shonglish

  1. Nolwazi Kwayedza

    slang Supa sabhu

    Supa sabhu, in Zim slang, basically means a backup girlfriend just in case the main chick calls it quits unexpectedly or if she is currently unavailable because it's that time of the month again. Therefore, a supa sabhu is meant to be a temporary stand-in and unofficially deputize the main...
  2. Nolwazi Kwayedza

    slang Januwari disease

    januwari disease refers to personal financial health lamentation that is experienced by people who squander their salary (or additional bonus payment) because of too much excitement about the holiday season at the end of the year (i.e. Christmas and New Year's celebrations). What then happens...
  3. Nolwazi Kwayedza

    slang Choku, hupfu

    choku is the street name for cocaine (or coke) in the Republic of Zimbabwe while mapopukoni, refers to crack cocaine. hupfu in the context of slang means exactly as you'd probably expect and that's white heroin (an opioid). But since there are different types of heroin, here are Zim slang...
  4. Nolwazi Kwayedza

    slang Tee

    The word "tee" in Zim slang means to 'kiss' but obviously not in the form of a greeting. Rather the word itself refers to what two people in love, a fling, etc would do as a sign of love and affection. Example Usage: "Oan, the reason I have these lip stains on my shirt is the next daige wanted...
  5. Nolwazi Kwayedza

    Ka-that-so

    means "je ne sais quoi", charisma, X-factor, or a special intangible attribute that makes a person extremely likable without either trying so hard or breaking a sweat. On the contrary, some people may be extremely talented and very good at what they do, but because of their personalities, this...
  6. Nolwazi Kwayedza

    Expagorate

    miin fi seh sopm iin ditiel bout wetin yuh dey talmbout. Fi hegzampl, "expagorate" e dey yuus fi aks smadi fi clarify fi dem poin, espeshali wehn dem staat fi taak for tekniikal jargon langwij, ah wehn dem seh illogical conflicting statements i.e., aalsuh nuon for chiShona langwij az kuhumana...
  7. Nolwazi Kwayedza

    slang Kedha

    kedha this is a shortened social construct of saying mukaradhi or mukedha which means you are either biracial, multiracial, or a mixed person. However, in the Republic of Zimbabwe, being biracial doesn't mean you are black because there isn't the one-drop rule you'd find in countries such as...
  8. Nolwazi Kwayedza

    slang Chapomba, musombodhiya

    chapomba (or shapomba) means any legal liquor that is in the range of 80 proof (40% ABV) but not more than that, whereas musombodhiya or otherwise known as mbatutu generally means anything starting from at least a minimum of 100 proof (50% ABV) to about 160 proof (80% ABV). musombodhiya...
  9. Nolwazi Kwayedza

    slang Poloni

    The definition of "polony" in the context of Zim slang means 'polonium-210.' Therefore again in the context of slang (i.e. the informal usage), this should not be confused with the normal 'bologna sausage' or what some may call 'baloney.' Perhaps you have already noticed the double entendre...
  10. Nolwazi Kwayedza

    Musalad, musalala or munozi

    1: an individual who comes from a wealthy background; however, such a person isn't always familiar with Zimbabwe's traditional customs (or Chivanhu) thanks to their boojee, luxurious upbringing. So people may tolerate certain things about them if they deviate from the norm because you know...
  11. Nolwazi Kwayedza

    Boyz retonazi

    boyz retonazi means male hustlers ("scammers"), drug dealers, or corrupt tenderpreneurs who by and large don't have full-time employment. But albeit having a poor academic background, make no mistake about it, they've got strong business acumen to make more money than some learned college...
  12. Nolwazi Kwayedza

    Jembi

    1: jealousy 2: sadza (i.e., a staple food in the Republic of Zimbabwe that is made from maize mealie meal called hupfu. Sometimes it's made from finger millet or zviyo in chiShona language). Example for 1 Example for 2 Synonyms for jembi (i.e., as they relate to sadza) Chidhaka...
  13. Nolwazi Kwayedza

    slang Voice rema sese

    The phrase "voice rema sese" in Zim slang refers to a harsh-sounding voice that is often induced by drinking too much sorghum beer on a regular basis. Note: 'masese' is a ChiShona word for sorghum beer. And the most popular sorghum beer in Zimbabwe is called 'Chibuku' which is shunned by most...
  14. Nolwazi Kwayedza

    slang Kupera strong

    The phrase "Kupera Strong" in Zim slang means you are lost for words so much that you end up saying absolutely nothing because of being overwhelmed by what you have just witnessed. You can also think of 'kupera strong' as being synonymous with SMH (i.e. shake my head) when you encounter...
  15. Nolwazi Kwayedza

    Sosho media

    this Shonglish term refers to microblogging platforms, social networks, or social media. Similar terms Other alternative Shonglish variants for the aforementioned slang term include the following: Variants Soshari midhiya (or soshari midhia) Sosho midhiya (or sosho midhia) Suoshari...
  16. Nolwazi Kwayedza

    Mafaira, V11

    mafaira or V11 means either evidence (uchapupu or umboo) about a rival entity or another person's skeletons in the closet that they wish to keep secret from the prying eyes of the public. V11 is pronounced as vē-əˈlevən and the plural form is either written as ma V11or V11s. Note: Often...
  17. Nolwazi Kwayedza

    A list of frequently used interjections in chiShona language

    This post contains a list of widely used interjections in chiShona language you may come across either in the written form on social media or in spoken form i.e., in audiovisual media. Yuhwi, Wuriii this is used for expressing surprise or shock after hearing/reading juicy gossip or witnessing...
  18. Nolwazi Kwayedza

    slang Chegotsi industry

    chegotsi industry means the act of leveraging the oldest profession whether in the form of physical sexual favors or financial domination in return for being awarded opportunities that would have never been facilitated without the act thereof taking place. For example, some Zimdaansaal and Zim...
  19. Numero Uno

    What does "twabam" mean?

    What's the meaning of "twabam," I sorta have seen a lot of people using it.
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