Triniglish|Trinididioms spoken and explained #115
Yuh is ah Trini | "Bus' Yuh Tail"
There was a time, not too long ago, that you used many words and phrases as a child growing up in Trinidad and Tobago that simply put a smile on you face when recalled today. Well that is the case for me since I am no longer a young man. I smile and recall how easily these phrase flowed when ever we spoke in the neighborhood. However, those days have long past and when some of these phrases are used today people look on in puzzlement or simply smile because they can recall using those phrases themselves. Well this one that I have chosen today was a very common childhood phrase, "Buss' Yuh Tail"!
Come on now if you are a real 'Trini 2D Bone' surely you are smiling now with a tinge of 'damn I missed those days'! It may not be appropriate to speak using these local phrases today but damn it still sounds sweet to me.
OK so how did we use the term "bus' yuh tail" during the good ole days of growing up in sweet Trinidad and Tobago? Let's take a look at a few examples. Please don't hesitate to add yours... trust me, I may even add them to this post later on!
One very embarrassing thing that could happen to someone is to have a nasty fall. Now falling and getting hurt is not something to joke about. But sometimes when your were in that mischievous state of being you may have been teasing someone and while 'playing yuhself' (that's another phrase) you took a nasty fall in a very undignified manner. The onlooker would have a good laugh and remark that "yuh bus' yuh tail"! You may have heard people use the word catspraddle to describe a bad fall but that would be used if you simply had an unfortunate fall and not when fooling around and teasing or simply being a 'pain in someones pewefen (that's another phrase).
Another use of the phrase "bus' yuh tail" could be one that as a young person you never wanted to get involved in. Kids do things and say things that cause a fight. These small battles usually did not last long and ended up with someone crying or running home after a good beating. In other words someone "bus' yuh tail' (yuh got a good cut arse).
Another way the term was uses was in competition. Children were very competitive with everything they did. Sporting events like wind ball cricket, small goal soccer, street soccer, street cricket, rollers (pushing bicycle rims with sticks), scooter races (made from ball bearings and pieces of wood), relays whatever event it was competitive. Teams would go up against each other and from that competitive spirit you would try to defeat the other side and in that spirit would remark that "we go bus' all yuh tail" or to another person "ah go bus' yuh tail". That was a friendly way of saying I intend to be the victor because you had every intention of beating the opposition convincingly.
Now isn't that sweet? If you are a true Trini I am absolutely certain that you have used that phrase in similar fashion at some time. Keep the culture alive. Don't allow these phrases to disappear. we don't have to use them everyday but just for old time sake and just to put a smile on someones face. If you live outside of Trinidad and Tobago and have Trinidadian friends close to you use one of the ole time phrases and see what kind of reaction you receive.... could be fun!