"kennetjie" means: A children’s (boy’s) game where a short stick is flipped into the air by a longer stick, batted and hopefully caught by ‘fielders’.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
kennetjie
(South Africa) A children’s (boy’s) game where a short stick is flipped into the air by a longer stick, batted and hopefully caught by ‘fielders’.
Definitions
(South Africa) A children’s (boy’s) game where a short stick is flipped into the air by a longer stick, batted and hopefully caught by ‘fielders’.
The two men are playing a Boer sport called kennetjie, using a length of broomstick as the bat, on which is balanced a small piece of wood that serves as the 'ball'.
"kennetjie" means: A children’s (boy’s) game where a short stick is flipped into the air by a longer stick, batted and hopefully caught by ‘fielders’.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"kennetjie" means: A children’s (boy’s) game where a short stick is flipped into the air by a longer stick, batted and hopefully caught by ‘fielders’.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
Comments
(South Africa) The short stick used in this game.
Instead we played kennetjie in the yard with a small piece of wood, which we flipped with a stick, and struck into the air.
Comments
For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "kennetjie".
⚡About Tech, Dev & AI slang
The vocabulary of software engineers, AI researchers, and anyone living in a terminal or on GitHub — from LLM to MCP, CORS to vibe coding, agentic to enshittification.
See all Tech, Dev & AI slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "kennetjie" (K)
Browse all slang words starting with K.