Terminology: American words vs South African words

Posted on April 26, 2009 by Patrick Shields

I though it might be interesting to compare how some of the terms we commonly use differ between Americans and South Africans. I’ll update this note as I encounter more interesting terms, so check back again later:

American term -> South African term

  1. Cool, Nice, Great or Awesome -> Lekker (pronounced Lekka)
  2. Traffic Light -> Robot
  3. Calender -> Diary
  4. French Fries -> Chips
  5. How are you? I’m Fine. -> How izzit? Shop Shop. (actually sharp sharp)
  6. Green Peppers or Bell Peppers -> Peppadew
  7. Rent a Car -> Hire a Car
  8. Diet Coke -> Coke Light
  9. Pickup Truck -> Bakkie (pronounced Bucky)
  10. Lease a Property -> Let a Property
  11. The letter Z -> Zed
  12. Hangover -> Babalaz
  13. The face of a drunkard -> Puza Face
  14. Woop yo Ass -> Bluxum you (not sure of the spelling)

About Patrick Shields

Patrick Shields is the Chief Technology Officer serving the continent of Africa at Software AG. He focuses on solving business challenges and creating competitive advantage for his customers. Patrick has 31 years of experience managing the delivery of technology solutions, with 17 of those years managing the delivery of Software AG technology solutions. He relocated from Atlanta in the USA, to Johannesburg, South Africa in 2009 where he is helping grow Software AG's African business. As CTO, Patrick is responsible for Strategic Account Management, Thought Leadership, Market Evangelism, Localized Product Management, Sales Support and Sales Enablement.
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