Nigerianisms

Aclomitize. I was told I aclomitized very quickly. Otherwise known to us as acclimate. Aclomitize is accented like kilometer, with that accent on the "o". The word is virtually unrecognizable to me when they say it.

For a centennial memorial a building of guest rooms is named “Centinary Block.”

There is a plant in Jos called the “Mineral Benification Plant.” Would the company motto be to benify minerals for capital benefit or where does the benefit part come in.

“You are welcome.” You are welcome. This is what I have heard everywhere I have gone. Every friend of the family and every person who I meet says, “You are welcome.” Not you’re welcome as in thank you and you’re welcome. Not welcome to my home. It is “you are welcome!” or in Hausa it is “Sanno.”

Mamma Putt. Mamma Putt are the “restaurants” of the locals. They may or may not be up to the American sanitary standard. Below is one of them.


The logic behind calling it Mamma Putt is because one can... "come in and sit down and mamma put some food on plate for you.” It is also a mild insult. (Above you see two individuals mashing yam in the courtyard of Mamma Putt's establishment. Below are the pots of food ready to be served.