jol, verb

Forms:
jall, jawlShow more Also jall, jawl, joil, jola, joll, jorl.
Origin:
AfrikaansShow more Afrikaans, to make merry.
colloquial
I. intransitive
1. To depart; to hurry; to run; to go (to a place, especially in search of entertainment); to walk. In the phrase to jol around, to stroll or drive about idly, or with the vague intention of finding something interesting to do. See also joller sense 1 and 2 a.
1946 C.P. Wittstock in E. Partridge Dict. of Underworld (1950) 371Let’s jol...Shall we go?
1950 E. Partridge Dict. of Underworld 371Jol, v. To depart; make off: South Africa: C.20.
1970 Olivier & Hinds Informants, Pietersburg (now Polokwane)Let’s jol — let’s go.
1970 J. Stodel Informant, Cape Town, Western CapeI had to jall to catch my bus. To run fast. When spelt joll it means to dance.
1972 R. Malan Ah Big Yaws 25Jawl,..Various meanings attach to this word...It could mean ‘to hurry’.
1974 Blossom in Darling 9 Oct. 95The German band jols off to pastures new.
1974 Informant, Grahamstown (now Makhanda, Eastern Cape)Ag, we sommer jorled around town.
1979 Blossom in Darling 16 May 131He jols up to me where I’m lurking behind this potted parm-tree [sic] trying to make like a coconut.
1984 W. Stevenson in Sunday Times 29 Jan. (Life Style) 9Most of the time we just jorl to the ’Brow and suss the scene out.
1985 P. Slabolepszy Sat. Night at Palace 41I’m jolling out the back door I hear this one hell of a scream.
1986 Crux Aug. 43He jols up to King Saul and tunes him: ‘Never fear, I’m near.’
1990 R. Malan My Traitor’s Heart 52If you were brave, you could jol to a shebeen in Soweto...You could jol to Zoo Lake on a Sunday afternoon to laze on the greensward.., and you could jol to Swaziland.
2. To flirt; to have a love affair; to be in love; to make love. See also jolling sense 1.
1969 J. Mbongwe in Post 5 Oct. 5 (letter)Is love and ‘jolling’ the same thing?..Let me advise our girls who go around ‘jolling’ with every Tom, Dick and Harry...You’ll hear most girls say: ‘I love nobody. I only “jol”’...You will not be good housewives because you have wasted your time ‘jolling’.
1969 S. Motloung in Post 7 Dec. 9 (letter)Mr. Mpongwe..does not know the meaning of the word ‘jol’. The word simply means ‘to be in love.’ It is a slang word.
1979 F. Ntuli in Staffrider Vol.2 No.3, 9‘If we do not hate each other why don’t we jola? People who love each other...’ and then she was in his arms.
1988 Adams & Suttner William Str. 17The other sister started jolling with the manager of the bioscope and they ran away together.
3. To make merry; to revel; to ‘party’; to dance; to go out on the town. See also joller sense 2 a, jolling sense 2, mal sense 2.
1970 E.J. Le Roux Informant, Bellville, Western CapeJol. The coloured people use this word meaning to have fun or a party.
1970 M. Burger Informant, Pietersburg (now Polokwane)We were jolling around at the café (having a good time).
1978 Darling 26 Apr. 16Jagger jolls while Bianca broods.
1980 Cape Times 12 Sept. 4At weekends the gang members would ‘jol’ (amuse themselves), sometimes by looking for enemy gangs to fight.
1985 Fair Lady 18 Sept. 38When I tackled him he..asked me where I thought the relationship was going — he wanted to ‘jol’ and be free.
1987 Cosmopolitan Apr. 28 (caption)David Kramer, whose musical District Six (co-written with Taliep Petersen) is going to make South Africans jol as never before.
1990 J. Michell in Style Nov. 62Everyone goes on to clubs and pubs where they jol till it is seriously late.
1990 Weekly Mail 20 Dec. 49Time to jol — and there’s plenty happening..to get you through the festive season.
1993 A. Dodd in Weekly Mail 4 June 10He spent some of the cash jolling and reinvested the rest in stock.
1993 Weekly Mail & Guardian 10 Dec. 42It was time to jol, to lighten up.
4. To tease; to joke; to play.
1970 Informant, Grahamstown (now Makhanda, Eastern Cape)I’m only jolling man.
1970 Olivier & Hinds Informants, Pietersburg (now Polokwane)Let’s jol with the ball.
1973 Informant, Grahamstown (now Makhanda, Eastern Cape)Let’s jol on the lawn, rather.
II. transitive and reflexive (rare).
5. transitive. To play (a game). See also joller sense 3.
1970 Informant, EdenvaleLet’s joll soccer.
1981 Cape Times 28 Dec. 9These holiday jollers..jorl Asteroids and Puckman..or gooi a line without any bait in our muddy waters.
6. transitive. To court (someone); to make love to (someone). See also jolling sense 1.
1978 A. Essop Hajji 27If any of you rich Indian bastards try to joll my wife I will put a knife into your guts.
1978 A. Essop Hajji 38Asif began visiting Maimuna rather too often..and Myrtle declared that Asif was ‘jolling his second mother’.
7. reflexive. To entertain (oneself).
1993 S. Garratt in Cape Argus 12 Aug. (Tonight) 6Make your mark for peace this weekend. Jol yourself in sublime harmony with the world.
To depart; to hurry; to run; to go (to a place, especially in search of entertainment); to walk. In the phrase to jol around, to stroll or drive about idly, or with the vague intention of finding something interesting to do.
To flirt; to have a love affair; to be in love; to make love.
To make merry; to revel; to ‘party’; to dance; to go out on the town.
To tease; to joke; to play.
To play (a game).
To court (someone); to make love to (someone).
To entertain (oneself).
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19461993