Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. splendid, first-rate, ‘posh’.

1965, 1970		informants in DSAE (1996).
1975		J.H. Picard in Eng. Usage in Sn Afr. VI:1 36: If everything is in order they will feel bakgat (fine) [DSAE].
1982		P. Slabolepszy Sat. Night at the Palace (1985) 18: Vince. (fondling his boots) Bakgat, hey? Fibreglass bottoms. West Germany wore these things in the last World Cup.
1984		P. Slabolepszy ‘Under the Oaks’ in Mooi Street (1994) 7: richard: Absolutely superb. corky: Bakgat.
1992		D. Evans in Sun. Times 17 May 26: Neither of them have the kind of bakgat confidence you might expect from the top contenders. Both are expecting an epic duel in this year’s up-run [DSAE].
2006		C. Miller Salt and Honey 156: Jis-man, he’d been bakgat; more daring even than James Bond.
2008		Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg) 26 Aug. 🌐 Suid Africa is nie a bakgat land nie! The taxi mafia need to clearly and undebatably understand this.

2. as excl. of approval, pleasure etc.

1969		A. Fugard Boesman and Lena Act I: Boesman’s alright. Two bottles and a pondokkie. Bakgat!
1989		Sun. Times 15 Jan. 9: Johan leant against the wooden balustrade. ‘Now imagine having a sundowner here with this view, eh?’ ‘Bakgat!’ Clearly Stoffel could imagine [DSAE].
1992		S. Gurknecht in Sun. Times 19 Apr. (Mag. Sect.) 28: Entertainer David Kramer thinks bakgat is great. ‘It’s totally expressive,’ he says. ‘It defines a feeling of exhilaration and carries far more weight than a word like amazing.’ [DSAE].
1997		J. Suzman Free State (2000) 49: Karlotta (shows it) Bakgat! (To Pik) The top card please, again.
2010		‘Lekker Language Tips for Visitors’ in IOL News Online 12 Oct. 🌐 Bakgat — cool expression of appreciation for something very well accomplished.