“They Call This a Chemist, Ooh I Am Scared!”: US Guy Laughing at South African Words Goes Viral

• A content creator from America living in South Africa shared a video comparing American English words with their South African counterparts
• The differences between American English and South African English stem from South Africa's British colonial history
• Social media users had mixed reactions to the video, with some finding it funny while others quickly defended South African terms

A content creator from the United States caused a stir online with his humorous take on common South African English words.

Content creator @usbari.addi, who regularly posts about his experiences living in South Africa as an American, shared a video where he compares American and South African terms for everyday items. Throughout the clip, he visibly struggles to contain his laughter when saying the South African versions.

The video features side-by-side comparisons of terms:

"Americans call them french fries, South Africans call them chips. We call this a bathroom, South Africans call it a toilet. Americans call this a diaper, South Africans call it a nappy. Americans call this a trash can, South Africans call it a bin."

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He continued with more examples, clearly amused:

"Americans call these shoes or sneakers, South Africans call them takkies. Americans call this cotton candy, South Africans call it candy floss. We call this a swimsuit or a bathing suit, South Africans call it a swimming costume."

He also notes pronunciation differences for zebra and jokingly mentions his fear of the term chemist instead of pharmacy.

Watch the TikTok clip below.

Linguistic history

South African English has a rich history dating back to 1795 when British settlers first arrived in the region. The language developed through several waves of English immigration, with the first major influx occurring in 1820 when about 5,000 British settlers, mostly from rural or working-class backgrounds, settled in the Eastern Cape.

Though the British were a minority colonist group, Cape Colony governor Lord Charles Somerset declared English an official language in 1822. The subsequent waves of English speakers in the 1840s, 1850s, and between 1875 and 1904 brought diverse varieties of English, but South African English had already begun developing its distinct character from the first wave of settlers.

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SA responds to American laughter

@Rashiedmia added:

"America says 'go away' South Africans says 'voetsek'."

@user9960982091930 questioned:

"So what's so funny bru😳😳😳"

@Jacqueline@❤️ corrected:

"We don't call it a bin, we call it a dustbin."

@NgetileSparkles defended:

"The South African pronunciation of zebra is the correct one. That animal is indigenous to Africa."

@TV&MOVIE|LIVE reasoned:

"It is a toilet how is it a bathroom with no bath in it? 🤣"

@nosipho_3 confessed:

"Not me confidently screaming chicken breast kanti he'll say chicken fillet 🤣😂🤣 When did we get here as a country 🤣😂"

@Rachel_Chetty reacted:

"You laughing at us 'do you wanna go home'🥺"

@Karisma_vd_Neut defended:

"For the people how to ask 'what's so funny' leave the guy if he found it funny, at least it makes some of us smile."

@MsPattieM joked:

"Eddie, you are wrong for laughing at YouChube😭😭😭"

@Linkiieyy_Cooper explained:

"Mainly because in South African schools, they teach us British English, not American English 🤕"

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More encounters between Americans and SA

• Briefly News reported on a US tourist who received a heartwarming welcome back at a South African airport, showing his positive relationship with local citizens.
• A British visitor had Mzansi in stitches after trying a kota and enjoying it so much that he decided he needed a South African name to match his newfound love for local cuisine.
• An American man named Brashaad Mayweather created a hilarious scene when he decided to take on the role of a gaatjie while riding in a South African taxi.

Source: Briefly News