A vitisitor may be taken aback by common Trini greetings or phrases that are not familiar:
"How you goin'?" How are you? Response: "Going good!"
"Are you gettin' true?" Are you getting through? (Finding what you're looking for), often the query of a store sales person.
"Whappenin'?" What's happening?
"Jeees-an-ages!": Exclamation of disbelief or surprise. (I suspect it originally was "Jesus and angels" but I haven't found a Trini who will confirm that).
"Yuh stickin'!" You messed up; you're not thinking! Brainlocked.
Syntax
1) He / she for his / her "Gimme she phone numbah"
2) Silent H's in TH (t'ing for thing)
3) Hard last consonant in each sentence (older Trinis) "She
goh meet me in de fish market-tah".
4) D for certain TH sounds (dat for that) and T for other TH sounds
(ting for thing) As in "And dem is de tree tings dat you
does go trough every day?"
Trini sayings:
"Behind Gawd Back!" It's so far away or rural that even God can't find it.
"Do so eh like so!" The reverse of the Golden Rule; people don't like it when you do to them what they did to you.
"Spit in de air it goh fall in your face!": Evil you do will come back to haunt you.
"Like trowin watah on duck back!": Wasting your time.
"Tief from tief make Gawd laugh!": Sealing from a thief amuses God.
"What sweet in goat mout does sour in he bam bam!": Grass tastes sweet going into a goat, but stinks coming out; in other words, what's good to you ain't always good for you (or turns to shit)!
"One han cyaaa clap!": One hand can't clap. Bribes grease the wheels or "Give me a little raise or you won't get that TV out of customs!"
"Your nanny have pickers, you cyaa get man!": Ultimate insult to a woman; pickers (picant) are thorns.
"Crapo smoke he pipe!": When a frog smokes his pipe you're dead, done for.
"All skin teet eh laugh!": All skinned teeth ain't laughing. All smiles aren't real.
"Mout open, tory jump out!": When people speak, the whole story jumps out.
"When cock have teet!": When a rooster gets teeth!; It will never happen!"
"Dat an Gawd face you'll nevah see!" It will never happen! Far from an expression of Trini atheism, this saying declares not only that an event will never happen, but that the target of the jibe is doomed to Hell.
To learn more about Trinidad, try these websites:
TnTisland: http://www.TnTisland.com (Wonderful site detailing Trini activities and culture)
HomeviewTNT: http://www.homeviewtnt,com
(You can watch Trini TV stations or hear Trini radio online!)
Trini Diary: http://www.trinidiary.com/ (Calendar of Trini events)
Trinidad Travel Bureau: http://www.visittnt.com
Trinidad Visitors Bureau: http://www.tidco.co.tt
Carnival: http://www.carnival.com
Carnival Costumes, Calendar, Music: http://www.visittnt.com/carnival1998
Carnival Slide Show: http://www.tradeday.com/trinidad/slide show
Caribbean Tourism Organization: http://www.caribtourism.com
Caribbean Hotel Association: http://www.caribbeantravel.com
Caribbean On Line: http://www.caribbean-on-line.com
Caribbean Travel Guides: http://www.frommers.com
Costco Discount Travel Agent: http://www.costcotravel.com
MIT Caribbean Info: http://www.mit.edu:8001/activities/caribbean
St. Lucia: http://www.st-lucia.com
CDC International Traveller's Hotline: http://www.cdc.gov
U.S. State Department: http://www.travel.state.gov
Trinidad Tourist Offices:
U.S.: Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Development Authority, 25 West
43rd St., Suite 1508, New York, NY 10036, phone 212-719-0540 or
800-232-0082, fax 212-719-0988.
Embassy of Trinidad
and Tobago, 1708 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036,
202-467-6490. There's also a consulate in New York.
U.S. Embassy, 15
Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain, phone 809-622-6371, fax 809-628-5462.
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