vat, verb
/fat/
- Origin:
- AfrikaansShow more Afrikaans, take, get, seize.
1. intransitive. In urban, especially township, English: in the colloquial phrase to vat en sit [see vat en sit noun], to live as husband and wife in a common-law marriage.
[1926 P.W. Laidler Tavern of Ocean 95In the words of the modern person of colour, wives were somarso gevat, taken anyhow.]
1959 L. Longmore Dispossessed 69One informant remarked that any man who wants to be free from worries and to live long should never enter into a marriage contract with any woman, but instead he should just ‘keep’ a woman or vat en sit (as it is expressed in vulgar colloquialism).
2. transitive. In the phrase vat jou goed en trek [from the name of an Afrikaans folk song Vat jou goed en trek, Ferreira take your belongings and go, Ferreira], take your things and be gone; be off with you; good riddance.
1974 Daily Dispatch 2 Dec. 10For those members who don’t contribute.., to those members who walk out before the end of the meetings and to those who don’t even attend meetings, all I can say is vat jou goed en trek.
1989 J. Dowson in Argus 17 Nov. (Tonight) 11He’s looking as sparkling as an Omo-white shirt and grinning as sweetly as a koeksister. The stubble of yore has vat-ed its goed and trekked.
3. transitive. In the colloquial phrase vat hom/ˈfat (h)ɔm/ [Afrikaans, get him, get it (a command to a dog, but also an exhortation to a rugby-player, etc.)], ‘get him’, ‘go for it’: an expression of approval or encouragement, as shouted (often with a name following) to a participant in sport or to a person attempting something daunting; sometimes used ironically, often representing Afrikaans speech.
1980 Cape Times 16 May 3Years ago we had ‘Vat hom Dawie’ — and now we have ‘Hey Morné’, warning the current Springbok captain that the Boks had better donner the Lions.
1991 Weekly Mail 20 Dec. 19The only locally made condom, elegantly entitled ‘Crepe de Chine’ instead of ‘Voortrekker Mark 1’ or ‘Vat hom, Fluffie’ is an option if you’re into penetrating that market.
In the phrase vat jou goed en trek [from the name of an Afrikaans folk song Vat jou goed en trek, Ferreira take your belongings and go, Ferreira],take your things and be gone; be off with you; good riddance.
In the colloquial phrase vat hom/ˈfat (h)ɔm/ [Afrikaans, get him, get it (a command to a dog, but also an exhortation to a rugby-player, etc.)],‘get him’, ‘go for it’: an expression of approval or encouragement, as shouted (often with a name following) to a participant in sport or to a person attempting something daunting; sometimes used ironically, often representing Afrikaans speech.
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