GENERAL INFORMATION
Some interesting Links
Cape Town tourist information
RSA tourist information
For information on other runs in RSA
Other info
ENJOY YOUR STAY IN SOUTH AFRICA
JUST TO HELP YOU OUT HERE IS A CRASH COURSE IN SOUTH AFRICANISMS
Babalaas ('Bub-ba-lars')
The hangover from hell, fondly called a "Barbie". The Babalas is no mythical beast. But look at yourself in the mirror and you'll wonder as you examine that furry tongue slithering in a mumbling, parched mouth, puffy eyelids scraping bloodshot eyeballs. Comes from the Zulu word ibhabhalazi.
Boerewors (vorse)
Farmstyle sausage or "wors". (Literally, "Farmers Sausage"). It is a spicy sausage made from hundreds of secret recipes all over the Platteland and beyond. It is consumed in vast quantities on braais all over the country. Boerewors is even sold in places like Australia, Canada and New Zealand to homesick expats who have done the "chicken run", ie, emigrated for fear of compromised lifestyle.
Braai (as in “High”)
(Afrikaans - Barbecue (US) or Barbie (Aus))Probably the biggest semantic gift given to the world by South Africa. You make a braai with wood in a metal drum or between bricks. You cook your boerewors, steak, lamb chops and sosaties on it. With your meal you eat mielie pap, salads, rolls and other stuff. You drink a Castle beer, or maybe a spook and diesel. Sometimes, if you have got some kreef (crayfish), you will have a crayfish braai.
Biltong
Afrikaans – from original “bul tong” – bull’s tongue. Known as beef jerky in the US. This is specially prepared dried raw meat, made from beef, venison or Ostrich. Different farmers and hunters have different recipes and processes for their biltong. Their speciality might be Springbok, Blesbok or Eland. Ostrich is very tasty. The basic ingredient is salt, and often pepper corns. Good biltong is manna to your average boer, or other full-bodied "Surfrikans".
Brew
(Beer) "Buy me a brew bru." (Buy me a beer mate)
Brown eye
(Mooning) When you pull your pants down and stick your ass in the air to show off your "brown eye". Students and drunk people usually do it. A South African way of saying it would be to "Drop your rods and flash your ring".
Cape Doctor
The southeaster howls across the Cape Peninsula in summer, often forming a whispy, creamy white cloud that rolls over Table Mountain in the shape of a "table cloth". The name is self explanatory. Because it blows for up to a week or more at a time, often at gale-force strength, the wind blows all the pollution away. The air is beautifully clear and crisp in the wake of a southeaster.
Eina (Ay-nah)
(Afrikaans - Ouch) Widely used. You can shout "Eina!" in sympathy when a shark haps your buddies’ buttocks while surfing in the Kei.
Gatvol ('G*at-fawl')
(Afrikaans - Fed up) Literally, "Hole full" (filled to the brim). "He was gatvol of the crowds at Jay Bay."
Howzit
The famous South African greeting. Short for "How is it?" Try and refrain from saying, "It's fine, thanks". This will only lead to a funny look. A suitable reply is: "No, fine", which actually means "Yes, I am fine". The word "no" is often taken to mean "yes". A real Afrikaner might reply to a "Howzit", with this bewildering response: "Ja, well, no fine". This is merely a more emphatic but long-winded version of "No, fine".
Isit? (Izzit?)
This conversational word is used widely and in response to just about anything. Derived perhaps from the English way of saying "Is it really?" If you don't feel like participating in a conversation with a dik ou at a braai, but don't wish to appear rude, just say "Isit" at appropiate gaps in his description of how he decapitated a Kudu with his bare hands.
Jislaaik
(Afrikaans exclamation) Gee whizz!
Just now
(In a little bit) Universally used in South Africa, it means that the action will get done "eventually", but it might mean "never". If someone says he will do it "just now", be warned. It might be in 10 minutes, 10 hours or never. "I'll clean my room just now, Ma." If someone says "now now", you're making progress. It won't be done immediately, or instantly, but probably less than 10 minutes, barring distractions that relegate it back to "just now".
Kak ('Kuk')
(Afrikaans expletive - Shit) This is used in all sorts of weird and wonderful ways, in exactly the same way as the word "shit". Hence, "Don’t talk kak" or "Don’t give me kak" or "You're so full of kak” or “Having a kak day” or “He is in the kak” …
Lekker
(Afrikaans - Nice, pleasant, stoned, fun, lovely, good, pretty) It is used by all language groups to express approval, often to cover up a limited vocab. If you see someone of the opposite sex who is good-looking, you can exclaim: "Lekkerrr!" while drawing out the last syllable. Cars can be lekker. You can have a lekker time. You can feel lekker. Holidays are lekker. It's lekker when the Springboks occasionally win a match. And of course, you can have a lekker boerie on the braai.
Now Now
(In a little while) "We're going surfing now now." (We're about to go surfing. Exactly when? Well, that depends on how long we take to finish watching the video and putting on the roofracks). The good thing about Now Now is that it is probably going to happen quicker than the even more flexi-time "Just now."
Oke ('Oak'), ou, o (as in “owe)
(Guy, chap, bloke) Despite being low on letters, oke or ou are huge words. This word, or its variant, is one of South Africa's most common words for a male human. Probably comes from the Afrikaans "Ou pel" (Old mate), but the adjective became the noun after the "pel" was dropped. Only a male can be an "oke" or an "ou", pronounced "Oh." "That ou says he can paddle around Seal Island with one leg."
Robot
(Traffic light) Peculiar way of describing a traffic light. But then, we only got TV in the mid 1970s.
Rooibos
(Red bush tea) This tannin-free herb tea comes mostly from the Clanwilliam area of the Western Cape. It is made from the Aspalathus linearis bush. Homesick South Africans buy it from gourmet stores around the world, even if they don't like it.
Takkies
(Sneakers, trainers, running shoes) Often refers to the cheap, hip kind bought in a mass clothing chain called Pep Stores. This word is also used to describe car tires. If someone has "Fat takkies" they have a souped up car with wide-brim tyres.
Voetsek
(Afrikaans) Bugger off, fOk off, go away!) "Voetsek
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