Growing up in Dominica means that there are particular expressions and sayings that one would have been exposed to, that perhaps would not have been encountered elsewhere. As with everything else, colloquial sayings come and go, but the memories that some of these stir up, warm up the soul. Do you know any of these expressions? Indulge in the memories that these conjure and relive past experiences.
‘Bomb a ride’: It was very common for people to walk to and from their homes. Very few people had some means of transportation so others would hitch a ride to their destination. This was referred to as ‘bombing a ride’.
‘Hole-late’: to disembark from a pickup or dumper-truck, the rider would usually hit the top of the cab while yelling, ‘hole-late’. The expression itself is a derivative of the English expression, ‘hold it’. Strung together the words became one word, dropping the hard ‘d’ sound in ‘hold’ and stressing on the second word ‘it’ so that it had a long sound.
‘Bahchay and debahchay’: Whenever someone would stop to give another a ride, it was common to hear, “bahchay de ride” but to alight from the vehicle, the rider would ‘debahchay de ride’.
‘Your mother taller than your father’: Before, women would normally wear a half-slip under a thin or see-through dress or skirt. Sometimes, these undergarments would slip, so that their lacey hem would be protruding. In an attempt at discreetly alerting the lady of her undergarment which on display, she would be told, ‘your mother taller than your father’.
‘Chew-poule’: in order to show one’s annoyance at something or to display an ‘I don’t care’ attitude, an individual would in his/her indignation utter, “chou- poule”. This creole expression translated literally into English means, fowl’s butt. By itself, the translation carries no weight.
‘Waj-ma’: On Saturday mornings, ladies would eagerly go to the market to purchase their fresh produce. Whenever they bought a large amount of a particular item, they would ask for a bonus, which was referred to as a ‘waj-ma’.
‘Bowman clothes’: Clothing used strictly for staying at home was referred to as ‘bowman clothes’.
‘Bobbin speed’: This expression was used to refer to someone who was walking in utmost haste. (A bobbin is a small barrel on which thread was wound up for sewing. When used in a sewing machine the bobbin spins quickly as sewing occurs.) It would have been used like this, “I saw Curtis going up the road, bobbin speed.”
‘Bro-go-dowh’: Clothing received through charity/relief was referred to as ‘bro-go-dowh’. This expression resurfaced for a short time after Hurricane Maria in 2017, when relief supplies were sent to Dominica.
Many of these expressions are not commonly used today, particularly because language evolves as time moves on. These nostalgic terms though can definitely transport the average middle-aged Dominican back in time to what was considered the ‘good ole days’.
