Term "soon come"

(tu)

Hi Exit Zero... I like the book idea better... not sure I could get away with sitting around school yards, huddling close to kids to listen to them talk (LOL). But, the book sounds really interesting... tanks.

Linda J, I was thinking of the same situation... and to make the picture even worse... let's try to dance hip-hop also. Our college-aged niece made the mistake of showing my wife (50ish... but full of life) that the "soulja boy" dance was on youtube... she was determined to learn it... for about... 5 minutes... it was not pretty... in so many ways...

na man...you don't need a book, it will just come naturally if you are around locals alot...for example I use "de man" a lot...maybe too much...I use it as a suffix and prefix...Melissa has already picked it up...

I foresee her next pick up will be mehson, since i tend to use that a lot as well.

This thread has been a lot of fun, its good to see that lots (not all) of the folks who live there have a great sense of humor. I think I'll fit in great with that bunch!

You might find " Not So Cat Walk" by George Seaman a worthy read and it is still available locally.

I was a tiny bit too obtuse earlier... mostly hoping EE or Ronnie would chime in... in retrospect I should have let everyone in on the joke.

"What a pistarckle!: A glossary of Virgin Islands Englsh Creole", by Rafael Valls; 1981, Virgin Islands Prestige Press; 139 pages.

It's out of print, but if you look hard enough you might find it online..

Yes, I saw it but was thinking you were going to segue into something further.

Cruz..we could start ah class!

I was thinking the same thing, lol.

When I first started coming to the VI 4 years ago the language sounded vaguely familiar. It wasn't until I moved to St. Croix that I realized that the words, not the accent sounded like the Gullah language I grew up hearing in the low country of South Carolina. Gullah people are the descendants of African slaves that live along the coast of South Carolina and the barrier islands.

The following is a poem from a Gullah cookbook written by Oscar N. Vick III.

De Mash Skeeter

Dat mash skeeter een de mash so thick!
Dey buzz 'bout een we head!
Dey fuss all ob uh suddin 'bout who get we nex
Dey ax'em sef w'ah de odder to do
Leeme quiz'it an ax de man
Who he wan fo bite 'im fus
'pun top he head so bol

I remember some of the words were completely different from regular southern English which in itself is totally different from northern English. When I first married my husband whose family is from Boston, I ask him to bring me the hose pipe. I could not make him understand what I was saying after repeating myself several times. Finally I went and got the "garden hose" to show him what I was talking about. He still didn't believe that anyone would call it a "hose pipe". A year or two later we went to visit my family down in South Carolina and we went to Walmart. I had bought a sprayer for the "garden hose". As we were leaving the cashier came running after us yelling, "Mam, you forgot this thing that goes on the end of your "hose pipe".

That's funny. Hose pipe! Sometimes if you hear those Cajun folks talk it could also remind you of our accents. And you a e right about the Geechie talk in those barrier islands off South Carolina. Remember he movie Conrack? His name was Conroy and the kids couldn' t say it or when they said it, it came out Conrack!

OK, after a night of dreamin about this topic of creole/cruzan, I had some thoughts (I was mostly haunted by Linda J's caution... I knew she was on to something... I couldn't put my finger on it... maybe something in her timing...):

- it's fun in the same way crossword puzzles are fun... it's a mental challenge that has rules that can be learned.

- it's also very creative in the way words are twisted or given new meanings, and sounds are added, stretched and shrunk to add rhythm.

- the locals speak this way to each other, often. the locals have lived here longer than anyone else (i know.. duh!). the locals might know a lot of tricks for life on the islands. if you understand the language when spoken, then you might learn a thing or two.

- so, there are many reasons to enjoy trying to learn the language. But, Linda J, here is where I think your caution comes in: you don't have to speak it... you could learn to hear it by reading it.

- and, I think Yearasta and others are saying: once you live here long enough, if it naturally starts showing up in your dialogue, then most people will understand it as natural.

- but you kind of have to cut tourists and us newbies some slack... we're still babes in the woods... it's just fun and curious right now - no disrespect (OK, I hear teeth sucking!)

dougtamjj - I don't know what the problem is, of course it is called a hose pipe! The one that got my husband the most was when I first moved to America, and I asked him what day the "dustbin men" came ( the men who empty the dustbins otherwise known as garbage bins/cans? ). Or the most embarrassing was my first night at work with an American Manager. I made a mistake on my paperwork, so I went to him and asked if he had a rubber. There was an awkward silence until someone who had overheard jumped in and sorted out the misunderstanding!

You need to finish this one, were wanting a eraser or something else?:@)

LOLOL

the only word i've fallen into the habit of using is "next" and it works down here but in the states they look at me like i'm odd

You mean "next" meaning another? Like "I'd like a next one."