Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (S.Afr.) an Englishman.

1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 28 Feb. 7/1: The young Boers of Stella and Goshen are urgent for war, and profess themselves fully capable of driving the Rooineckes (English) out of the country.
1894		C.E. Finlason A Nobody in Mashonaland 23: This is the Boer’s delicate way of emphasising his regard for the verdomde Rooinek, i.e., d---d redneck, which was the name given to the British soldiers in the late war.
1897		Schluz & Hammar New Africa 397: Rooinek, once a term of bantering endearment, has unfortunately lost its charm, since it has been converted into a term of dislike by the Boers for the foreigner.
1899		G.H. Russell Under the Sjambok 84: Why waste good cartridges on the Rooi Nek? [Ibid.] 108: It is the Rooi Neker or the Hottentot and kafir who have done this.
1900		Marvel XIV:347 July 1: ‘Slaughter the rooinecks!’ called out a heavy voice.
1900		B. Mitford Aletta 47: He did not keep game to be shot by verdomde rooineks, not he.
1903		D. Blackburn Burgher Quixote x: Rooineck (red-neck), a contemptuous name for Englishmen. [Ibid.] 24: Speaking the Taal very well for a Rooinek.
1913		C. Pettman Africanderisms 412: Rooinek Originally a jocose name for an Englishman.
1948		O. Walker Kaffirs are Lively 156: For me to have made the comment would have stamped me instantly as a rooinek.
1963		K. Mackenzie Dragon to Kill 102: The daughter is out riding and meets [...] the young Englishman from the next farm. Grandpa will go mad if he finds out, she says. A rooinek!
1977		(con. 1930s) G. Butler Karoo Morning 99: That a Rooinek should suggest that [...] unleashed a retaliatory stroke.
1996		CyberBraai Lex. at www.matriots.com 🌐 A rooinek is not a good old country boy but a good-natured ribbing name for an Englishman, from South Africa’s early days. Supposedly, it describes an Englishman’s pink complexion on hot, summer days.
2003		‘SA English’ on Joburg.org.za 🌐 Rooinek (pronounced roy-neck) – Taken from the Afrikaans this translates as ‘red neck’, but does not mean the same as it does in the United States. It was first used by Afrikaners many decades ago to refer to Englishmen, because of the way their white necks would turn pink from sunburn. Today it is often used by Afrikaans speakers as a term of affection towards English speakers, as in: ‘Hey rooinek, how are you? I haven’t seen you for a long time.’.
2005		A. Lovejoy Acid Alex 17: They in turn called us Soutpiele and Rooineke.
2011		Mail and Guardian (Johannesburg) 17 May 🌐 They would call us soutpiel, rooinek and all the lovely rest.

2. attrib. use of sense 1.

1903		D. Blackburn Burgher Quixote 147: My Burghers are mostly kerels who can’t play cards Rooinek fashion.
1911		Blackburn & Caddell Secret Service in S. Afr. 7: He found one document to be an offer by Frickkie Oosthuizen (whom he knew and suspected of Rooinek sympathies).
1987		M. Melamu Children of Twilight 41: The cocky rooinek health inspector [...] had condemned the labourers’ quarters.
1990		P.-D. Uys Part Hate Part Love (1994) 28: Those rooinek neighbours across the road.
2006		C. Miller Salt and Honey 202: Ja, a rooinek Bezuidenhout, but toemaar, his heart’s in the right place.