Heita! Hola! And wharataz!

The Sowetans' Kasi Slang Dictionary - required reading for all South Africans! (c) The Sowetan

While sitting in my Baghdad here in my kasi waiting for my last number lord of the rings to be delivered*, I whiled away a little time in a bi-lateral ringasi with The Sowetan newspapers’ wonderful online Kasi Slang dictionary. It’s not something I can hantile.

Billed as “a work-in-progress guide to Soweto slang”, the dictionary is made up of terms, expressions and words in common use in the kasi’s of Mzansi, most of which are contributed by readers of the paper. It makes for very funny reading in places. Also, because the nuances and base languages from which a lot of slang is derived vary so much, it’s also interesting to learn that many terms only apply in a specific community or area.

Forgive me if I’m being a little wa phapha, but I strongly recommend that you get over there now and make sure you don’t become guilty of load shedding. Having this essential knowledge at your fingertips will prevent you from being branded as an inyoni, or even worse, a moegoe. (You have to visit it just to read the moegoe entry!)

*And eish, no brah, I’m not getting a new Audi. Just used that for effect. And now, for my next act I am going to pull a Jabu Pule, get me some good old-fashioned mbombi, and then we are going to ama-get-down!

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