…but often Jim and I find ourselves saying or thinking, “What? What? What does that mean?” We are having fun learning new colloquialisms and seeing how language is intricately tied with pronunciation and common sayings, and bound together by culture.
Can you guess what these mean?
- “I’ll see you just now.” AND/OR “I’ll see you now now.”
- “Howzit?”
- “The relationship went pear-shaped.”
- “And then I found myself with one leg up a gum tree.”
- “The programme is starting at 7:00 for 7:30.”
Answers
- “Just now” means, see you within the half hour or so. “Now now” means, see you very soon or within a few minutes. Yes, people really say this, and everyone laughs about it when we ask them to clarify! Apparently it comes from a direct translation of an Afrikaans expression for "now now." So you can see how direct translations are confusing
- What’s up? How’s it going?
- It “went south” or things took a bad turn and didn’t end up well.
- Being found in a no-win situation or a tough or awkward spot.
- You are welcome to come anytime between 7:00 and 7:30 (“half-past seven” not seven-thirty), and we’ll start the program sometime thereafter. To be honest, we’re still not quite sure what time to arrive if we hear this.
3 comments:
Wow. You guys really ARE there! That is so cool. I wish we could come and visit. So. Africa sounds great. I love those expressions. I didn't know you had a blog and now we will be able to keep up on your travels.
TS
Hey, some of this sounds familiar. They say Howzit here too.
It's Sunday night and we miss our bi-weekly meetings with the always entertaining Gieser crowd. I enjoy hearing and seeing a part of your world, it makes these suberb-eyes able to focus on the larger picture a little better.
amber
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