A to Z Blog Challenge Theme Reveal

This is a last minute decision to take part in the 2015 A to Z Blog Challenge. 

I haven't blogged in almost a year, so I thought this would be a brilliant way of getting back into the swing of things. 

I have done four previous A To Z Blog Challenges successfully, so I thought I'd give it another go just for old time's sake.

 And that, my Pretty Plonkers, is exactly what my Theme this year is going to be....Retro Nostalgia.

 


 Here are the hosts:

Arlee Bird @ Tossing it Out

Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh

Jeremy @ Hollywood Nuts

Nicole Ayers @ The Madlab Post

Author Stephen Tremp

Heather M. Gardner

AJ Lauer

Pam @ An Unconventional Librarian

Matthew MacNish @ The QQQE

Zalka Csenge Virág @ The Multicolored Diary

S. L. Hennessy @ Pensuasion

C. Lee McKenzie @ The Write Game

Joy Campbell @ The Character Depot

Susan Gourley @ Susan Says

John  Holton @The Sound of One Hand Typing

Lisa Buie-Collard, Author

Zol or Zamalek?

And this be the end of The 2014 April A to Z Blog Challenge.  I can't believe I got through it.  I visited over 150 blogs and commented on a good few of them.  

A brilliant and successful event that was well-organised by all and sundry.  Well, done Ninjalex.

Zol [pronounced zol] A South African homemade cigarette rolled with old newspaper or rizlas (likely marijuana-filled) joint (equivalent to American "doobie"), spliff, joint

Usage : Give us a toke on your zol, man

 

Ubuntu

The word of Ubuntu is very difficult to explain in one word in English. Some people say it means "humaness, to be human", some describe it as "Humanity in humility" or humanity to others.

"I am because you are," is the deep meaning of Ubuntu, a traditional African philosophy recognizing the shared essence within humanity and life.

Rooibos Tea at the Robot

We are heading downhill of the A to Z Blog Challenge and today we'll be chatting about something that is a big part of South African culture.

Rooibos [pronounced roy-bos] (Redbush) Tea.  The leaves are used to make an herbal tea called Rooibos

My kids grew up on this stuff because it contains no caffeine and low tannin levels. They called it "juice" until they were about two years old.  It has great health and nutritional benefits and assists with nervous tension, allergies and digestive problems.

The second Southafricanism I am going to talk about is The Robot.  

In South Africa, when we talk about a robot, we don't mean a wee metallic man who moves with a couple of taps from a remote control, we mean a set of traffic lights.  The etymology of the word derives from a description of early traffic lights as robot policemen, which then got truncated with time.

In South Africa you “jump” the robot, rather than go through it.

Usage: Jump the robot and take a short [first] left.

Hey Okes!

Southafricanisms is the topic and today's letter is O.


Oke, ou [prounounced oak or oh].  An informal  Southafricanism meaning a man, similar to "guy" or "bloke" or "dude" derived from "okie" the anglicized form of the Afrikaans word "outjie" or little chap.  The word "ou" can be used interchangeably.

Usage : You can never stay befuck with an oke you smoke nchangu with.

Credit Indieberries

Afrikaans, Nê

Today's Southafricanism is Nê

Nê [pronounced neh] informal exclamation. It means "Really?" or "is that so?" or "don't you agree?" or "izit?".   Often used dripping with sarcasm.



Used liberally by Afrikaans speakers for emphasis.  

Usage:  “I went to the shop, nê, and I bought some milk, nê, and then I came home, nê…

or  

"That bakkie checks out lekker, nê?"

#Mampoorlifechoices

We're half way, Plonkers!

Can you believe we made it this far?  Normally by now, during the A to Z Blog Challenge, I'm loosing momentum and some of my hair!  This year, I actually prepared and scheduled some of my posts in advance.  That's not cheating izit?  Naaah...

Today's letter is M, which means today's Southafricanism is 

Mampoer [pronounced mum-poo-er]. Mampoer is extremely potent brandy made from peaches or other fruit, similar to American moonshine.  It is often referred to as witblitz (White Lightening) or dooringdraad (barbed wire) because some of the mampoer bottles have barbed wire wrapped around them.  You should actually take heed of this warning.  It is there for a reason. Beware.

Mampoer is often masked by different fruity flavours, sometimes even chocolate, mint or toffee.  Even so, it still tastes like paint stripper and kicks like a fekkin' mule!

Not for the feint-hearted and could cause instant liver failure.
 

Local is Lekkerrrrrrrrrrr

Lekker [pronounced lekk-irr with a rolling r].  From the Afrikaans word for delicious.  Lekker means nice, cool, fun or tasty.

Lekker is a commonly used word in the Dutch language that is more similar to the word English word luscious than the word tasty. Lekker is used to denote something delicious or sweet, and is more commonly used by the under 30 crowd as a term for a woman having sex appeal.  Lekker, like luscious, has a sexual connotation. In South Africa, however, lekker has primarily been used in place of the English terms "cool" or "sweet," with a much more broad, less sexual, undertone.

Usage: “We had a lekker time last night.” 

or

"Hey I just found 100 bucks! Lekker man..."  

or 

"That chick in the bikini checks out lekker hey?"

 

Kwela is Kwaai

We are almost half-way through the A to Z Blog Challenge *going laaik a boeing*

Today's Southafricanism is:

Kwela [pronounced kw-eh-la].  A popular form of township music from the 1950s, based on the pennywhistle, a cheap and simple instrument taken up by street performers.  The term kwela

comes from the isiZulu for "get up", though in township slang it also referred to the police vans, the kwela-kwela.   It is said that the young men who played the pennywhistle on street corners also acted as lookouts to warn those drinking in illegal shebeens of the arrival of the cops.

