h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Author still here?

If so this doesn't have to be in Guide-ML at all. If it is picked at any point then a subeditor will put it all in Guide-ML and being in Guide-ML gives a piece no better or worse chance of getting picked.

I heard some people say "Better no GuideML at all than wrong GuideML"

Elvis?

IS

You changed your name! How dare you!?

No Elvis...the author posted on h2 last week...don't get click-removal happy

I didn't... It's a temporary mutation. Happens every now and then (past mutations were: Space Amoeba, Elvis, Freewheelin' Franklin). It is otherwise harmless.

IS

its just rather confusing.

-- scouts changing names hurt me head

So it's not that harmless after all is it...

IS (tafka Hell)
(try ASPIRIN A592715)

That would be great - be be honest that's what stumped me from doing anything with it - all the insistence that it be fluffed up with fancy fonts and such - and I'm really not interested in learning how to do that - I hardly have time to flutter in every few days and say hello.

Now that I know I wont have to do that to have anything done with the entry, I'll do some work on it.


Kosh

That's good news

IS

I prod this entry in a prodding encouraging type way

Kat

LOL! Thanks Kat - just got connected at home so I'll be able to have another go at it in the coming weeks thanks for the prod tho!


Kosh

Great entry, but you should probably give some credit to James Clarke of 'Stoep Talk' and Rawbone Malonge of 'Ah Big Yaws' fame for first coming up with the idea. Also spell 'Kak' correctly. 'Eitha' is spelled and pronounced 'heita'.

I also fail to see the connection between marmite and peanut butter, but maybe thats just me.

Overall a good artical with some hilarious bits.
Some others to include:

'Naught/s my bru/china'

'robot' as in traffic light

'bliksem'

'mampoer'

'babalas'

and 'Jozi'

Glad to see someone so in love with SA, I adore the place.

Malcstonbru

Ah, Bliksem is not SA-slang. It's an official Dutch word, meaning lightning

Bliksem might be a real word in Dutch, but in South African slang it means 'to hit', or just as an expression of emotion, or as a rude name.
Malcstonbru

In Dutch is can be used as an expression of emotion, 'bliksems' when something is very good. 'Bliksems' can be used as a rude word just as well like in 'blikskater(s)'.

Do you use it in SA also as:
bliksemaanval, bliksembezoek, bliksemoorlog, bliksemsnel, bliksemstart, bliksemtempo, bliksemcarrière?
These words with 'bliksem' mean 'very fast or quick': a very quick attack, a very quick visit, a very quick war, very quick, a very quick start, a very fast speed, a very quick career.

'Loop naar de bliksem' translated literally goes as 'walk towards the lightening' but is accurately translated in 'f**k off', 'p**s off' or to put it bluntly 'go to hell'.

'Hete bliksem', is a dish made of potatoes, apples and meat.

Right there is my contribution towards the Dutch origens of the Afrikaans language and the hotchpotch, (Hutspot?) of SA-slang.

In Afrikaans
Lightning is 'blits'. So you get expressions like 'blitsvinnig' which means 'lightning-fast'. Bliksem is not really used in this context. It is usually used in threats or name-calling. eg 'I'm going to bliksem you!' Which means 'I'm going to hit you (very hard). Or 'You bliksem!' Which means 'You bastard!'.
Afrikaans is a sort of low Dutch. So don't be surprised to find alot of the Dutch language in Afrikaans.
Cheers
Malcstonbru

'Hodgepodge', beg your pardon, is the correct spelling and 'donder' being thunder in Dutch, but can also be used as giving someone a good trashing: 'iemand een pak op z'n donder geven', just like in Afrikaans. I think Afrikaans is marvelous. Ach bro, I can't be that snoep about it, 'snoep' in Dutch are sweets for kids, like lollypops, winegums etc. You can call someone also, especially a male above a certain age who like women a lot 'een oude snoeper'.

Anyway, I cannot find 'hodgepodge' in the English dictionary. So I assume it's an Afrikaans word as well with roots in the Dutch language, such as from 'hutspot', a dish of mashed potatoes, carrots, onions and meat?

Ek weet nie(I don't know), but I wouldn't be surprised.
Malcstonbru

Citing OED:

hodgepodge - variant of hotchpotch

hotchpotch - confused mixture or jumble, esp. of ideas. [from French hochepot - shake pot]

I wanted to reply 'ik weet het ook niet' (Neither do I) but look what I found:
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=hodgepodge

It's great! You can type in any word and it gives details about its origins.

That *is* a good site! (I suppose we need to point the OED editors to it.)