baller or Balla - A person who dresses and lives an extravagant, garish lifestyle sometimes funded through criminal means, eg drug dealers and pimps. Or just a person with lots of money.


Boyz - (Origins: Pretoria township slang) Meaning a two rand coin, typically used to indicate how inflation erodes monetary value ie "I've got too few Boyz to be rich".[2]

C

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Chommie - More likely to be used by young girls than guys, and it refers to a friend. There is also a music artist who goes by this name.[3]

D

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Dankie San - (Origins: Rap Music.) Meaning Thanks, Dude. Soweto rapper Pro Kid has used it for his new fashion label, bringing it into the commercial space.[4]

Digits - Refers to cellphone number. "Can I get your digits?".

Doing a Benni - (Origins: The saying comes from the formerly much-lauded Bafana Bafana striker Benni McCarthy's "uncharitable habit of turning his back on his country", following many instances of failing to turn up to play for South Africa's national football squad.) Meaning showing disloyalty / being irresponsible.[5]

Duh - Used sarcastically to highlight something obvious.[6]

E

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Eish - (Origins: Unknown) (pronounced like aysh but also, less often, as ish) - Used to express everything ranging from frustration to surprise to disapproval, but also just everyday acknowledgement of things you can't change like "Eish, the traffic is bad today". You will hear it within a few minutes of each and every day! Also used to indicate displeasure.

Uses:

At the time I was the only black guy and I used to ask myself “Eish, what am I doing here?” [7]

Eish, Sister (commiserations to a female friend; our white Sandton neighbours say "shame, doll" to mean the same thing) [8]

Dankie Timer. Eish, dankie, dankie (meaning "thank you, yes, I hear you, old man ie old timer, sorry, thanks, thanks". [9]

F

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Fong Kong - Products that you can buy from vendors on the streets. These products are cheap and fake. [10]


G

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G-string - (Origins: comes from the grill of a BMW) Refers to a BMW.

Gushesh - (Origins: The high-speed, sexy lady appearance of the BMW 325 (the "ideal criminal car" popular with Jozi gangsters, used to show off driving skills and for fast getaways). Motorists and petrol attendants will shout it admiringly at you if you drive a "sexy lady" - the car, not you!) Meaning: Fast / Speedy / Sexy [11]

Now also the name of a female kwaito music group. [12]

H

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Heita - A popular greeting, which simply means "hello".[13]

I

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Ill - (Origins: rap music) Off the hook! Also see sick.

J

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Jo, or Jou - A term of endearment.

Juish - Refers to nice and flashy clothes that someone has on.

Uses: "Heita Jo", which means "Hello man!".

K

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Kasie - A shortened version of the Afrikaans word lokasie. The english word is location, an older word for townships. During the apartheid era, black people were relocated to these townships. The biggest township in South Africa is Soweto. [14]

Klipa - A R100 note.

Kwaito - Popular genre of music, and a mixture of South African disco, hip hop, R&B, ragga, and a heavy dose of house music beats. [15]

L

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Live - Something that is exiciting and great.

M

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Mzansi - (Origins: from the Zulu word, Mzansi Afrika.) A common term which means South Africa. [16]

N

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Nickle & dime - A small time crook.

O

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P

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Playa - (Origins: US urban culture) A Playa is someone who thinks they are God's Gift to the world.

Playa hater - (Origins:US urban culture) When someone is jelous of another playa's game, then they are called playa hater. [17]

Q

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R

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S

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Sick - If something is really good or cool. Also see ill.

Skanky - Someone whose dress style shows too much skin.

Stena - It means R1 000.

Starter Pack - (Origins: Terminology first used by mobile phone companies but quickly adapted by car thieves and car hijackers.) Refers to entry-level cars, especially vehicle makes that are (1) common on the road and therefore less easy to spot as being stolen, (2) the parts can be "chopped up" at an illegal "chop shop" and used for repairs on more expensive vehicles. [18]

Swak - (Origins: an Afrikaans word which means weak) Often used to express disgust or derision for example: “It’s swak that I failed the test”.

T

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Tiger - Refers to a R10 note. A half tiger refers to a R5 coin.


Tsotsi - It refers to a gangster, hoodlum or thug. It is also the title of South Africa's first Oscar winning movie.[19]

U

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Ubuntu - Showing compassion, kindness and humanity to your neighbour.[20]


V

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W

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Wack - This means that something is simply not cool.

Word - Comes from the phrase "word is bond". It means what you say is the truth; you affirm a statement.


X

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Y

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Yebo - A Zulu word which means "yes".

Z

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Z3 - Refers to HIV and AIDS, because it's fast.

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