Check out Lemmy Mabaso who was famous for this type of music.

Just-Now Jol

Happy Friday, Plonkers

Be Patient

South Africans have their own time and are famous for their more relaxed attitude to time and time management.  Laaik Shwaah, hey?

Today is the letter J for the A to Z Blog challenge and were are going to discuss the phrases, "Just-now" and "now-now".

These two Southafricanisms denote varying levels of urgency. 

Just-now means a bit later i.e shortly or in a bit, whereas now-now means a little more immediate.

Usage :  Are you coming to Jason's braai?  Sure, I'll be there just-now.

Phoning someone “now-now” is sooner than “now” or “just-now” but not as soon as “right now”. 

It may seem rather confusing at first, but we have brilliant safaris and people who do our fekkin' ironing.  Geezo, it's blerrie paradise.

Either adapt and learn, or just smile and wave, bru.

Hey Howzit Goin'?

Enjoying the A to Z Blog Challenge, everyone?  

I certainly am.  I've visited over 60 blogs already and found a good few new blogs to follow. 

Some bloggers are rockin' some pretty fekkin' awesome themes.  Go check some of them out - even if you don't want to link up - you'll be sure to find some new brilliant bloggers to read and follow.

We're tackling the Letter H and today's Southafricaism is :

Howzit (pronounced hau-zet).  A South African slang word for an exclamation or greeting.  It's the equivalent to "hello" or "how are you".  All the locals use this one, usually coupled with the gesture in the picture below.  

Usage :  "Howzit, Boet - surprised to see me?"

Fokkol

Haaibo Daar Mense!  

It be Day #6 for the A to Z Blog Challenge happening this month.

Today is the letter F. 

Today's word is Fokkol (pronounced fok-ole).  This is an Afrikaans word essentially meaning having nothing, being nothing, nothing left etc. Just general nothing. 

It rolls so beautifully off the tongue, doesn't it?  The direct translation means "Fuck All".

Usage :  

"Hey Bru, what you doing?"
"FOKKOL"

"I understand FOKKOL"

"Gimme me a blowjob first"
"No, theres FOKKOL time." 

Here is one of our Afrikaans musos singing Die Fokkol Song

 

Eina! #atozchallenge

Hey Beautiful Plonkers.

Today is Day #5 of the A to Z Blog Challenge.  You can still sign up and catch up.  Go link up and start your postings...

Eina [pronounced, ey-na] is a South African an exclamation of sudden pain.  This video explains it beautifully and with such style and grace.

Usage:  [watch German Plonker video clip]



Oooo mein arse! #atozchallenge 

Did you know that Eina is also a village in Vestre Toten municipality, Oppland, Norway. The population is 677.  Stick that in yer pipe 'n smoke it.

Do You Like My Dinges?

Happy Friday, Plonkers.

Today is Day #4 of the A to Z Blog Challenge and I've already visited nearly 50 blogs.  Pat on the back puleeease.  Everyone seems to have their shit together this year and are happily raking in the comments and visits.  

All the blogs I've visited seem so prepared and have a well-thought-out themes.  Why do I feel so unorganised?

Okaydokay, back to my theme - Southafricanisms


D is for Dinges [pronounced ding-us]. This is an indeterminate, non-descript thing or term for an object whose name you've momentarily forgotten.  From the Afrikaans language, from ding, which means thing.  Similar to a Thing-a-ma-bob or a whachyamacallit.  

Sometimes, more often than not, referring to a man's genitals.

Usage: "Please pass me my dinges there." "What?" "My dinges. I want to blow it." "You mean your vuvuzela?" "Yes, my vuvuzela.".

Hard Times Will Always Reveal True Chommies

Happy Day No. 3, Pretty Plonkers and that means today is the letter C.  

I think the most diverse thing in South Africa is our culture. They don't call us "The Rainbow" national for nothing.  With eleven official languages and so many ethnic and cultural differences, South Africans pride themselves on their hospitality. 

Chommies [pronounced ch-om-eez] is today's Southafricanism, if you haven't realized it yet.  Chommies is a term meaning "friend" or "buddy", which originates from isiXhoas, one of SA's 11 official languages, which also happens to be Mandela's home language. 

South Africans love making new Chommies, we love entertaining our Chommies and we know the importance of Chommies!  I know I certainly do, and I don't forget to tell my friends how much they mean to me and how much I love them.  I couldn't live without my friendships.

Usage :  "Howzit!  I'll be drinking with my chommies, wanna join us?"

My BFF aka My Bestest "Chommie"

May The Wors Be With You

Hey Precious Plonkers.  Today's letter is B and there are a couple of things that are typically South African that begin with the letter B.

Firstly, Braai [pronounced br-eye] - This is the popular South African version of the backyard barbecue where meats such as steak, chicken and boerewors (pronounced boo-ruh-vorss) are cooked. 

Secondly, Boerewors is a traditional spicy South African sausage made of beef or lamb and is also referred to as wors (vorss). Nothin' like a good boerie roll.  Chances are that you will also be introduced to pap en sous (pronounced pup en sohss) at a braai. Pap is boiled corn meal, and sous is the sauce it is covered with, usually featuring tomato and onions. Tasteeeeeee

Lastly, Biltong [pronounced bill-tong] This South African favourite is dried and salted meat, similar to beef jerky, although it can be made from ostrich, kudu, beef or any other red meat. It is synonymous with rugby, another South African favourite.

Usage:  Ons gaan nou braai, hoor? (Translation : Braai the beloved country).

"I Braai Therefore I am"