Nigerians at home and abroad use different kinds of Nigerian slangs during conversations, this usually come up whenever they see their fellow Nigerians either t home or abroad, they usually use these slangs either in their local language, Whenever they see one another they flow in slangs in local, pidgin English and English languages. Some of these popular slangs include slangs like How far, How you dey, Nna men, Ki lo n sele?, wetin dey happen? Nawaa for you oo, and What’s up even though not Nigerian but used by a lot of Nigerians. e.t.c. Let’s take a look at some of the popular Nigerian slangs, here goes the list
Popular Nigerian Slangs and their Meanings
Fashi am – forget about it
Peche – Chillout
Amebo – backbiter/rumour-monger also called Gbeborun
Woza – slap
Guck – sleep, believe a lie
Gbe ja – run away
Runs – try to do things the bad way.
Baffs – designer wears
To baff up – nicely dressed
Bakassi/Ikebe – Booty
ITK – All those “overserious” students. ITK stands for I Too Know
Aro – funny person. (peculiar to OAU)
Akata – White man
Jand – UK
Yankee – US
Ajebutter – rich spoilt kid
Comot – Leave
Nack – Hit
Domot – Entrance/Vicinity
Kak – Sit
Kaka – Butt/Shite
Pam – Chill out/Patient
Kele – Young woman
E/Im – He/She/It
Am – Him/Her/It
Dem – Them/They
Troway – Waste/Throw away
Mud – Die/Kill
Kpai – Die/Kill
Straff/Frap/Prak – Sex
Hammer – Strike rich
Awoof – Free things
Wetin? – What?
Tey (tey tey) – Long time (ago)
Mugu/Maga/Maye – Fool
Fall hand – Disappoint
No dulling – Don’t prolong things
O’boy – friend
Abi – Right (as in “exactly, right?”)
Shey? – Is that right?
Like play like play – jokingly
Wozam slap – give him a slap
Eke don carry am – police have arrested him
Chop – eat
Wahalla – trouble
Sabi – to know
Waka – travel/go/walk away
Yahoo – Fraudster
419 – Another slang for fraud
Okada – Motorcycle
Black maria – Was a slang for prison van
Shugaba – To be expelled
Gbana – Marijuana (could be a Lagos only slang)
See Also: Motherland Nigeria: Languages & Greetings
Nigerian Campus Slangs … Contd
After One – Girl with one child prior to marriage
Agidi – Stubborn
Aristo (shortened from Aristocrat) – Married men that like young girls
Bang – Depending on context, fail or sleep with the opposite sex
Bakassi – Girls behind (bum/butt)
Blend – Join a confraternity
Bone face – to snub somebody
Bounce – to walk in a stylish way in order to get noticed
Denge – to poise
To browse on the street – to look for girls/boys e.g Omo I wan go browse
Brush – Beat
Butty (also: ajebota) – Spoiled brat / Pampered Child
Cable – Leak a secret
Cane – Sleep with a girl
Chips – Small papers with answers to exam questions an individual takes into the examination halls to cheat or commit exam malpractice. The smaller the better (microchips)
Cassava Flakes: Dry Garri chips, compared with Corn Flakes
Church Members – Fellow Cultist e.g Fryo na (is) my church member
Confra – Confraternity
Cow Bell – Large Boobs
Double silver – used by cultist to denote a gun
Fashi – Forget
FFF – Friend for food
FFO – For food only
Giddy – Smooch
Government Child (Omo-Ijoba) – A Corper (NYSC), A Mad Man
Joneser – Failure
Jack Robinson – Rubbish
Juve (shortened from juvenile) – Young ladies
Kawa – (I am going) – Leave
Kolo – Mad
Kposh or fa gbo or blaze – Smoke Weed
Smallie – Girlfriend or Girl
Soji – Street Smart
Tush – A refined person
Wetin Dey? What’s Up?
Wetin dey shele? What’s the latest gist?
Wuz up?
Pepper don red – Person who’s luck has changed and the person is richer.
You Fall my hand – you disappointed me
Dagbo or dub – copying someone’s work
Bust my skeroo – to blow one’s mind
Yan – talks, noisy discussions, or gist
Kolo – Crazy
Iyanga, Effizy or Shakara – proud feeling, boisterous or pompous
Fabu – Lie
Gbege – Trouble
Demor – a show-off, act up, pretend to be something one is not
The shenkiz dem just dey matrix – the girls are stripping
Jones – lack intellect, not being smart in a certain situation
Shak up or Shayo – get drunk or a drunk
To Jack – to study hard, a popular Nigerian students’ slang
Aproko – a gossip
Sort – bribe
To crash – to sleep
Nigerian Slangs used in secondary schools
Mescaphon – misbehave or mess up
Attachee – friend on benefits
Expo – exposed examination questions beforehand or to cheat in an exam hall.
Garium sulphate – Garri
Rake – to rant (out of anger)
Fab – steal (eg. they are always fabbing pen and pencils in this class)
NAF – No future ambition
Form – arrogant, to put proud air just to impress (eg. You too dey form)