A Lot of Drama

One thing I love about South Africa is the word drama! The English is  just a bit more colorful there...

Fell Pregnant =  get pregnant

You don’t “get pregnant” in South Africa – you “fall pregnant.” It sounds like you have unfortunately and mysteriously fallen ill with a bad case of something you have yet to identify that you accidentally caught from someone.  

Example: “She keeps falling pregnant.” (Not to be confused with falling while you’re pregnant – which really could hurt.  Of course pregnancy can hurt too, or at least the end result, so maybe "falling" IS the fitting description). 

Garden = yard

For me, the word “garden” stirs up images of lush flowers, fresh herbs and at the very least, a few straggly tomato plants (maybe a naked man and woman?).  In South Africa – a yard, even if you have just a sad patch of grass and weeds, is still a “garden.”   

Example: Jensen, “Mom, can I go play in the garden?” 

(our "garden")

Sounds like false advertising to me...but sure kid...go play in the garden. 

Rubbish = trash

Rubbish, to me, is a strong word for something that has absolutely no use. “That’s rubbish!” (should always be said with a strong English accent).  To say you have some “rubbish” to throw away, as they do in South A, makes me think of some serious nastiness that probably needs a hazardous materials waste bin – instead of just some wadded up mail to be thrown away in a plain old trash can. It is MUCH more exciting to say rubbish. 

Example: Julie, “Karl, just look at all this rubbish (pile of receipts)!  Quick...let’s put it in the rubbish bin!”  (I try to use my English accent - but it's not very good and Karl mistakes it for my southern accent - very confusing)

Flu =  common cold

If you have the sniffles in South A – they call it the flu.  If you sneeze...it’s the flu.  If you cough...it’s the flu. You probably shouldn’t go to work if you have flu.  It’s a lot of drama over what appears to be, for all intents and purposes, what server in America as a plain old head cold. 

Example: “I have the flu...cough, cough.” (interpretation – I think I may sneeze with this cough...so I’m going to go ahead and clear my schedule and cancel all my meetings for the rest of the week.) 

Children =  kids

Instead of “kids” or “students”– it’s “the children.”  I’ve even heard high school teenagers refer to themselves as “the children.”  I usually think of children as 5 year olds – but they could be talking about someone who’s 16 years old. 

Example: “Many of the children now are learning how to drive and apply for jobs.” (is it me – or is that a little strange?) 

In other words... 

In South Africa you would say.... 

“While the children were in the garden they picked up rubbish, even though some had the flu and had fallen pregnant.” 

Or not quite as exciting... 

“While the students were in yard they picked up trash, even through some had a cold and were pregnant.”