Meanings
- no pluralA tree native to southern Africa of species Ziziphus mucronata.
... The Zulu name (Nat) strikes a more ironical note in its translation—"come-and-I'll-kiss-you"—obviously prompted by that same tenacity of embrace. ...
(Can we date this quote?), Christo Albertyn Smith, Common Names of South African Plants, published 1966, page 1131 more example
... — hence the name 'wag-'n-bietjie' (Afrikaans for 'wait a bit') and the English vernacular name sometimes used: 'come-and-I'll-kiss-you'. The small, greenish, spreading flowers are grouped in clusters. ...
1970, Nasionale Opvoedkundige Uitgewery, Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa, Capetown, volume 2, page 365Synonyms: buffalo thorn, wait-a-bit, wait-a-minute
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA tree native to southern Africa of species Ziziphus mucronata.
Origin
From its sharp stipular thorns growing in pairs along its branches, one straight and one recurved. The plant "kissing you" refers to when someone brushes past or "comes" in contact with the thorns, the straight thorn gently catches their clothing or skin and pulls it inward. Pulling away or backing out, the recurved thorn digs deeper and trapping them.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
come-and-I'll-kiss-you. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/come-and-I'll-kiss-you
“come-and-I'll-kiss-you.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/come-and-I'll-kiss-you. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “come-and-I'll-kiss-you,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/come-and-I'll-kiss-you.
Source: come-and-I'll-kiss-you on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.