Do's and Don'ts of Ghanaian English Vocabulary
Ghana's official language may be English, but be prepared for looks of utter shock if you take certain words here in Ghana for their American meanings!
Here's a handy guide of Do's and Don'ts for a few Ghanaian phrases to keep you out of jail.
1.) "Flash me."
DON'T: Yank up your shirt, wiggling your bare chest and screaming, "Throw me some Mardi Gras beads, baby!"
DO: Call the person on their cell phone.
2.) "Give me a dash."
DON'T: Sprint away from the person at top speed, hollering: "Eat my dust, tortoise!"
DO: Give the person a tip for their services. (Or, if they actually did nothing to merit appreciation pay and are just trying to get money, don't give them anything!)
3.) "Do you have a rubber?"
DON'T: Throw a pile of Durex on the person, saying, "You've made the right choice to use a birth control method!"
DO: Politely hand the person a plastic bag for their belongings.
4.) A phrase that sounds a lot like: "Ma boner"
DON'T: Take the phrase for what it sounds like in American English and slap the person in the face.
DO: Know that the person is kindly informing you in the Ewe language that they will be over soon to meet you.
5.) "TSSSSSSSS!" (powerful hissing noise)
DON'T: Leap onto a table to hide from oncoming snakes. Also, don't accuse the person of trying to scare you through cobra impersonations.
DO: Understand that the man or woman is asking you to please come closer to them to discuss something.
Isn't the evolution of language in different countries a wonderful thing? See Part Two here!
The author, Lillie Marshall, is a 6-foot-tall National Board Certified Teacher of English, fitness fan, and mother of two who has been a public school educator since 2003. She launched Around the World “L” Travel and Life Blog in 2009, and over 4.2 million readers have now visited this site. Lillie also runs TeachingTraveling.com and DrawingsOf.com. Subscribe to her monthly newsletter, and follow @WorldLillie on social media!
It's so nice to know that Ghanaian English is different than the English we are used to. For instance, for number four, if I didn't know the phrase "Ma boner" meant the person would be over to meet you soon, I would of course stop talking to them. It's cool to know other cultures and languages so that if I were to visit, I wouldn't be too rude to the people living there.
What is the difference between Ghanian and Nigerian English?
I'm not sure, but I would think there are some similarities and some differences!
That is just so weird. Languages in other countries are so different from American English. Hehe... I like this form of English, it's just so funny.
I find it funny that americans changed the english language in many ways. eg. neighbour ----> neighbor
Seriously! The evolving nature of language over distance and time...
"Flash me" means that you call the person and let the phone ring a few times and then disconnect, so the other person knows that you are home or ready to receive the call. It is a way of sending a message with the phone without spending money. If somebody flashes you without a previous agreement or message it means "please call me, I want to talk" ("and I have no prepaid credit left" you can add for yourself)".
Clear definition! Thank you!
chaw folks do not knw what chuckle really means and they keep mistaken it for hiss
Always interesting to hear regional sayings.
My initial thought on "flash me" might have been to take a picture, but the cell phone meaning makes some sense, too.
It seems that English language phrases and meanings vary between Ghana and the US much like the variations between the UK and the US or Austraila and the US. This sounds like it could be a fun activity for your BPS students.
Adventurous Kate said...
Ha! I like this. MA BONER!
January 20, 2010 4:48 PM
Nomadic Chick said...
Haha! What a cute post on language translation. :)
January 20, 2010 9:26 PM
Luddy Sr. said...
I thought the hissing noise was strange at first, but it's no more strange than whistling or saying pssst I suppose.
Boy that Ma Bona joke never got old for me at all over there...ha!
January 22, 2010 5:38 AM
Louisa said...
What else!? Give us more!
January 25, 2010 1:59 AM
backpackingranny said...
yes more more please tell us more
January 27, 2010 11:38 AM