Learning Safari Language

[BRICKBURN]

Cultures develop their own language. Seems silly to state the obvious but it is one of the things that makes traveling worth while.

"Howzit?"
Takes a minute to get the greeting down. Listen carefully. You'll hear it.

It takes some time to adjust, but with context it becomes readily apparent what the meaning is to the stranger.
In great part, it is one of the very enjoyable parts of travel and meeting new people.

"Now Now" vs "Just now", I was just reading another thread about how a PH communicated with his hunter and was struck that he also found it interesting enough to include the new terms he had learned during the hunting experience. "Funny that!"

........
- When I complimented the PH on the food & accommodations, he replied "I must control the things I can control."

What were some of your favourite colloquial terms or sayings that you ran into?

When neither he nor I were happy with one of the three properties we hunted, he quickly "made a plan" he and I were satisfied with.
.

When the "kak" was hitting the fan during a hunt recently, a favourite came out very quickly from the PH: "We must make a plan!" I smile every time I think of it.

Another: While the PH is excited on a stalk. I was setting up to shoot a Mtn Reedbuck that might be coming out any minute onto a slope.
His direction to me in a loud whisper: "You must find a "lekker" spot."
It took my brain a minute to switch into translation mode. But, I got it. Find a good spot to see/shoot from.

One Zulu tracker commentary: "Oooow, eeah, No no no no." All the while shaking his head while listening to a story of his compatriot. Quintessential Zulu mannerism.

Please

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Brickburn,
Great thread! Want to see what some of my local compatriots get up to with their expressions....lol. Might weigh in with a couple myself.
I'm following this one....

 

[Jfet]

"The Americans and the English are two people separated by a common language."
Somebody smarted than me said that.

I found myself in the Czech Republic talking to a group of young people taking an English class. The word "ya'll" as in "How are ya'll" completely confused them. I quickly realized that I had to translate from Texan to English. Then we all had great fun learning to speak the English dialect of Texas.

I too will enjoy reading this thread and it will be a great help in our first safari this June.

 

[Diamondhitch]

"The Americans and the English are two people separated by a common language."
Somebody smarted than me said that.

I found myself in the Czech Republic talking to a group of young people taking an English class. The word "ya'll" as in "How are ya'll" completely confused them. I quickly realized that I had to translate from Texan to English. Then we all had great fun learning to speak the English dialect of Texas.

I too will enjoy reading this thread and it will be a great help in our first safari this June.

Texans aren't bad, Newfies on the other hand...

Were ya too buy? I come were yarzat.

Sea air, um budda tree.

???????? Believe it or not, it is English, barely. LOL

 

[Diamondhitch]

I get a kick out of silent letters as well, for instance we say build as bild, south Africans say buld. It took me a minute to figure out what was about to transpire when my PH was about to buld a fire. LOL

 

[Spooksar]

The first time to Africa we where in a restaurant, I thought my PH's boyfriends was calling the waitress a donkey. Took a minute to realize he was saying danke.

 

[Spooksar]

Texans aren't bad, Newfies on the other hand...

Were ya too buy? I come were yarzat.

Sea air, um budda tree.

???????? Believe it or not, it is English, barely. LOL

And they have strap shirts and tum wrenches a language of their own for sure.

 

[Diamondhitch]

The first time to Africa we where in a restaurant, I thought my PH's boyfriends was calling the waitress a donkey. Took a minute to realize he was saying danke.

Hilarious

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I know when I'm around my South African friends that when they say "Folk" they're not referring to people or family members. And if they begin a sentence with the phrase, "I promise you my friend," they're quite serious about whatever it is that follows. The strength of emphasis on this phrase as well as the number of times it is repeated is directly proportional to the amount of alcohol that has been consumed prior to its use.

 

[BRICKBURN]

The first time to Africa we where in a restaurant, I thought my PH's boyfriends was calling the waitress a donkey. Took a minute to realize he was saying danke.

Namibia was the first place that I heard of putting wood "in" the donkey!

What? Great way to make you head snap round.

A "Donkey" (sp) is a wood fired water boiler/heater.

 

[Wheels]

Lorrie - truck. "Hop on the lorrie" very confusing when you are a kid and a girl name Lori is around.

Spanner - wrench.

Bonnet and boot - hood and trunk of a vehicle.

 

[Diamondhitch]

Lorrie - truck. "Hop on the lorrie" very confusing when you are a kid and a girl name Lori is around.

Even more confusing for Lori Im sure!

 

[Wheels]

Bonnet and boot - hood and trunk of a vehicle.

Just when you get it figured out a VW Beatle drives up!:wacky:

 

[Royal27]

"The Americans and the English are two people separated by a common language."
Somebody smarted than me said that.

I found myself in the Czech Republic talking to a group of young people taking an English class. The word "ya'll" as in "How are ya'll" completely confused them. I quickly realized that I had to translate from Texan to English. Then we all had great fun learning to speak the English dialect of Texas.

I too will enjoy reading this thread and it will be a great help in our first safari this June.

"Y'all" isn't used everywhere, cept up north of course, who knew???

 

[bluey]

when we were in b.c the cook kept asking my mate how he liked the 30 ought 6......
on the third day we had to ask what he was on about ?

hey wheels in oz the volkswagon is most often refered to as a v dub...

 

[Diamondhitch]

the cook kept asking my mate how he liked the 30 ought 6......

??? how do you say it? I have never heard it any other way.
How about buckshot? single aught, double aught, triple aught?

 

[bluey]

the cook kept asking my mate how he liked the 30 ought 6......

??? how do you say it? I have never heard it any other way.
How about buckshot? single aught, double aught, triple aught?[/QUOTE]

ive only ever heard it called 30 .0 .6
now im confussed how to make it work
we say 30 oh 6=30.06
where as this bloke from saskacthewn
voiced it as thirty ought six ,it was the ought instead of oh that had us
hope you know what im saying mate

 

[Rob404]

How about some North side Chicagoeez
Dgeet ? a question asking ,,did you eat ,,the Ds are allmost silent
Djue ? an answer meaning, did you ?

 

[Spooksar]

the cook kept asking my mate how he liked the 30 ought 6......


ive only ever heard it called 30 .0 .6
now im confussed how to make it work
we say 30 oh 6=30.06
where as this bloke from saskacthewn
voiced it as thirty ought six ,it was the ought instead of oh that had us
hope you know what im saying mate

Here I though it was 30 odd 6, as some people on Gunnutz forum call it

 

[BRICKBURN]

Here I though it was 30 odd 6, as some people on Gunnutz forum call it

"aught" a word for zero.
Bastardized into "ought" and "odd"