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park a tiger

To park a tiger is South African slang for vomiting — a vivid, darkly comic image that makes something unpleasant sound almost impressively dramatic.

ˈpɑɹk ə ˈtaɪɡɚ153 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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#1·Apr 28, 2026

To park a tiger is South African slang for vomiting — a vivid, darkly comic image that makes something unpleasant sound almost impressively dramatic. It fits the South African slang tradition of disguising gross moments behind colourful metaphors. The tiger element suggests something wild and uncontrollable escaping, which is... accurate.

He had four too many at the braai and ended up parking a tiger behind the garage.
Origin: Editorial expansion authored on Slangora (model-assisted, hedged).
For parents

Park a tiger means: To park a tiger is South African slang for vomiting - a vivid, darkly comic image that makes something unpleasant sound almost impressively dramatic. It fits the South African slang tradition of. It is mainly South African English and may not be understood outside that context. It has drug-related associations; worth a calm conversation about which side of the topic your teen is on.

For ESL learners

park a tiger means: To park a tiger is South African slang for vomiting - a vivid, darkly comic image that makes something unpleasant sound almost impressively dramatic. It fits the South African. Register: very informal, often derogatory or vulgar. Avoid in formal, business, academic, or polite writing. Even in casual speech the word can offend and is best left out of a learner's active vocabulary. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.

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#2·Apr 27, 2026

(South Africa, slang) To vomit.

Cluster: general
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For specific readers

Park a tiger means: To park a tiger is South African slang for vomiting - a vivid, darkly comic image that makes something unpleasant sound almost impressively dramatic. It fits the South African slang tradition of. It is mainly South African English and may not be understood outside that context. It has drug-related associations; worth a calm conversation about which side of the topic your teen is on.

Why is this section here?

Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.

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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.

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