The ATM has captured my card

We have decided to post with some of our favourite Ugandan uses of words and turns of phrase, as well as some of our language errors.

"The ATM has captured my card."

"The matoke refuses to leave the spoon."

Matoke is mashed plantain- a staple here.

"Alix, why have you soiled yourself?"

This is what they say when you accidentally get blood on yourself.

"I have failed to deliver this mother."

When the mother's labour is not progressing. 

"They made us go to bible study in college, Imagine!"

"You are most welcome."
A common greeting when arriving somewhere new.

"Do you like peanut butter?" response "Uh ugh"
(really nasally, said the way my 4 year old niece does)

"The woman who went for c-section had a ruptured uterus." response, "eiiiiiiii"

"Those people will have some IV cannulas."

"Could you get us some toilet paper rolls please?" response from hotel receptionist, "Yes please."

Here, someone says please not when making a request, but when granting one. 

"Is this where we catch the the costa to Kampala?" response eyebrow raise

Here, an eyebrow raise means yes- they are not making a suggestative gesture....unless they have long dreadlocks and seem to be familiar with western culture, in which case...

"That evening the wind blew up, the sky grew dark and it what? It rained."

Ugandans love to pose a question and then answer it themselves.

"In Canada, elementary and secondary school are free." response, "Sure?"

"How are youuuuuuuuu?" response "Fine" 

Carolyn and Alix had a Lugandan lesson in Vancouver. At that time they were taught that endaggala means medicine. After 6 weeks here Prossy finally informed us that endaggala actually means banana leaves...daggala is medicine. 

During our Lugandan lesson we also learnt that ebizza means contraction. However, in Lubisu (which is spoken in Mbale) ebizza means pubic hair. Imagine! We say, "To ebizza, to sindica. Ebizza-sindica." (no pubic hair, no pushing, pubic hair-push).