By Lawrence Enyoghasu
You be mumu! You think say you dey wise?
No, you are not a Mumu, a Nigerian street terminology that means ‘idiot.’ That cannot be you. It is one of the trending slangs on the social media these days. Almost every Youtube or Tick Tok comic video has the slang somewhere in it. Lovers of Nigerian comic videos will agree with the observation; in fact, it is almost impossible to watch any comic video nowadays without hearing it. But lots of people don’t know how it came about.
The statement was made by Alhaji Asari Dokubo, founder of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force. It was culled from a video in which he tongue-lashed many people he regarded as irritants. They include Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum; Charly Boy, Nigerian singer/songwriter, and Founder of “Our Mumu Don Do” social movement and President Muhammadu Buhari.
Before the video’s release, Charly Boy had blasted supporters of the Biafran cause, calling them names. Dokubo, who had an issue with Charly Boy, mocked the musician, following an incident at a rally where Charly Boy was tear-gassed by the Nigeria police. The Niger Delta activist delivered his message in Pidgin English. “Na your mumu nor too much,” he said to an invisible Charly Boy, “You be mumu; you dey call another person mumu. Dem never show you say you be mumu? You be mumu, you think say you dey wise. You are a mumu man!”
E shock you!
This line is usually used by Samuel A. Perry, also known as Broda Shaggi. Shaggi is a Nigerian comedian who uses the expression whenever he is explaining something or answering a question. The answer is usually not just idiotic, but also far off track. That immediately elicits, quite naturally, a look of sheer shock on the enquirer’s face. Broda Shaggi would immediately misinterpret the look. “E shock you.” He would announce with glee. “You no know say I go know am!” Loosely translated, his words mean: “It shocked you! You never imagined I would know the answer!”
Funke!
This is another trending slang that Nigerians often hear from time to time. It originated from a Nigerian-British comedian called Papa Kallem, the father of famous Youtuber, Emma Kallem. It is a statement that came into public discourse when Emma, then 16, played a prank on his father by lying to him that he had impregnated a 14-year-old girl. On hearing the shocking news, his father was said to have begun to call his mother, Funke. He kept screaming: “Funke! Funke!” at a point, he also told his son: “Apostle will hear of this!” He was probably referred to a religious figure somewhere obviously well-known to them.
In online skits today, the expression is used when there is a shocking or incredible action or statement in the skit.
It is perhaps the most popular and widely used in Nigerian comic videos.
There is God o
Patience Jonathan, wife of Nigeria’s former President Goodluck Jonathan is the originator of this slang. But ever since it was made as a slip, it has become popular among Nigerians. It has become a major joke among many comedians. Next to it is “Na only you waka come?” The two statements were inadvertently made when she was speaking on the abduction of 276 Chibok girls on the night of April 15, 2014. The abducted students were all students of Government Girls Secondary School, in the town.
The expressions and several other gaffes she made that evening were made during a meeting between her and the principal of the school. At the meeting, with the principal obviously apprehensive and confused, the then First Lady made her situation worse by throwing a series of embarrassing questions at her. First, Mrs Jonathan she wanted to know whether she came alone or with someone, she asked in Pidgin English: “Na only you waka come?” Referring to the bloodshed going on in Borno State then by Boko Haram insurgents, she spread her hands dejectedly and said: “This blood you’re sharing, chai, chai, there is God o. There is God o, there is God o.” She then burst into tears, wailing uncontrollably on national television. That was how she committed the faux pas being referred to. But it became a common saying among those that watched the video or got to hear about it later.
If you don’t get it, forget about it
This slang emerged from social voice pop conducted by a Reality TV crew. This allegedly happened when a man was asked, during a street interview, to explain the meaning of CV (Curriculum Vitae). He responded that CV is ‘crazy and madness.’ The interviewer persisted by wanting to know from him the meaning of CV. But the man who was not in the mood to say more responded that is ‘CV is a certificate…..you got it? If you don’t get it, forget about it.” And, that was how “You got it? If you don’t get it, forget about it,” became a common saying everywhere and a trending slang in almost every conversation.
Besides the slangs, there are emojis that best represent the messages that Nigerians intend to pass across. They are mostly used to douse matters or to mock. Nigerians even use them on the social media pages of some Nigerian politicians.