Thread by @Kauswe3

Know your Zambian Slang! PART 1

slang

noun
a type of language consisting of words and phrases that are regarded as very informal, are more common in speech than writing, and are typically restricted to a particular context or group of people.

Thread

You will find here a list of uniquely Zambian English words and phrases. The language is constantly evolving and changing so I will share some of the phrases in use. Please feel free to leave your contributions in the comments

Album - (Offensive Term)Refers to Pregnancy/Birth – That girl just released an Album.

Ati how? - How are you? Very informal slang. Origin ‘Ati bwanji’ became ‘ati bwa’ and ‘bwa’ was translated to English ‘how’

Ba ka’amba - from ‘ba kalamba’ big man. Generally used to address either a friend or one whose name you don’t know
Ba'ane - Good friends. generally used to address very good friends or in jest to not so good friends

Bali - Father/Older Man.
Ba Rwanda (can be derogatory )- Beer Scavengers. - usage arose at the time when Zambia had a lot of refugees from Rwanda in the
Balloon Type - Lady with Big Bums/Back side/Hips

Brush - sex
Better TV - A prostitute. [from a song by local musician Danny of the same title]
Bells - Length of time (usually long) or time of day. derived from a bell ringing at the top of the hour. e.g. Its 6 bells right now i.e. 6 am/pm. E.g, It's been bells since I saw him.

Blazed - To get drunk / high on drugs
Black album / blue movie - Porn movie
Black table - A table laden with lager beer Bottles, usually castle or mosi
Bolt - to run

Book - leave a location e.g. "Buta" lets book from here its getting "dry".
Box - reference to any area that is confined such as a room or a location.
Buta / Bootah - in reference to brotherhood. from "boet" or "boetie"
Bululu / Bururu - Relative from Afrikaans "broer" meaning bro

Bwete - (Big Ass) A simultaneous shaking of a Woman/lady's Behind when walking.
Belegede - Drunk
Kanasaki (Kan-i-Saki) - Get Head -- From the word Kawasaki

Cabin - House/Home.
Chakolwa - an alcoholic
Chamba - Marijuana/cannabis
Chux'd - To be detained/imprisoned by the Police.

Choncholi - rather derogatory reference to a Chinese person.
Chow(chau) - Eat.
Clap - to finish e.g. I've clapped all my homework so we can go play football now.
CNN / BBC - In reference to gossip and its ability to spread like the news
Coolie (Kuli) - An Indian

Colgate - Refers to ANY toothpaste
Crop - To fall down
Cut - 1)Going/Leaving e.g. I'm cutting cabin, its already 3 a.m. 2)Drunk e.g. My father was cut last night after the party, I had to drive him home. 3) What's cutting? = what's happening?

Damage - in reference to money spent. How much damage did you do last night? - 1 million Kwacha on dinner.
Departure lounge - someone very ill and most likely on their death bed.e.g. one with HIV could be said to be in the departure lounge.
Dicey - Tricky

Dop / Dope - Alcohol
Dos - To sleep
Doss / dossed - terminally ill (derogatory) used to describe persons suffering from AIDS (gossip type)

Down it - Bottoms up - drink at one go
Dry - Boring/Lame
Dyonko - sample/taste

Ek Se - Originally an Afrikaans term which means " I say " e.g. Ek Se what time is it?Its meaning has literally changed to refer to a friend or some one of your age you don't know.

Eh Eh/Ah Ah - An expression used to describe 'being surprised'. What the hell? E.g, Eh eh, didn't he "prang" his ride?.

Falisa/Falisis - ambiguous reference to any object, situation or action (popular among Copperbelt Kaponyas)
Fastele - Fast - From a cartoon Comic in local newspapers, 'The Post' from back in the days.

Father - used to call a man’s name you don’t know/Elderly Man(commonly use by call boys/Bus conductors)

Flat - Annoyed or upset or angry.
Flush - The act of aborting an unwanted pregnancy.
Fodia - Cigarette
Flamingo - (sexual position - Similar to Doggy Style) where the woman stands then bends over and touches her toes.

Free Kick - (Offensive) To abort a pregnancy as in She had a free kick
Frozen chicken - (sexual position) sexual position where the woman is lying on her back and her legs are over the man's shoulders.
Fuzi - side Kick

Gabon - anything bad, in reference to the Gabon air disaster of 1993 in which Zambia soccer player lost their lives.
Gon’ga - noun. an imitation product. verb. To be swindled/ugly girl.
G.P - Game Plan, i.e. organizing a plan of action
Graze - Food or the act of eating

Gun Powder - Groundnuts
Gooza / Guza - woman/lady
Gelo (Chi gelo) - A girl/woman
Gwamo - Go/Leave (Na gwamo - I have gone.)

Hammer - 1) to beat
Hard - to be considered something special or good e.g. That Items is Hard Ek Se.
How do you make it? - What time is it?
Hule - Prostitute

Joll - 1)Come or arrive at a destination. e.g. Are you jolling to the party tonight? 2) In other parts of Africa joll can refer to a party or party atmosphere.
Joint - 1)place or location. e.g. This joint is nice. 2) Weed
John Cena - really big local buns

Kaponya - A street hawker or any individual found roaming the city streets aimlessly. Usually very vulgar
Kabwata - Body builder or well built muscular man commonly referred to as "chiKabwata" - named after Lusaka's first and oldest gym located in Kabwata Township

Ka ndile - A broke person that feeds off others and tries to keep up appearances like he/she is the spender
Ka nduli - Hot girl.
Kembo - A person of no substance (insulting) eg. "Iwe Kembo!" English translation "Hey Jerk/funny guy/popper!"

Ku ma 'dizzy’ - Bar/Tavern
Ku ma yard [yadi] - Suburbs. [literally at the yards]
ka pulp - Nshima.
Kajansa - Masturbation e.g. - Alibe Gelo,ama chaya che kanajansa daily.
ku dyela - Having a good time e.g. wa dyela, tina dyela

Ku yupa ma banana - Masturbation e.g. - Ninamu pezekeza Ayupa ma banana mu Toilet.
Kui Typa - Bemba Word for Fight.
Kapeta - Body builder or weightlifter
Kuli (coolie) - An Indian.
Ka saka - a bag of money.

Kopala - an indigenous citizen of the Copperbelt province (Usually an unruly member of this group of people)

Part 2 coming up shortly.......................