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have you wondered where that term for male swimwear came from?

not sure if the younger guys know it by that name - bukta


After extensive research, here is the origin

Good find ... I always wonder

In reply to Curtis
Great find.

What about "singlet"?

Or "grip"

In reply to DukeStreet

Some time around Spring 1976 I followed a collegemate up to northern New Hampshire...

i) At a bar one of the nights there, she found Jimmy Cliff on the jukebox and punched it

ii) One radio advert for a vacation said "Pack your grip and..."

Needless to say, I was surprised by both.

--Æ.

In reply to DukeStreet
'Singlet' is probably a trade name, but 'grip' is a real word, for suitcase.

There are a few other trade names that were being used as generic terms in Guyana, such as colgate, clarks, crimplene, etc.

In reply to DukeStreet Yep....vgood of u...believe it or not d owner of shore driving school here in jewmayca queens used that term, grip, today!

In reply to Norm
Q tip is used for sll cotton swabs Pampers used for diapers

In reply to nickoutr
Guyanese could corrupt anything!

In reply to Norm

That is so true.


How about valise?

In reply to Norm
when last did you use the term " Hire car" ?

In reply to sudden
Valise (suitcase) is used by the 'small islanders', I think. They may have also introduced the word 'crapaud' into Guyana.

In reply to nickoutr
'Hire car' is a classic. Long ago in Guyana, a 'desota' was the word for any fancy car!

In reply to Norm

Desoto

Man from Berbice was the first to import a desoto. Was a watch repairman

There are a lot of words I've wondered about over the years:

"yattin' boots" - is a corruption of "yachting shoes" and used to describe what are now called sneakers or trainers with a fabric top and composite rubber sole.

Bata - is actually a large Swiss multinational manufacturer and distributor of shoes. I remember when there was a Bata shoe store at the corner of Regent & Camp Streets.

"Bata tractor" - cheap one piece composite rubber shoes. I've never been able to figure out the origin of the phrase; the closest I've come is that there's an annual agricultural machinery show in Bulgaria called Bata but there's no actual tractor brand/model called Bata.

In reply to Dan_De_Lyan

Nice man, real nice

In reply to Dan_De_Lyan

According to that old song:

"Lang time gat am jackass kyaat. Dis time gat am desotah!"

The word "jeep" was used to describe anything that looked like a Land Rover, regardless of brand. Even a Tapir was a "jeep"!

The Guyanese vocabulary reflects the strong influence of Dutch colonization, Amerindians, (West) Africans, British colonization, Indians, French-patois-speaking West Indian immigrants and Americans at military bases in Guyana during World War 2.

Each group added a significant collection of words, but Guyanese in general have not seen it fit to appreciate such a diverse cultural heritage.

Dave Martins (himself an interesting example of Guyana's cultural diversity) alluded to Guyanese and West Indian lack of appreciation for their own colloquial culture in the song that begins, "West Indian people pretentious ..."

In reply to CowLasher

I believe "Bata" is actually a large Indian company. Bata products made it into Guyana during the first PPP government, before national independence.

"Bata" was also used generically - to describe what is known as sneakers in the USA. "Yattin's" (yatching boots) referred to low canvas boots.

Cricketers preferred yattins, but footballers preferred "bata" - and most of them wore buktas, regardless of the actual brand.

Wikipedia says Bata is European (Czech Republic, with a major subsidiary (Bata India Limited) in India.

The (former Soviet socialist satellite) Czech connection may explain the PPP connection.

Many, if not all, Bata stores in Guyana were owned by Indo-Guyanese.

In reply to Norm

Not only Guyanese. I saw a post here a few years ago by NP, where he was talking about Jamaican Rastas wearing football "ganseys". Gaunsey is actually derived from the Irish word geansaí meaning sweater, jersey...

In reply to Norm

There is a Bata museum in toronto (Don Mills and Eglinton for the Canadians who want to see a 17 peg boots.

Drop cord! A what?

In reply to Dan_De_Lyan

American.

In reply to Superfly

British colonization was not without its own prejudices. The English themselves took the lands considered "best" at the time - such as Barbados.

The "tougher" lands, Jamaica and Guyana, were left to the Scots, Irish and Welsh (just look at the surviving surnames and churches, in some cases).

So, the vestiges of Gaelic (Irish, Scottish, etc) in Jamaica are not entirely surprising. Some of it may have survived in Guyanese vernacular too. Good material for regional universities to work on, IMO.

A rather old and unique derivation of Dutch (called "Berbice Dutch") survived in Wiruni Cr in Berbice for a long time, with just about a handful of native speakers remaining today. A significant of African words is said to have survived in Berbice Dutch and its importance for tracing the exact origins of Africans in Guyana cannot be overstated.

A great deal of our past could slip away if we are not careful. Words like "bukta", "yattins", etc, are our past calling out to us ... Remember Who You Are!

That message is important - even in our cricket.

In reply to Norm
did you know ton wood was used to describe wood for firesides and not the weight of the wood.

In reply to nickoutr

Nah. Didn't know that.

Old time Guyanese talked about "doob" wood, with "doob" probably meaning "wood" and coming from India.

I imagine "ton" wood referred to logs, as opposed to smaller branches ("bramble").

In reply to Curtis

Now we got that one covered, please tell me the origin of "going comando"?

Tenks in advance.

How about latrine aka toilet in Guyana aka washroom in Canada aka bathroom in US

In reply to Runs

You mean "tylit"?

Very British, right after "loo"!

In reply to Ninetenjack


Going commando, or free-balling for males and free-buffing for females, is the practice of not wearing underwear

the phrase was in use in the UK, referring mainly to women, from the late 1960s. The connection to the UK and women has been suggested to link to a World War II euphemism for prostitutes working in London's West End, who were termed "Piccadilly Commandos"

Canje, Berbice is commando village, however it is a nocturnal practice(after 6!!)

In reply to Dan_De_Lyan

Free-balling...fack


thank you sah

In reply to Dan_De_Lyan

Hey Lion, I heard this anecdote many times while at PMTC. And I actually know someone (female) from there who now lives in TO.

In reply to StumpCam

you ain't one of them fellas who mashup makanlall bookstore.....

In reply to Dan_De_Lyan

Makanlall? Hahaha! You ah one ah we, too?

Don't quite remember that, but one of my roommates took a piss through hostel window and got us all a week suspension!

In reply to StumpCam

Few bannuhs from Wales and one from Fyrish got expelled

In reply to Superfly

Actually "Gansey" is actually originally derived from the name for the clothing item Guernsey from the channel island of the same name, in a similar manner to jersey being derived from Jersey.

The Irish term "geansai" which you refer to, was one of a few derivations of the Guernsey.