“I know one tappet like that” – Exploring a South African stereotype

The word “tappet” – used to refer to a person or their behaviour or culture – doesn’t have quite the same cachet as that which has been ascribed to “zef” in the last decade and a half. While similar to “zef,” unlike that term, “tappet” is not (yet?) one which people use to construct a self-identity. Initially a designation for petrolkoppe, the targets of the derision involved in the use of the term also include social class, ethnic or language background, and levels of intelligence or social sophistication.