tsotsi

/ ˈtsɔː-; ˈtsɒtsɪ /

noun

1. a Black street thug or gang member; wide boy

Word History and Origins

Origin of tsotsi¹

C20: perhaps from Nguni tsotsa to dress flashily

Example Sentences

“Ten years ago I paid compensation. I wasn’t even a relative of the man who committed the murder, but I paid. Goré Mtoko’s father demanded ten cattle, one for each of the fingers on his son’s hands. Such a price for a tsotsi whose only skill was to prop open a door!”

From Literature

“I found Katharine’s story fascinating,” says director Gavin Hood, known for the Helen Mirren thriller Eye in the Sky and the acclaimed South African crime drama Tsotsi.

From The Guardian

Adding to the intrigue, Zola Tsotsi, an ANC member who resigned last year as head of the state-owned electricity company, told a local newspaper that his departure was orchestrated by the Guptas.

From Los Angeles Times

Related: South African minister claims wealthy family offered him cabinet post “Two months after the appointment, they called me and said they will have me fired because I am not playing the game,” Zola Tsotsi told the Mail and Guardian weekly newspaper.

From The Guardian

Hood, who directed the Oscar-winning thriller "Tsotsi" and the not-so-thrilling "Rendition," deftly churns up the suspense without diluting the story's unsettling questions.

From Los Angeles Times