The Fit-ish Global Decoder

Kenyanisms, Colombian Spanish and other expressions collected along the journey—with a little gym, swimming, travel, food and Garmin lingo thrown in.

Updated through Week Fifteen.

From Kenya

From Kenya
Expression	Origin	Meaning	The Fit-ish interpretation
At our big age	Colloquial Kenyan English	At our age—usually said with humour about being old enough to know better	Old enough to need a warm-up; apparently not old enough to stop volunteering for leg day.
Biashara	Kiswahili	Business or trade	Proof that I might have entered the shop for commercial reasons before being told, “No size!”
Chapati	Kiswahili/East African food term	A layered flatbread	A curl-up-and-chill-week craving with no interest in step goals.
Chevda	Popular East African snack	A savoury, spiced snack mix	Crunchy evidence that appetite does not respect fitness deadlines.
Cucu	Kikuyu	Grandmother	The woman you visit with nyama choma in hand and grandchildren in tow.
Dawa	Kiswahili	Medicine; in this context, a hot drink made with water, lemon, ginger and honey	The Kenyan answer to jet lag, exhaustion and anything else standing between me and the kettle.
Ehe?	Kenyan conversational expression	Well? So? What is the update?	The opening word in every unsolicited progress report: “Ehe, how many kilos down?”
Eish!	Southern African expression, widely used in Kenya	Frustration, surprise or disbelief	Four workouts, thousands of steps—and the scale has absolutely nothing to say.
Kama mbaya, mbaya	Kiswahili/Sheng usage	If it goes badly, let it go badly	We have already ordered dessert. We may as well commit.
Kumbe	Kiswahili	So it turns out; apparently	Kumbe, 10,000 steps a day is not a myth.
Kwa ground, vitu ni different	Kiswahili/Sheng-English blend	Things are different in reality	It looked much easier when the workout existed only in the plan.
Mkono / Mguu / Mbavu	Kiswahili	Arm / leg / ribs	The Road House nyama choma approach to anatomy—simple, familiar and no diagram required.
Nani kama mimi?	Kiswahili	Who else but me?	Apparently, I volunteered for Pilates.
Nyama choma	Kiswahili	Roasted or grilled meat	A perfectly reasonable threat to any weight-loss plan.
Sisemi kitu	Kiswahili	I am saying nothing	The official response when questions about a husband’s compensation become too specific.
Sisi Ndio Sifuna	Kenyan political slogan	“We are Sifuna”; a campaign slogan	Another treasured Kenyan T-shirt holding its own among strategic ponytails and matching activewear.
Wueh!	Kenyan expression	Shock, exhaustion or disbelief	The official sound of discovering muscles you did not know existed.

At our big age
Origin
Colloquial Kenyan English
Meaning
At our age—usually said with humour about being old enough to know better
The Fit-ish interpretation
Old enough to need a warm-up; apparently not old enough to stop volunteering for leg day.
Biashara
Origin
Kiswahili
Meaning
Business or trade
The Fit-ish interpretation
Proof that I might have entered the shop for commercial reasons before being told, “No size!”
Chapati
Origin
Kiswahili/East African food term
Meaning
A layered flatbread
The Fit-ish interpretation
A curl-up-and-chill-week craving with no interest in step goals.
Chevda
Origin
Popular East African snack
Meaning
A savoury, spiced snack mix
The Fit-ish interpretation
Crunchy evidence that appetite does not respect fitness deadlines.
Cucu
Origin
Kikuyu
Meaning
Grandmother
The Fit-ish interpretation
The woman you visit with nyama choma in hand and grandchildren in tow.
Dawa
Origin
Kiswahili
Meaning
Medicine; in this context, a hot drink made with water, lemon, ginger and honey
The Fit-ish interpretation
The Kenyan answer to jet lag, exhaustion and anything else standing between me and the kettle.
Ehe?
Origin
Kenyan conversational expression
Meaning
Well? So? What is the update?
The Fit-ish interpretation
The opening word in every unsolicited progress report: “Ehe, how many kilos down?”
Eish!
Origin
Southern African expression, widely used in Kenya
Meaning
Frustration, surprise or disbelief
The Fit-ish interpretation
Four workouts, thousands of steps—and the scale has absolutely nothing to say.
Kama mbaya, mbaya
Origin
Kiswahili/Sheng usage
Meaning
If it goes badly, let it go badly
The Fit-ish interpretation
We have already ordered dessert. We may as well commit.
Kumbe
Origin
Kiswahili
Meaning
So it turns out; apparently
The Fit-ish interpretation
Kumbe, 10,000 steps a day is not a myth.
Kwa ground, vitu ni different
Origin
Kiswahili/Sheng-English blend
Meaning
Things are different in reality
The Fit-ish interpretation
It looked much easier when the workout existed only in the plan.
Mkono / Mguu / Mbavu
Origin
Kiswahili
Meaning
Arm / leg / ribs
The Fit-ish interpretation
The Road House nyama choma approach to anatomy—simple, familiar and no diagram required.
Nani kama mimi?
Origin
Kiswahili
Meaning
Who else but me?
The Fit-ish interpretation
Apparently, I volunteered for Pilates.
Nyama choma
Origin
Kiswahili
Meaning
Roasted or grilled meat
The Fit-ish interpretation
A perfectly reasonable threat to any weight-loss plan.
Sisemi kitu
Origin
Kiswahili
Meaning
I am saying nothing
The Fit-ish interpretation
The official response when questions about a husband’s compensation become too specific.
Sisi Ndio Sifuna
Origin
Kenyan political slogan
Meaning
“We are Sifuna”; a campaign slogan
The Fit-ish interpretation
Another treasured Kenyan T-shirt holding its own among strategic ponytails and matching activewear.
Wueh!
Origin
Kenyan expression
Meaning
Shock, exhaustion or disbelief
The Fit-ish interpretation
The official sound of discovering muscles you did not know existed.

