Word of the Day [14 May 2026]

Plumber

In South African football, the term "plumber" is a derogatory slang used to describe a coach, often a foreign one, perceived as underperforming or lacking the intellectual or tactical acumen to succeed in the sport. It implies a coach is more suited to a trade like plumbing than managing a football team.


I see Orlando Pirates just hired a plumber to replace Riveiro.

Cyril Ramaphosa

Cyril Ramaphosa is the current president of the Republic of South Africa.


We are calling for Cyril Ramaphosa to answer for his Phala Phala farm saga.

Thuvi

Ithuvi is a Xhosa slang term for shit or kaka.


Uthetha ithuvi.
You are talking shit.


Swazi

Weed from Swaziland that is very potent.


Come let's smoke, I've got some swazi here.

Nton nton

Is a Xhosa term used when you don't know the name of something or the term for something. Can also be used when you don't know someone's name.


1. I had that Mc nton nton burger from Mc Donald's.
2. Mr. Nton nton from school called again.


Alexandria

Egypt's Mediterranean jewel with Greco-Roman history and modern library.


Alexandria's Corniche stretches 20km along the seafront.

Robot

How South Africans say “traffic lights” because “traffic lights” is too long and doesn’t sound futuristic enough.


No one:

Passenger in a taxi: After robot, driver.


Beyps

An informal way to say "babes", mostly used by Xhosa women when talking to each other or about each other.


Yho beyps, the way I've been missing my Ben 10 these days.

Ekurhuleni

Ekurhuleni is a metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of the East Rand region of Gauteng, a large suburban region east of Johannesburg. Ekurhuleni means "place of peace" in XiTsonga.


I prefer Ekurhuleni over City of Johannesburg.


Butterfly Effect

The feeling of tiredness and or laziness that a person feels when they are slowly sobering up from smoking weed or eating edibles.


I began to go through Butterfly effect after smoking a joint

Goated

Another way of saying someone is a GOAT (Greatest Of All Time).


LeBron James is goated.




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