Auntie and uncle are often used beyond the family tree as respectful terms for older adults who are close to the family but not blood relatives. Listeners reported this pattern in Uganda, Kenya, Cameroon, South Africa, India, the Philippines...
Ryan, a Marine at Camp Pendleton, picked up Yambo from Ugandan security personnel while deployed in Iraq, where Marines started using it as a playful greeting. The word is from Kiswahili, spoken widely in East Africa, and it’s fine as an informal...
teething n.— «The Customs Union has a myriad of problems initially referred to as “teething,” but not any more. Three years on, some areas are yet to be fully smothered.» —“East Africa: Is EAC a Solution to the Problems...
empty tin n.— «In the current politically charged environment characterised by an increasing number of what the state terms “illegal” demonstrations, rallies and riots, the police definitely has its hands full. Yet this situation is bound...
motor spirit n.— «If this total were all petrol—what the oil industry calls “gasoline,” PMS, or “motor spirit,” it would indeed be a bonanza.» —“Oil Bonanza? Let Us Get Real” by Vivian Craddock...
motor n.— «No more commercial motorcyclists, commonly known as boda boda or “motor,” will be allowed in Kigali’s city centre.…The original owner buys another bike, and through this reproductive system, the population of...