From Colombia and the Rest of the World

From Colombia and the Rest of the World
Expression	Origin	Meaning	The Fit-ish interpretation
Abductor	Anatomy and gym terminology	A muscle that moves a limb away from the body’s midline; the machine works the outer hips and thighs	Not a typo, not the same muscle and unfortunately another opportunity to ache.
Abuela	Spanish	Grandmother	The lady enjoying the Ciclovía while you are still negotiating with your knees.
Adductor	Anatomy and gym terminology	A muscle that pulls a limb towards the body’s midline; the machine works the inner thighs	Close the legs and open negotiations with previously unknown muscles.
Barre	French; adopted into fitness terminology	“Bar”; also a ballet-inspired full-body workout	In my head, I am a ballerina. In the mirror, I am negotiating with gravity.
Blue steak	Culinary terminology	Steak seared very briefly on the outside and left extremely rare inside	Introduced to the pan for a few seconds and served while you can still hear the cow mooing.
Breaststroker’s knee	Swimming terminology	Knee pain associated with the breaststroke kick	Another kind of pain I do not need at my big age.
Ciclovía	Spanish; strongly associated with Bogotá’s Sunday tradition	In Bogotá, streets reserved for walking, cycling, skating and recreation	Bogotá’s weekly reminder that the entire city is fitter than you.
Circadian rhythm	Sleep and biology terminology	The body’s internal 24-hour clock, which helps regulate sleeping and waking	The system Hubby tried to reset with sunlight, movement and an entirely unwelcome leg day.
Deltoid	Anatomy and gym terminology	The large muscle covering the shoulder	A newly discovered body part and an excellent seven-letter Scrabble word.
Dumbbell	Gym terminology	A short handheld weight	Not a kettlebell—and I now know the difference. Basically, I am almost a professional.
Esta es mi esposa, salúdala	Spanish	“This is my wife—say hello to her”	How an ordinary Uber ride becomes a guest appearance in someone else’s family video call.
Exercise-aholic	Informal fitness wordplay	Someone who exercises excessively or appears addicted to working out	The mysterious person whose post-workout high gets them back to the gym without negotiations.
Freestyle	Swimming terminology	Here, front crawl—the stroke I swim most often	My chosen method of crossing the pool before my appetite reaches the bakery.
Fruver	Colombian Spanish	A shop selling fresh fruit and vegetables	Where healthy intentions begin before the panadería interferes.
Glutes	Anatomy and gym terminology	The muscles of the buttocks	Apparently, professionals do not simply call them bums.
Hand paddles	Swimming terminology	Devices worn on the hands to increase resistance	Assistance with speed; absolutely no assistance with post-swim hunger.
Jozi	South African nickname	An informal name for Johannesburg	The city where I discovered that steak can apparently be blue.
Kettlebell	Gym terminology	A handled weight used for strength and conditioning exercises	Evidence that I can now identify equipment without calling for adult supervision.
Leg day	Gym terminology	A workout focused on the lower body	Squats, lunges and a carefully planned approach to sitting down the next day.
Panadería	Spanish	Bakery	The place you walk to for exercise—and return from carrying bread.
Power Boxing	Fitness terminology	A high-energy, boxing-inspired cardio workout using punches, kicks and footwork, usually without physical contact	Forty-five minutes, approximately 400 calories and one imaginary opponent thoroughly defeated.
REM sleep	Sleep terminology	A stage of sleep associated with dreaming, memory and emotional processing	The part Garmin says improves when I move more, drink less and stop eating late.
Tumble turn	Swimming terminology	An underwater somersault at the pool wall to change direction	Some swimmers turn gracefully. I tap the wall and protect my street credibility.
Upper-body day	Gym terminology	A workout focused on the chest, back, shoulders and arms	Giving the legs a break while introducing the rest of me to the complaints department.

