What it means
South African slang for partying, having a good time, or the whole lively event itself. You can jol on the weekend, go jol with your mates, or call the night a jol if it popped off nicely. It covers anything from a chilled braai to a messy all-nighter with zero shame and blurry receipts.
Usage examples
"We had a jol at Dave's place Friday that started as a quiet braai and ended with someone doing karaoke on the roof at 3 AM while the neighbours filmed."
"Cape Town in December is one massive jol, the beaches are packed, the bars stay open till the sun comes back over the mountain and nobody works between Christmas and New Year, really nobody."
"Saturday was a proper jol at the rugby, we got there for the warm-up, stayed for two boerewors rolls and ended the night dancing on the lawn outside the stadium with strangers from Pretoria."
"We're not doing anything hectic, just a small house jol after the match, so pull through if you're keen."
"Eish, that birthday turned into a full jol hey, I only went for one drink and got home when the birds started clocking in."
Where it comes from
From Afrikaans jol, meaning to party, have fun, or mess about in a lively way. Afrikaans got it from Dutch jolen. In South African English it settled in beautifully and now covers the whole good-vibes circus, from a casual braai mission to a full send night out.
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