Triniglish|Trinididioms spoken and explained #113
I remember as a child growing up in Trinidad the nuisance that arrived every evening as dusk came - mosquitoes. Gosh, I hated those mosquitoes but I will tell you this... the mosquitoes found in areas like Arima cannot come close to the mosquitoes in Central and Southern Trinidad especially in the areas of the industrial sector. In Arima, we have the brown variety but in the industrial sector, there is a small black mosquito that is like attack dogs... just worse. I feel for the people living in those areas but I am too happy that I don't have to deal with it anymore.
At first, I thought they were sand fly (because of their size) but after killing a few sucking my precious blood I realized that they were mosquitoes. My brother who works in the Savonetta area was laughing at me and told me to get inside (I guess you now realize that I was visiting from NY - fresh blood).
Now back to my childhood memories. During my childhood days, we used to light cockset or as we said back then Mokoto to chase away those mini Dracula's. Of course today we would say mosquito coils but back then it was Mokoto Coil or Cockset. If you were from that generation then you would remember going to Chin's shop to buy a box of mokoto coil and of course, it was the one in the green box with the fish on it!
Thank the good heavens for Mokoto. Those spiral coils burnt for quite a while and kept the mosquitoes away. If I remember well those coils burnt for a few hours. Somehow they managed to incorporate a form of insecticide that vaporized when burnt and kept the mosquitoes away. Those were the good ole days. Of course, the mokoto was placed in a dish to ensure that it burnt properly and did not create a fire in the house. Today people use creams to ward off mosquitoes. I am not sure how popular Mokoto or Cockset is today in Trinidad but back then you were sent to the 'shop' to buy a box if you run out and it was close to evening. If you remember anything about mosquito coils please leave a comment.
Yuh is ah Trini | "Mokoto aka Cockset"
At first, I thought they were sand fly (because of their size) but after killing a few sucking my precious blood I realized that they were mosquitoes. My brother who works in the Savonetta area was laughing at me and told me to get inside (I guess you now realize that I was visiting from NY - fresh blood).
Now back to my childhood memories. During my childhood days, we used to light cockset or as we said back then Mokoto to chase away those mini Dracula's. Of course today we would say mosquito coils but back then it was Mokoto Coil or Cockset. If you were from that generation then you would remember going to Chin's shop to buy a box of mokoto coil and of course, it was the one in the green box with the fish on it!
Thank the good heavens for Mokoto. Those spiral coils burnt for quite a while and kept the mosquitoes away. If I remember well those coils burnt for a few hours. Somehow they managed to incorporate a form of insecticide that vaporized when burnt and kept the mosquitoes away. Those were the good ole days. Of course, the mokoto was placed in a dish to ensure that it burnt properly and did not create a fire in the house. Today people use creams to ward off mosquitoes. I am not sure how popular Mokoto or Cockset is today in Trinidad but back then you were sent to the 'shop' to buy a box if you run out and it was close to evening. If you remember anything about mosquito coils please leave a comment.
3 comments.
1. You can buy cockset in dollar tree in america. I does hoard them.
2. The upgrade is bugmat. You cant' find that to buy up here at all. i does save them for sleep and guests.
3. when we were small, if the cockset run out, my younger brother and I would go to my older brother's room and tief his cockset. Then once the mosquitoes calm down, you could sleep. at some point, he would start getting bite and wake up and come and tief back his cockset. And is whole night we going so, tief for tief.