A South African term for abalone — those large, ear-shaped sea snails whose iridescent shells are prized as much as their meat.
A South African term for abalone — those large, ear-shaped sea snails whose iridescent shells are prized as much as their meat. The word comes from Afrikaans and is used colloquially along South Africa's coastline, especially in the Western Cape where abalone harvesting (both legal and, notoriously, illegal poaching) is a major issue. If someone on the Cape coast says they're going to braai some klipkous, they're talking serious coastal cuisine.
The restaurant's menu featured klipkous caught fresh off the Cape coast that morning.
Add your own interpretation of "klipkous".
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with K.
A South African term for a small, dense clay brick — the kind fired hard and used in old-school construction across the Cape. Klompies are known for being tough, compact, and essentially indestructible, which is probably why the word occasionally gets used figuratively to describe someone who's stubby, solid, or unmovable. In the Cape Malay and Afrikaans-influenced communities of South Africa, they're as familiar a material as concrete blocks are elsewhere.
(South Africa) abalone.
A South African term for the giant periwinkle (Turbo sarmaticus), a large edible sea snail found along the South African coastline. The alikreukel is a delicacy and a culturally significant seafood along the Western and Eastern Cape, often prepared simply by boiling or braaiing. It's legally protected in some areas due to overharvesting. The word is firmly South African English via Afrikaans and is unlikely to be understood outside that context.
(South Africa) abalone, ear-shell, ormer.
(South Africa) A small, hard clay brick.