Bram | Yuh is ah Trini

Triniglish|Trinididioms spoken and explained  #64 | Bram | Yuh is ah Trini

What... What de hell was dat? That, my friends, is the response that would usually follow when there is a sudden noise especially the sound caused by something that fell unexpectedly. However, it could also apply to someone getting a good 'lash'(getting hit) especially from a moving object (like a car for example).

This is the usual response from a Trinidadian (citizen of Trinidad and Tobago...Don't want my Tobagonian brothers and sister to feel left out) to any sudden sound especially when it is sudden and unexpected. Now I know most of you may initially think about "bram" in another manner especially in 'feting'. So now let's take a look at another use of the word 'bram'.

"Oh ho, ent yuh know dat Trinis will do anything to get to a fete (party)!" Well in the case of a 'bram' this one is a little different from the fetes (parties) that take place in a very organized manner.

So some friends got together and decided that the moment was just right to lime (hang out) with music and friends gathered to have a good time (typical Trini activity). Well as the session continues the crowd begins to increase and this simple lime has evolved into a party of sorts. The only problem is that it has become "a rowdy fete - a wash you foot and jump in the party with all kinda ragamuffin behavior". The quoted information was taken from Tankalanka (http://berdina.tripod.com/tankalanka.htm).

Now you can see that not all lime is just a simple lime, and not all fetes can be termed a 'bram'. Things evolve in Trinidad and a simple word like "Bram" can say different things. Just be aware that one needs to pay attention to the context that the word is used - never take anything for granted with Trini lingo!

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