Keromak128 wrote: "Ok here is a phrase I was always interested in the meaning of...
"Fire de a mus mus tail and take a cool breeze."
Most of your confusion lie's in one definition:
mus mus tail = a mouse's tail
The phrase, as I understand it, is used to describe a foolishly relaxed and contented attitude ("take a cool breeze") when faced with certain and imminent danger.
Ites,
J
"No guns. No bayonets. Strictly telepathic."
-Brigadier Jerry
palaver is from the latin.
same as Spanish palabra, french parler.
Some archaic english still is used in Jamaican and west indian english in general as in most of the 'colonies' - and yes even Ireland
" the sleng teng ridim " is a rhythm created by, i think it was wayne smith. it was created on a casio keyboard. in the sleng teng song he is singing of herb. i think some of the lyrics went something like dis > in a me eyes it red like blood / and its moving around like a human flood / smoke in mih mouth / and out mih nose / and mih blow it in dih air 'cause it must expose / under mih sleng teng mih under me sleng teng / under mih sleng teng mih under mih. a version of the song was later done by barrington livi, called under mih sensi. seen ? so while sleng teng in patois do mean slim thing or slim lady, the artist named his rhythm the sleng teng ridim and then wrap the ridim in herb smoking lyrics. seen ?
" the sleng teng ridim " is a rhythm created by, i think it was wayne smith. so while sleng teng in patois do mean slim thing or slim lady, the artist named his rhythm the sleng teng ridim and then wrap the ridim in herb smoking lyrics. seen ?
This is the first explanation that makes any sense to me. I've always wondered about those lyrics. So, he's saying he's under the riddim...but the song's about herb. Makes sense.
Palaver is talk, like a conversation. As someone said, 'hanging out' makes sense. When I hear 'gwan pon palavin spree' I'm thinking of a bunch of guys hanging out, talking shit, etc. How or why it would mean to be care free, I don't get. Unless, you mean like kicking back, hanging out, shootin' the breeze. Then that makes sense to me.
It must be pretty funny for any Jamaicans reading this to see us fumbling around in the dark for this stuff!
If you ever read a book (or website) dedicated to JA proverbs, a whole heap a lyrics will suddenly start to make sense.
There's another phrase I hear sometimes that has always thrown me. I can't even really say what it is because I have no clue.
I've heard it in 70's tunes, all the way through to the 90's, but not that often.
The first place I heard it was the Capleton tune "Tour"
I've looked up lyrics for that song online and they all say the same thing, but it doesn't really make any sense and I think it's just written by people who don't really know what the line is themselves.
Anyway, it would help if you know the song "Tour" but the line as it is written on the lyrics sites is:
"Ice all mi block and all a whole city"
Clearly this makes no sense right? Or, if it does, what does it mean?
I always thought maybe "Ice" is actually "hoist". "hoist up mi', rather than 'ice all mi'
But the rest of it I just can't get.
Anyone have any idea? Again, even if you don't know the Capleton song, you've probably run across similar lyrics.
pa·lav·er (p-lvr, -lävr)
n.
1.
a. Idle chatter.
b. Talk intended to charm or beguile.
2. Obsolete A parley between European explorers and representatives of local populations, especially in Africa.
v. pa·lav·ered, pa·lav·er·ing, pa·lav·ers
v.tr.
To flatter or cajole.
v.intr.
To chatter idly.
[Portuguese palavra, speech, alteration of Late Latin parabola, speech, parable; see parable.]
