true, adjective

In interjectional phrases.
a. as true as God, true as God, also strews Guard, stroes God, s’true’s God, ’strue’s God, strues God, struse God, strusgod, true’s God [tr. obsolescent Afrikaans expression so waar as God]: ‘really’, ‘truly’; used to emphasize the truth of an assertion. Occasionally shortened to s’trues.
1946 P. Abrahams Mine Boy (1954) 73It is so, sister, ’s true’s God.
1948 E. Hellmann Rooiyard 79If my daughter get a baby before her time, true as God, I’ll kill her.
1954 J. Wiles Moon to Play With 228Ag, nee,..man, but you say the funniest things, ’strue as God.
1956 A. Sampson Drum 85There’s no difference really, man; true’s God! They both want the same thing: they both want apartheid!
1957 D. Jacobson Price of Diamonds 5One said that his wife was in Johannesburg and as true as God he was going to see her; another that he had been offered a good job and as true as God he was going to start working again.
1963 A. Fugard Blood Knot (1968) 157Morris: Really? Zach: S’true’s God.
1971 J. McClure Steam Pig (1973) 33True’s God, me not doing anything bad by that side!
1976 M. Melamu in New Classic No.3, 9Me, I’ll run away from this place, ’strues God, then I’ll see who her punch-bag will be.
1980 A. Dangor in M. Mutloatse Forced Landing 159The glass showcase filled with cheap ornaments purchased on the Parade. ‘Stroes merram, real bone china!’
1990 M.M. Hacksley (tr. of E. Van Heerden) in Lynx 186He’d..heard that the Lord had ridden on a donkey, but it wasn’t..a Karroo donkey, ’struesgod it wasn’t.
1993 S. Dikeni in Cape Times 21 Aug. (Top of the Times) 17The nation drinks from Sunday to Sunday non-stop. ’Strue’s God, the Lord can punish me.
b. With euphemistic substitution: as true as Bob, true as Bob, also ’s’strue’s Bob, ’strue as Bob, ’strue’s Bob, struse Bob, etc., in the same sense.
1971 Informant, Grahamstown (now Makhanda, Eastern Cape)Then I’m resigning, ’strue as Bob.
1973 Radio South Africa 22 Mar. (Take a Chance)As true as Bob, I nearly went right through the windscreen.
1975 ‘Blossom’ in Darling 12 Feb. 119One thing about January in Durbs — I dunno why everybody doesn’t melt, s’true’s bob. Talk about the yoomidity.
1981 Fair Lady 9 Sept.Ah dunno what Ah’d do iff itt was Gawie end me. Struse bob. Ah don’t.
1990 Style July 62‘But it’s — true as Bob — just like that with my relatives. They’re all rich and high up and they wanted f—–all to do with me.’
1992 C.M. Knox tr. of E. Van Heerden’s Mad Dog 137‘Are they very rich?’...‘Yes. Their house is as big as the school.’ ‘You lie.’ ‘Strue’s Bob, just as big.’
1994 Radio Algoa 19 Aug. (advt)‘You lie!’ ‘True’s Bob!’
as true as God, true as God, also strews Guard, stroes God, s’true’s God, ’strue’s God, strues God, struse God, strusgod, true’s God [tr. obsolescent Afrikaans expression so waar as God]:‘really’, ‘truly’; used to emphasize the truth of an assertion. Occasionally shortened to s’trues.
as true as Bob, true as Bob, also ’s’strue’s Bob, ’strue as Bob, ’strue’s Bob, struse Bob, etc., in the same sense.
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19461994
tropsluiter, nounn.Truidjie-roer-my-nie, nounn.
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