Triniglish|Trinididioms Spoken and Explained #37
Yuh is ah Trini|"Yuh does greet yuh friends by nodding yuh head up and down and left to right and back when yuh hear ah stale joke."
Your head houses one of the greatest computers that science is attempting to mimic in so many ways. We use our brains to think and make sense of the world around us. However, Trinis have moved outside of the box and have found very unique ways to use their heads. In this case it is not to think or rationalize the world around them but simply to express themselves in a very unique fashion.
The conversation and rest of this post will head downhill as you realize that Trinis don't care about that which is the norm. The result is that many people in North America remain fascinated in the ways that we communicate not to mention how confused they are at times. Having said that we will now turn our attention to two unique ways we use our "one head" to express our feelings without uttering a word - the thought process is real and the result meaningful to Trinis and eventually you once you understand nuances, the sweetness in this 'non conversational dialogue'.
Now put yourself in this picture and see yourself liming with a group of people where ever so often (as is the norm with limes) somebody drops by and joins the lime. As you watch the picture unfold you will notice something very special whenever someone joins the lime. Some persons will voice their appreciation for the company but many will simply look at the person, ensure that they have their attention then do something very special... The simply nod their head up and down while at the same time and in quick fashion, raise their eyebrows with the tilt of the head on the way up. That simple nod translates into I see you, I recognize your presence and at the same time asks, 'how yuh doing?' Now that is a case of an extended conversation that takes place without having voiced a word!
As we continue with the lime (remember a lime is much more than people hanging out together eh) someone may decide that they are a comic or may attempt to roast someone hanging out with the crew. That is where the lime can become rowdy but most of the time everyone simply laughs and move on. However sometimes the joke may be sour or the statements made may be greeted with disdain and even contempt at times. In such a scenario the head action that takes place is a left to right and back several times that is sometimes accompanied by a sharp backward (front to back) movement of the head. Most of the time the action is head back with a crinkling of the eyebrows followed by the left to right movement to express the disappointment of the statement (stale joke) or action of the person.
There you have it two very unique ways Trinis use their head to communicate their feeling while greeting a friend or acquaintance or simply to acknowledge the presence of a person joining a group. The nod or side to side action of the head with accompanied crinkling of the eyebrows and skin on the forehead speaks volumes without a word being uttered. Now that is special and powerful communication skills that Trinis possess. Don't you think so?
