Rick Hoffman Tries to Decode South African Words

Photo Credit: Screenshot from Video

While on the set of London Calling, American actor Rick Hoffman had locals laughing as he tried to guess some everyday South African words.

South Africa (15 October 2025) – What happens when an American actor tries to make sense of South African slang? Pure comedy gold.

“Suits” star Rick Hoffman recently had some South Africans in stitches after taking on a South African words challenge while on the set of London Calling.

In the video, Rick’s friends quiz him on some everyday local terms, and his guesses are off target.

Let’s see what some of these South African words mean, according to Rick.

First up was “robot”. While most South Africans know it means a traffic light, Rick confidently said it describes someone who’s stiff.

Then came “braai”, which he thought meant to “forget about it”. Complete with an unexpected Italian accent.

For “chana”, which locals use to mean “bro” or “buddy”, Rick decided it meant “pretty chana”, (whatever that is).

Things only got funnier when he guessed that “lekker” was “stuff that I drink.” Because he thought it was liquor. “Bakkie” meant “goofy”, and “serviette” was a fancy dessert. At least he got “boot” right, correctly identifying it as a car’s trunk.

And, of course, no local lingo quiz would be complete without the classic “just now” versus “now now” debate.