Ray Hartley, editor of The Times, uses the word 'snotklap' in his recent post about Mosiuoa Lekota breaking ranks with the ANC, South Africa's governing party. A magnificent choice of word, and one that any South African will understand and appreciate. It's one of those words that is just infused with hilarity, and that is impossible to translate.
But let me try:
The literal translation of the Afrikaans word klap [pronounced 'clup'] is 'hit' or 'smack' . But it also has many nuances - it also means beat, vanquish, smite, consume, devour, beat about the ears, give a kick in the pants to, and so on. For example, you might say, 'We klapped a couple of bottles of brandy last night'. Or: 'We really klapped the Ozzies at the cricket'. Or: 'Do your homework, or I'll klap you.'
When you have a hangover, you might say, 'I can't come to the meeting, I feel totally klapped'.
Now add the word snot, which means the same in Afrikaans as it does in English.
Snotklap [pronounced snort-clup] means a big, open-handed smack about the side of the face that is so severe that it causes the snot to fly sideways from your nostrils.
The above was copied without permission from Salmagundi blog
For more South African Slang scroll down to brown box on the right
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1 comment:
to pronounce the "a" in the word "klap" you better use the S.A. word kak. everybody in S.A.is simulair to the sound and meaning of it.
And by the way,...to produce snot by hitting the head,..you must have a bad cold to spread around the stuff.
what do you mean with "snort" in your explanation?? I know snert, but that is Dutch pie-soup.
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