Americans have a firm grasp on popular communication mediums such as TV and film.  On of the functions of mass media is transmission of culture and unfortunately a little idiotic Phrase is lodging itself firmly in the vocabulary of the South African people.

The little phrase is off course "rooting for".  Let us just disect this little phrase a bit.  How does one root?  A plant does it by putting growing a root into the ground.  For a human being your roots are in your history.  In Australia it means  having a sexual response to a person.  Great.

Let us then explore what "rooting for" would mean.  Can one plant root for another plant?  No.  Rooting is a solo excercise in plant's life.  Can you have roots for another person?  Nope.  You can only have your own historical background and no other person's.  Finally, can you be sexually aroused on behalf of another person?  I would hope not!

As with many cultural transmisisons from the US, this little phrase was just adopted due to its wide use in the USA and off course its brevity.  So let me coin a few other idiotic phrases.  "Leaf for": get naked;  "Blossom for :" orgasm.  "Wither for" : wish harm.  "Klap for" : physically assault with hand.  "Kill for" : passionately love someone.  "Run for" : provide political support.  "Work for" : being willingly enslaved for a meagre amount.

Let's just think a little bit about our own personal vocabulary?  Do we want to be slaves to the American experience?  Do we rather want to express what it is to be a South African by way of the rich South African lexicon?  Let us not ever, not once, never "root for" something again?