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#SoCS

#SoCS The similarities and differences between yum and lekker

All those yum (lekker in South Africa) foods prepared for the Christmas table – I just bet that this was your first thought upon reading this prompt. In this part of the world “yum” invariably expresses appreciation, eagerness and anticipation for great tasting food. Invariably we substitute yum for “lekker”, and the same food is eagerly appreciated or anticipated by referring to the lekker food.

Everybody knows exactly what is meant when we talk about yum or lekker food – the taste, the texture, the aroma, the blend of spices and the presentation are all included in this expression. Yum, or lekker means that everything about the food is just about perfect.

Lekker has a wider meaning though. Lekker also includes the ambience of the location where the food is consumed, the delight in the presence of family and friends joined in companionship, the jokes and general conversation, and the sheer joy of togetherness. I suppose that yum could also be useful to describe a party or any other fun occasion, but I’ve never heard that around here. Do you use yum in this way?

Lekker is such a versatile word and is also used in the following ways (just some examples):

  • Lekker weather: good weather – sunny and just warm enough to enjoy the day on the beach
  • Lekker waves: just right for surfing
  • Lekker wet: welcome rain after a long drought
  • Lekker scary movie: a horror film doing justice to the memory of Alfred Hitchcock
  • Lekker funeral: the service and ceremonies were suited to the occasion, lots of people attended, sufficient tears have flowed and the food was delicious
  • Lekker skelm (cunning /crooked): said either in admiration or in disgust of the personality trait referred to
  • Lekker drunk: absolutely blitzed, sloshed, pickled – dead drunk
  • Lekker girl: not always a compliment, or often not at all, depending on the circumstances

By the way, lekker has officially been included in the Oxford Dictionary as part of the informal English language. See my blog below:

I hope everybody has enjoyed a lekker Christmas. I trust you enjoyed all the lekker festivities. The featured photo is of this year’s yum trifle – the bigger one for the family, and the smaller bowl for the neighbours because a lekker Christmas also means caring and sharing.


Linda said: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “yum.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

To see the rules for this weekly challenge and all the entries for Saturday 25 December 2021, visit Linda G Hill our gracious host for these challenges, where you will also find links to blogs added by other participants.

To see all my SoCS entries on this website, follow this link.

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11 Comments

  1. Dear Hester, Merry Christmas! Again there is a problem with mail, so I hope next year it will be possible to re-start our mailing tradition. I wish your family & you Merry Christmas & happy New Year. May 2022 be Lekker in all its senses for you!
    Keep in touch!
    Maria πŸŽ„πŸŽ‰πŸ°πŸ°πŸ°πŸ₯‚βœ¨πŸ˜Š Cin-cin!

    • Comment by post author

      HesterLeyNel

      Thank you Maria. Yes, our official government postal services are slowly strangling and agencies are closing down. New couriers have started up nationally, all doing very well, and the older ones are expanding their services to include international deliveries. Since the event of covid, however, the international services are choked by the travel and import / export bans. Our very best wishes to you for a lekker beautiful Christmas and lekker prosperous 2022. πŸŽ„πŸŽ‹βœ¨

      • 😊😊😊πŸ₯‚πŸ° I’m glad that restrictions have brought some positive changes for you, dear Hester! Thank you for your wishes!

  2. As die twee jongmense begin uitgaan, praat hull oor die weer: “Dit is lekker weer, nΓ¨?”

    Later as hulle mekaar beter ken: “Dit was weer lekker, nΓ¨?”

  3. Lekker wins the day!

  4. Alles lekker jummy! Goed te hoor lekker is tog lekker in die Eng woordeboek! Mooi feestyd verder vir jou en jou mense.

  5. Lekker, my gunsteling woord. Kuier heerlik met jou krose.