Word of the Day Archive

Safe here?

Is that okay? / Is that cool?

Safe

Okay, good, all clear. The verbal nod that says, “No worries, proceed.”

Think of it as the ghetto ISO-9001 stamp for anything from a spliff to weekend plans. Pro-tip: If someone hesitates before saying “safe,” it probably isn’t. Ask again - or prepare for plot twists.

Bho here?

Is that okay? / Is that cool?

Bholato

Cool / Okay / Fine

Bho

Cool / Okay / Fine

plan

(n.) A hustle blueprint, scheme, or last-minute fix. (v.) To sort something out MacGyver-style when resources = 0. If life gives you lemons and no sugar, plan means you still conjure Mazoe somehow.

A creative fix or scheme; to make things happen against the odds. Pro-tip: In Zim, if someone says “Ita ka plan,” translation = “Perform magic, fam.” Batteries not included.

Ita plan

Make a plan / Do something

Ratoo drama

That's something else / Irrelevant

Asekuru

Grandfather / Old man

Muface

Mate / Bro

Wamdhara

Mate / Bro

Zvirisei?

How are things? / How's it going?

Kurisei?

Informal “How are things on your side?”

Quick sense: “How’s it over there?” or “How are things your side?” A casual, peer-to-peer way to kick off convo, think Shona version of “Sup?” or “How you holding up?” When to drop it: voice note to your boy paJoza, random call to cousin stuck “kumapfanya”, text to bae who blue-ticked you since Monday.

wadii? (wah-DEE?)

Informal “What’s up?” / “How are you?”

The 21st-century Shona “sup?” that replaces "wakadii hako" with maximum brevity and zero vowels wasted. Promax-tip: Answer “wadii?” with anything from “bho-o” to a five-minute rant; the word asks zero follow-ups unless you choose drama.

Sei-sei?

How are you? / What's up?

Hwapepe

Beard

Gwenya

Matches or lighter used to spark a cigarette, blunt or fire.

Your fire-starter: a box of matches or a pocket lighter. Without gwenya, that fresh mogo (cigarette) is just a fancy toothpick. Pro-tip: Carry a spare gwenya, nothing ruins a chill session like the “Who’s got fire?” scramble.

Mogo

A cigarette, usually a single stick rather than a full pack.

Contemporary substitute for the actual term "fodya". Informal, youth-to-middle-age vernacular; used at kombi ranks, shebeens, clubs, bottle stores. Rarely heard in formal Shona.