Abductor
Origin
Anatomy and gym terminology
Meaning
A muscle that moves a limb away from the body’s midline; the machine works the outer hips and thighs
The Fit-ish interpretation
Not a typo, not the same muscle and unfortunately another opportunity to ache.
Abuela
Origin
Spanish
Meaning
Grandmother
The Fit-ish interpretation
The lady enjoying the Ciclovía while you are still negotiating with your knees.
Adductor
Origin
Anatomy and gym terminology
Meaning
A muscle that pulls a limb towards the body’s midline; the machine works the inner thighs
The Fit-ish interpretation
Close the legs and open negotiations with previously unknown muscles.
Barre
Origin
French; adopted into fitness terminology
Meaning
“Bar”; also a ballet-inspired full-body workout
The Fit-ish interpretation
In my head, I am a ballerina. In the mirror, I am negotiating with gravity.
Blue steak
Origin
Culinary terminology
Meaning
Steak seared very briefly on the outside and left extremely rare inside
The Fit-ish interpretation
Introduced to the pan for a few seconds and served while you can still hear the cow mooing.
Breaststroker’s knee
Origin
Swimming terminology
Meaning
Knee pain associated with the breaststroke kick
The Fit-ish interpretation
Another kind of pain I do not need at my big age.
Ciclovía
Origin
Spanish; strongly associated with Bogotá’s Sunday tradition
Meaning
In Bogotá, streets reserved for walking, cycling, skating and recreation
The Fit-ish interpretation
Bogotá’s weekly reminder that the entire city is fitter than you.
Circadian rhythm
Origin
Sleep and biology terminology
Meaning
The body’s internal 24-hour clock, which helps regulate sleeping and waking
The Fit-ish interpretation
The system Hubby tried to reset with sunlight, movement and an entirely unwelcome leg day.
Deltoid
Origin
Anatomy and gym terminology
Meaning
The large muscle covering the shoulder
The Fit-ish interpretation
A newly discovered body part and an excellent seven-letter Scrabble word.
Dumbbell
Origin
Gym terminology
Meaning
A short handheld weight
The Fit-ish interpretation
Not a kettlebell—and I now know the difference. Basically, I am almost a professional.
Esta es mi esposa, salúdala
Origin
Spanish
Meaning
“This is my wife—say hello to her”
The Fit-ish interpretation
How an ordinary Uber ride becomes a guest appearance in someone else’s family video call.
Exercise-aholic
Origin
Informal fitness wordplay
Meaning
Someone who exercises excessively or appears addicted to working out
The Fit-ish interpretation
The mysterious person whose post-workout high gets them back to the gym without negotiations.
Freestyle
Origin
Swimming terminology
Meaning
Here, front crawl—the stroke I swim most often
The Fit-ish interpretation
My chosen method of crossing the pool before my appetite reaches the bakery.
Fruver
Origin
Colombian Spanish
Meaning
A shop selling fresh fruit and vegetables
The Fit-ish interpretation
Where healthy intentions begin before the panadería interferes.
Glutes
Origin
Anatomy and gym terminology
Meaning
The muscles of the buttocks
The Fit-ish interpretation
Apparently, professionals do not simply call them bums.
Hand paddles
Origin
Swimming terminology
Meaning
Devices worn on the hands to increase resistance
The Fit-ish interpretation
Assistance with speed; absolutely no assistance with post-swim hunger.
Jozi
Origin
South African nickname
Meaning
An informal name for Johannesburg
The Fit-ish interpretation
The city where I discovered that steak can apparently be blue.
Kettlebell
Origin
Gym terminology
Meaning
A handled weight used for strength and conditioning exercises
The Fit-ish interpretation
Evidence that I can now identify equipment without calling for adult supervision.
Leg day
Origin
Gym terminology
Meaning
A workout focused on the lower body
The Fit-ish interpretation
Squats, lunges and a carefully planned approach to sitting down the next day.
Panadería
Origin
Spanish
Meaning
Bakery
The Fit-ish interpretation
The place you walk to for exercise—and return from carrying bread.
Power Boxing
Origin
Fitness terminology
Meaning
A high-energy, boxing-inspired cardio workout using punches, kicks and footwork, usually without physical contact
The Fit-ish interpretation
Forty-five minutes, approximately 400 calories and one imaginary opponent thoroughly defeated.
REM sleep
Origin
Sleep terminology
Meaning
A stage of sleep associated with dreaming, memory and emotional processing
The Fit-ish interpretation
The part Garmin says improves when I move more, drink less and stop eating late.
Tumble turn
Origin
Swimming terminology
Meaning
An underwater somersault at the pool wall to change direction
The Fit-ish interpretation
Some swimmers turn gracefully. I tap the wall and protect my street credibility.
Upper-body day
Origin
Gym terminology
Meaning
A workout focused on the chest, back, shoulders and arms
The Fit-ish interpretation
Giving the legs a break while introducing the rest of me to the complaints department.

