“Who Dey Breet” & 2 Other Hype-Slangs That’ll Enliven Your Greetings This Holiday Season
For many, the Christmas season is a time of reunion with family and friends you may not have seen in a while. Here, we share three African slangs to help you express excitement and hype up your loved ones when you see them.
A greeting is more than just a greeting—it’s an opportunity to show someone how you feel about them. Unfortunately, some people fritter away this opportunity.
But you’re not those people. You don’t give a lackluster “hi,” “hello,” or “hey” to a loved one. You make a dramatic entry that brightens their day and makes them go wild! Something along this line:
Agreed, this approach is only suitable for some and all occasions. That’s why we’ve rounded up a few African slangs that’ll help you hype up your loved ones and put an exciting spin on your greetings this holiday season.
Usually, we’d share one slang only per article. But in the spirit of Christmas—and its accompanying gift-giving tradition—we bring you three hype words.
Who Dey Breet?
“Who dey breet” literally means “Who is breathing.” According to Slang.net, “It is used to call attention to a breathtaking moment, by suggesting that everyone should be so awestruck that they are unable to breathe.” Davido, the Nigerian Afrobeats superstar, is credited with coining the phrase.
The world-famous artist first used “Who dey breet” in response to seeing fellow Nigerian Artists, Wizkid and Burna Boy win at the 2021 Grammys. Upon hearing the news, Davido tweeted, “Who Dey breeeeeeeeeeeet.” And that’s how “who dey breet” has been in common parlance ever since.
At a basic level, “who dey breet” indicates excitement. So you can use it without celebrating a Grammy win. Feel free to scream “who they breet,” upon sighting an old friend.
E Choke
Translated literally, “E Choke” means “It Chokes.” And it’s an exclamatory remark that expresses shock or extreme (pleasant) surprise. Put another way, you say, “e choke,” when you’ve had an experience so shocking, you choked on air, saliva, or something else.
Like “who dey breet,” this slang was also coined by Davido. In fact, it was a precursor to “who dey breet.”
The hip-hop artist first introduced the phrase to the world via his Twitter in 2020. After a fan tweeted that Davido’s album was the hottest gbedu (meaning song ) at the moment, Davido responded, saying, “e choke.”
E choke https://t.co/3lfgB0CgLT
— Davido (@davido) December 16, 2020
“E Choke” is often used to express appreciation for beauty, as in this example:
Starting our day with some African beauties!
— Legit.ng | Leading the way (@legitngnews) December 15, 2022
Erica and Adesua looked fabulous at the Far From Home movie Premiere.
E choke♥️♥️
📷: @EricaNlewedim @AdesuaEtomiW #legitpost #legitng #FarFromHome #Nollywood #thursdayvibes pic.twitter.com/6NVSgaJrJz
So when your little cousin dons an outfit, waste no time— scream, “E Choke!”
E Restrict My Airflow
“E restrict my airflow” is a variant of “E Choke” made up by Wizkid, another Afrobeats superstar. Another popular variant of “e restrict my airflow” is “e clog my airspace.”
These slangs mean the same thing and can be used interchangeably. In fact, all the three major slangs we shared in this article, can be used synonymously.
Now, go ahead and hit your loved ones with a mix of “Ahn ahn, E Choke!” “Who dey breeeeet!” “E restrict my airflow!” And “E clog my airspace.”
Happy Holidays!
