Dustmud and Potcakes
It was Doing Floors day at our apartment, and the temps were in the humid 90s. I was trying to do the Swiffer Wet part, but I kept dripping sweat onto the clean floor. “This is as bad as trying to sweep on North Caicos, when you just keep making dustmud,” I complained.
And just like that the word was coined. It’s not terribly creative, but dustmud describes a cleaning problem for anyone with an island home. (Except the wimps who insist on central air!)
My “creation” got me thinking about other words—real words, not makeups—that I wouldn’t know if I hadn’t spent time in the islands. So here is the beginning of a vocabulary list for North Caicos, starting with some relatives of dustmud.
Muddy: Used to describe seawater that has been churned up and made cloudy. “I couldn’t get any lobster today. It’s too muddy.”
Mud: Mortar for stonework. “We’ll put the patio here. Can we use that spot to mix the mud?”
Potcake: Island dog of non-breed heritage; what dogs are when humans don’t intervene in their breeding. “Potcakes won’t chase balls, but they’ll eat just about anything.”
Crawfish: Another reference to rock lobster, or spiny lobster. “When Dar started fishing, she concentrated on crawfish.”
Jumby: A ghost or spirit who is in between life and the afterlife. “In Jamaica, they call them duppies, but here we say jumby.”
Gullywash: A delicious drink of fresh coconut water, gin and sweetened condensed milk, with a little nutmeg, named for its milky color reminiscent of a flooded limestone wash. “Welcome! Have some rum punch, or some gullywash.”
Paw-paw: Papaya. “Mama said to pick some paw-paw for her.”
Monkeybag: Rum of inferior or questionable quality. “Gimme some real rum, not that monkeybag!”
Curry: Not a spice, but limestone dust and small rocks from a quarry. “I have a gravel yard, but my driveway is curry.” (Yes, David, it is just a local pronunciation of “quarry,” but just think of the strange looks you get when you actually say “quarry” instead!)
Reach: Not an actual vocabulary word, but an idiom that uses the word in a particular way. “I thought I’d get my order today, but the boat didn’t reach.” Also, “I soon reach,” both a common promise and the name of another delicious drink, the light lager of Turks Head Brewing.
Are there any more? Please add your own “words I never heard or used before North Caicos,” and maybe we’ll put together our own dictionary!
It was Doing Floors day at our apartment, and the temps were in the humid 90s. I was trying to do the Swiffer Wet part, but I kept dripping sweat onto the clean floor. “This is as bad as trying to sweep on North Caicos, when you just keep making dustmud,” I complained.
And just like that the word was coined. It’s not terribly creative, but dustmud describes a cleaning problem for anyone with an island home. (Except the wimps who insist on central air!)
My “creation” got me thinking about other words—real words, not makeups—that I wouldn’t know if I hadn’t spent time in the islands. So here is the beginning of a vocabulary list for North Caicos, starting with some relatives of dustmud.
Muddy: Used to describe seawater that has been churned up and made cloudy. “I couldn’t get any lobster today. It’s too muddy.”
Mud: Mortar for stonework. “We’ll put the patio here. Can we use that spot to mix the mud?”
Potcake: Island dog of non-breed heritage; what dogs are when humans don’t intervene in their breeding. “Potcakes won’t chase balls, but they’ll eat just about anything.”
Crawfish: Another reference to rock lobster, or spiny lobster. “When Dar started fishing, she concentrated on crawfish.”
Jumby: A ghost or spirit who is in between life and the afterlife. “In Jamaica, they call them duppies, but here we say jumby.”
Gullywash: A delicious drink of fresh coconut water, gin and sweetened condensed milk, with a little nutmeg, named for its milky color reminiscent of a flooded limestone wash. “Welcome! Have some rum punch, or some gullywash.”
Paw-paw: Papaya. “Mama said to pick some paw-paw for her.”
Monkeybag: Rum of inferior or questionable quality. “Gimme some real rum, not that monkeybag!”
Curry: Not a spice, but limestone dust and small rocks from a quarry. “I have a gravel yard, but my driveway is curry.” (Yes, David, it is just a local pronunciation of “quarry,” but just think of the strange looks you get when you actually say “quarry” instead!)
Reach: Not an actual vocabulary word, but an idiom that uses the word in a particular way. “I thought I’d get my order today, but the boat didn’t reach.” Also, “I soon reach,” both a common promise and the name of another delicious drink, the light lager of Turks Head Brewing.
Are there any more? Please add your own “words I never heard or used before North Caicos,” and maybe we’ll put together our own dictionary!
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