ElizaD - 13 January 2013 01:46 AM

I wouldn’t go so far as to say the best book ever, but it’s different from anything else.  If you like it, tell your friends. If you don’t ... 

There have been a lot of South African immigrants to Oz in recent times, so I’m wondering, OP, if any South African words or phrases have started to make their way into the vernacular.  Or, indeed, if anyone else has noticed the odd one creeping in.  Here in the north east of England, we haven’t seen the influx that has taken place in London or other parts of the UK where new words or phrases might be more noticeable.

Donga is a common enough word in Australia that came from South Africa.
Jaapie is used in Australia to mean “South African person”. I gather this term is used in South Africa to mean an average Joe.

Apart from that I can’t think of any words of South African origin in Australian English that are not part of British and American English, but I will give the matter some thought

Donga is well known in SA, but I’m still mildly surprised it’s found its way into Australia.  OED:

Etymology:  Apparently partly < an African language, and partly < a language of New Guinea.
Chiefly S. Afr. ...

A channel or gully formed by the action of water; a ravine or watercourse with steep sides. (See also quots. 1964, 1966.)

1879 Daily News 20 June 5/6 A donga was safely crossed. A donga..would be called..in Scotland, a gully.

Can anyone shed any more light on OED’s etymology, which I would call at best “interesting”?

The OED etymology was published in 1897 and does not reflect current knowledge.  Unfortunately, the word isn’t in AHD or M-W, but the latest (2011) Concise Oxford says “from Xhosa and Zulu udonga.”

Zythophile - 11 January 2013 07:22 AM

There was a young lawyer named Rex
Who was sadly deficient in sex.
When charged with exposure,
He said with composure:
“De minimus non curat lex.”

I know it as:

There once was a person called Rex
With a very small organ of sex.
When charged with exposure
He said with composure,
‘De minimis non curat lex.’

ElizaD, “I’m still mildly surprised it’s found its way into Australia.”

It may not be that surprising when you consider that many Australians fought in the SA (’Anglo-Boer’) War in 1899/1902, and took home some souvenirs.

I’ve had it with these ma’fe’king snakes on this ma’fe’king plane!

OP Tipping - 14 January 2013 03:15 AM

I’ve had it with these ma’fe’king snakes on this ma’fe’king plane!

Snake on an Australian plane.