Green’s Dictionary of Slang

jislaaik! excl.

also jeez-like! yesslik!
[? Jesus; pron. ‘yis-like’]

(S.Afr.) a general excl., the meaning of which varies as to context and the speaker’s mood, usu. surprise, but also annoyance, grievance, dismay.

1960
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2010
D. Marais Hey! Van der Merwe (1961) [caption] Jislaaik! It’s been New Year’s Day for five days now [DSAE].
[SA]Randlords and Rotgut in Gray Theatre Two (1981) 99: Jislaaik, I’ll have thirty shillings deducted from your salaries.
[SA]M. Matshoba ‘My Friend, the Outcast’ Call Me Not A Man 11: Jislaaik Gert! The blerry fools are still sitting!
[SA]M.V. Mzamane Children of Soweto 91: ‘Yesslik!’ he moaned softly.
[SA]P. Slabolepszy ‘Over the Hill’ Mooi Street (1994) 51: Jislaaik-it . . .!
[SA]L. Beake Strollers 21: ‘Jislaaik!’ Abel breathed through his teeth. ‘We thought you was dead!’.
[SA]Z. Wicomb You Can’t Get Lost in Cape Town 43: Jeez-like Auntie man, that’s mos not necessary man.
[UK]S. Jacobs Enemy Within 144: Jislaaik, but he bled a lot.
‘Update’ Gomberg Kite Productions 24 Apr. 🌐 ‘South Africa is Lekker!’ As the plane came in, I looked out the window and exclaimed, ‘Jislaaik! That’s a hang of a mountain, hey!’ Susan looked up sleepily and replied, ‘Jawelnofine.’.
[SA]Mail and Guardian (Johannesburg) 4 Feb. 🌐 But jislaaik I’m suffering from racism exhaustion.
[SA]Mail and Guardian (Johannesburg) 24 May 🌐 Jislaaik my baasie!