Rhodesian (now Zimbabwean) slang for a crocodile, reflecting the animal's low-slung, belly-flat posture in and out of the water. Vivid and pragmatic, typical of the informal lexicon that developed in southern African colonial contexts. Primarily historical and regional, though still heard in Zimbabwe and among older southern African English speakers.
The guide warned us not to wade near the bank — there were flat dogs basking further upstream.
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(Rhodesia, slang) crocodile.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.