BLOGGING TO SOOTHE THE NERVES.

Language tips II South African slang guide JOHANNESBURG, June 10, Reuters: In the second part of this visitor-friendly guide on the A-Z of slang (the first part appeared on Thursday), we run through the I-Z possibilities. I: Izzit. Another product of the same linguistic mangle as "Howzit", the abbreviation of "Is it?" signifies vague disbelief or surprise as in: "My girlfriend is something of a soccer fundi." Reply: "Izzit?" J: Jol. Afrikaans for "party", a surprisingly widespread term given the former Dutch settlers' puritan reputation. K: "Ke Nako". Sesotho for "It's time", and the expression that helped convince FIFA bosses in 2004 to award Africa its first World Cup. L: Lekker. Pronounced "lacquer" but has nothing to do with furniture polish and everything to do with "good". Likely to be heard in conjunction with another L, "Laduma" –– Zulu for "He scores" –– if the...

Language tips Key to unlock the African lingo! JOHANNESBURG: Even though English is South Africa's official first language, many World Cup visitors may find it hard navigating the local lingo, a bewildering mixture of Afrikaans, Zulu and nine other native tongues. The first part of the A-Z of slang, featuring A to H offers a rough guide for soccer fans worried about getting lost in South Africa's linguistic jungle. A: Ayoba. A made-up word meaning "cool", and given continent-wide currency after its appropriation as a World Cup slogan by MTN, Africa's biggest mobile phone company. B: Braai. Cooking meat on a fire is one of the few things that appeals equally to all South Africans, no matter their colour. Expect to go hungry if you refer to it as a barbecue. C: China. No, not the country, which failed to qualify for the World Cup. China, as in "Howzit, my old China?", means "friend", much as it does in London's East End, its probable port of ...