Yuh is ah Trini | "Storm ah Fete"
The Gathering Storm is a television film abut Sir Winston Churchill; it is also f fantasy novel by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. However, in Trinidad the word "Storm" can be intepreted in many different ways and I can assure you it will not have anything to do with a television film or any novel. In Trinidad and Tobago the word "Storm" takes on a life of its own that can, and will, leave a smile on your face or simply leave you puzzled.
Now if I mention the word "Storm" to you I bet your first response will be that some form of inclement weather pattern is approaching. In the Caribbean region Storms can be very devastating. However, in Trinidad and Tobago when this type of weather approaches the word storm is not the first description of the weather pattern you will hear. It would be somewhat of the following: Boi like some real bad wedder coming!" Don't be alarmed in this case the word 'wedder' translates to 'weather'. So the storm is a "bad wedder pattern". That is easily understood as an "approaching storm".
Now the next use of the word "Storm" is one that would bewilder you but not any Trinidadian. If you have ever seen anyone sneaking into a party or as we say in Trinidad "ah fete" or a group "gate crashing" a party then you have seen people 'storming the party or fete". In this case the word "storm" is used as an adjective to describe the act of 'gate crashing'. As a true 'Trini' would say, "I was dey and I eh pay...Ah damn well storm the fete".
Now isn't that interesting? Over the years we have taken the way we speak for granted because we live it and that rolled off our tongues since we were young. Now even though most Trinidadians have finished High School and know the correct usage we still tend to use the 'local slangs' when speaking with our friends. It would sound out of place to speak correct English. However, don't for one minute, believe that the way we speak is the way we put pen to paper...
I am sure that you have spoken about 'storming ah fete' or have referred to a storm as a 'bad weather pattern' before. Now that it has been highlighted here in this post I am absolutely certain that you have a smile on your face!