voetsek

English

WOTD – 22 September 2012

Alternative forms

• voetsak
• voertsek, voertsak
• footsack
• tsak

Etymology

From Afrikaans voertsek, voortsek, short form(s) of voort sê ek (“go on I say”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfʊtsɑk/, /ˈvʊtsɑk/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

Interjection

voetsek

1. (South Africa) get lost! go away! An exclamation of dismissal or rejection.
   • 1996, Drum: A Magazine of Africa for Africa, page 17:

     One house owner was upset when he realised the potential buyer was a black man and hurled insults at him. "He called me a kaffir and other insulting names," Arthur says with a laugh. "As we left he screamed at us to 'voetsek'. I thought it was funny enough to make a good song."

   • 2013, Radmer Lenasch, Paper Samurai, page 149:

     At that moment, I heard a cry from behind the tightening ring. “Hey! Voetsek you skelems!” The young ruffians parted to reveal the old Zulu man.

Translations

go away — see go away

get lost — see get lost

scram — see scram

Further reading

• “voetsek”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• “voetsek”, in Collins English Dictionary.

Anagrams

• evokest