Recurring Fit-ish Speak

Recurring Fit-ish Speak
Expression	Origin	Meaning	The Fit-ish interpretation
Accountability committee	Fit-ish expression	Everyone now invested in the journey	Friends, readers, Garmin Dearest and, as of Week Nine, one husband.
Baby check	Fit-ish expression	Partial progress towards a goal	Not quite 10,000 steps a day, but close enough to clap enthusiastically.
Consistency badge	Fit-ish achievement	Recognition for repeatedly showing up and meeting movement goals	Worn proudly one week, then packed away when the routine missed the flight.
Garmin Dearest	Fit-ish nickname	My fitness watch and unofficial accountability partner	Records the evidence, awards the badges and refuses to accept creative accounting.
Pre-travel jet lag	Fit-ish expression	The brain fog, fatigue and lethargy that arrive before a long-haul flight has even departed	Apparently, thinking about packing and airport security can exhaust me in advance.
Structured workout	Fitness terminology	A planned exercise session rather than incidental movement	Movement organised enough to count—and serious enough to provoke a formal complaint.
Travel-proof routine	Fit-ish expression	A workout plan that can survive hotels, conferences, jet lag and the absence of the perfect gym or pool	Resistance bands, saved workout videos and twenty protected minutes—because the plan must travel too.

Accountability committee
Origin
Fit-ish expression
Meaning
Everyone now invested in the journey
The Fit-ish interpretation
Friends, readers, Garmin Dearest and, as of Week Nine, one husband.
Baby check
Origin
Fit-ish expression
Meaning
Partial progress towards a goal
The Fit-ish interpretation
Not quite 10,000 steps a day, but close enough to clap enthusiastically.
Consistency badge
Origin
Fit-ish achievement
Meaning
Recognition for repeatedly showing up and meeting movement goals
The Fit-ish interpretation
Worn proudly one week, then packed away when the routine missed the flight.
Garmin Dearest
Origin
Fit-ish nickname
Meaning
My fitness watch and unofficial accountability partner
The Fit-ish interpretation
Records the evidence, awards the badges and refuses to accept creative accounting.
Pre-travel jet lag
Origin
Fit-ish expression
Meaning
The brain fog, fatigue and lethargy that arrive before a long-haul flight has even departed
The Fit-ish interpretation
Apparently, thinking about packing and airport security can exhaust me in advance.
Structured workout
Origin
Fitness terminology
Meaning
A planned exercise session rather than incidental movement
The Fit-ish interpretation
Movement organised enough to count—and serious enough to provoke a formal complaint.
Travel-proof routine
Origin
Fit-ish expression
Meaning
A workout plan that can survive hotels, conferences, jet lag and the absence of the perfect gym or pool
The Fit-ish interpretation
Resistance bands, saved workout videos and twenty protected minutes—because the plan must travel too.

Spotted an expression you don’t recognise?

Visit the Fit-ish Global Decoder—where Kenyanisms, Colombian Spanish and intimidating fitness terms are translated into something resembling English.

If I have missed one, send it to me and I’ll add it to the Decoder.