Nothing is as it seems.Nigerians are alone in using “Dundee United” to earmark a fool or idiot. Contrastingly, “cast” is used when a plan is derailed or something gets damaged or spoiled.“Form” is another one that puzzles newcomers in Nigeria. This is the Nigerian pidgin dictionary, a compilation of Nigerian slangs and street talk created and maintained by its readers. It can also get you a good discount while shopping at a market simply because you talk like one of us.Here’s a few to get you started in grasping local slang to ease your communication.If you are interested in becoming a local travel partner and would like to find out more then click for more info about our Sign up for our mailing list to get latest updates and offers for Nigeria. The result is a creative melee of “broken English” and words that, hilariously, have grown eternally distant from their original definitions. For optimum “Nigerianness” (and to get the best deals at markets) do the same. Saying “I want to chop” means “I want to eat” or “I’m hungry”. Not only did he fib about graduating (or even going there), he fudged with his date of birth and claimed to be seven years older than he was to be able to run for membership of the House of Representatives. It’s the act of coming into a considerable amount of money—legally “Trafficate” is a Nigerian exclusive that particularly bewilders non-Nigerian English speakers. sl. Variations include “Yahoo-Yahoo” and “Yahoo boys.”They tend to be young men conducting get rich quick schemes out of cybercafes. Nigerian English, however, is an amalgamation of British “Queen’s English,” cool Americanisms, and local languages (of which there are some 500).
Pidgin is one way to feel a sense of belonging with the locals. Nigerians are in the habit of saying words twice for added emphasis. For example: “Peter didn’t really study abroad, that one is a Toronto situation” or “I’m going to organize one Toronto.” Careful though, if you get found out, you’ll be in deep trouble or “pepper soup.”“Match” is one Anglophone word with a wholly unique Nigerian accent. Expect to hear it when someone is being reprimanded for snitching, tattling, or being discourteous. This one weak me. The British colonized this West African nation and departed its shores in 1960 leaving behind a legacy that would establish English as the official language.
To “form” means showing off or putting on a proud air to impress.
SNE Southern Nigerian English sc. For more information about your privacy and protection, please review our full I want emails from Fodor's Travel with travel information and promotions. It …
Pidgin or broken English is a mixture of English and Nigerian words used casually in conversations. For men, it pinpoints a fellow that womanizes or likes to “carry woman.” When speaking of the fairer sex, it’s the opposite of a lady that’s “homely” or has good “home training”—polite behavior and good manners.When Nigerian English speakers say “casting” what they really mean is exposing somebody or something, relaying information told in confidence, or insulting someone. “Trafficate” is a Nigerian exclusive that particularly bewilders non-Nigerian English speakers. You’ll hear this when (not if) caught in one of Lagos’ infamous traffic jams or “go slow” as Nigerians call them.Remove your mind from auctions and power tools because when someone “hammers” in Nigeria, they’ve made it, blown up, gotten rich or hit the jackpot. For instance, when one feels abdominal pain they may express this as “my stomach is paining me.” The use of a car’s horn to produce a sound, therefore, becomes “horning” in Nigeria.
Slang. The OED faces an increasingly uphill struggle in its attempts to capture World English; almost every Anglophone country has now … It’s also spelled as “mach.” Many an argument in Lagos’ crowded markets have begun with the question, “why are you matching me?”When “gisting” or having a chitchat with a Nigerian, they may reveal a story of someone that was conned by a “Yahoo.” This is a swindler or an individual that uses Yahoo email for fraudulent activities online. Nigeria is blessed with a diverse community of ethnic groups that each have their own dialects, however, the major local languages in Nigeria are Driver, you're going too fast|Driver, ere yin ti poju gan **Driver, you're going too fast|Driver, e na gba oke oso**Driver, you're going too fast|Dreba, kana gudu sosai**Pidgin or broken English is a mixture of English and Nigerian words used casually in conversations. Whenever a foreigner spews a few words of Yòrubá to me, regardless of delivery quality, I instantly warm up, throwing them a cheesy grin of approval.