I find it simply amazing that even though South Africans
speak English, I still apologetically spend a lot of time asking people to repeat what they
said because I couldn’t understand them through their heavy British, Afrikaans,
Colored, or general South African accent.
Or there are those moments when I sit with a puzzled look, because I
heard them perfectly, but have to search for contextual clues to truly get the
meaning of what they said, lol. Below
are a couple of South African English words and phrases that have a different
meaning in American English. I have
learned most of them through some funny and humbling moments!!! Note: Many of the words/phrases are a product
of the British influence. So if you have
visited England before many will be familiar.
South African English = American English
- Robot = Traffic Light
- Garage = Gas station
- All Stars = Converse Chucks
- Cheese Boy = Pretty Boy
- Take away = To go
- Chappie = Gum
- Kit = Athletic Uniform/Jersey
- Kettle = An electronic pitcher that heats water (for tea and coffee)
- Reverse = Repeat, go back, or back-up (i.e. when someone is presenting and you didn’t catch what they said you would say reverse please)
- Scone = Biscuit (I ordered some of these for afternoon tea for my office, and was quite surprised to see I ordered biscuits)
- Biscuit = Cookie
- Rock Cake = Scone
- Chips = French Fries
- Boot = Car Trunk
- Boots = Can be boots boots but also refers to athletic shoes (in particular I’ve heard it used to refer to soccer cleats and filed hockey shoes)
- Treckies = Tennis Shoes/Sneakers
- Curtain raiser = Opening performance that precedes the main attracting
- Knock off = Get off work/leave work
- Collect you = Pick you up
- Taxi Rank = Taxi Station
- Lift = Elevator
- Tomato Sauce = Ketchup
- Brown Bread = Wheat bread
- Shops = Stores
- Primary school = Elementary school
- Secondary school = Junior high/middle school
- High school = High school
-Mei
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