bossies, adjective

/ˈbɔsiːz//ˈbɔsis/
Origin:
AfrikaansShow more Afrikaans, from bosbefok (see bosbefok).
colloquial
Traumatized or crazed as a result of the stress of experiencing military action in a war zone; bosbefok. Also transferred sense.
1979 Informant, Grahamstown (now Makhanda, Eastern Cape)Here’s Richard, this bossies ou I was telling you about — thinks he’s still in the army.
1983 D. Beckett in Frontline Feb. 32What..of all those rumours about troops who went ‘bossies’ — bush mad?
1985 Frontline Aug. 54I don’t know about these guys who are meant to go bossies after service. I don’t know anyone who is really gone in his head because of contacts...Of course, guys who spend long enough living in the bush end up bedonderd, but that’s just normal army befok, it’s not bossies like from war.
1987 Fair Lady 21 Jan. 144The SADF, when in doubt psychologically, reverted to bossies; ‘The ou that knifed his girlfriend? Nooit, he’s okay, a bit bossies but quite lekker basically.’
1987 M. Poland Train to Doringbult 86‘It’s time to go home. I’m getting bossies in this place.’ Andrew laughed ruefully. ‘Like the army.’
1988 Personality 7 Nov. 27The border women share a..horror of becoming women who have gone ‘bossies’ — sans hairbrush, sans make-up and sans the latest range from Foschini.
1991 T. Baron in Sunday Times 5 May 27He never needed to go into the bush to become bossies because he was, surely, born that way. He is very high octane.
Traumatized or crazed as a result of the stress of experiencing military action in a war zone; bosbefok. Also transferred sense.
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idiomatic
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bossiemiddel, nounn.bossiestroop, nounn.
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