Communicator, cooker, drinker, poet. Grew up in a mining town, wore a hard hat.

Friday, May 05, 2006

Whiskey Echo Sierra Tango sayyid

In my travels on the Bloor subway line, I have come to be especially familiar with a particular tribe of natives from Toronto's West side. I have found their way of speaking to be strikingly unique and have decided to keep a record of their vernacular on this blog. The usages I've been exposed to are deeply unfamiliar to me, I have found examples to be the most effective way for me to communicate meaning, which is why there is a notable absence of formal definitions.

still
(n., a., v.) used almost as punctuation, still is nearly always used at the end of sentences. ex. it's too cold to be smoking outside, still. i should be studying instead of sleeping, still. that's not really fair of you, still.
next (adj. ) used in a way similar to the english phrase "this next." ex. i am going to fuck next girl. i am going to smoke next joint.
spliff (n.) this plant in order to produce the substance popular at native social gatherings. synonyms: splay, spleef. for those who do not have the ressources to produce spliff themselves, it is purchased from another member of the community, commonly referred to as a "hook-up."
what are you saying (phrase) intended to mean, for example ex. how are you? how have you been? although the tone of the saying implies an interragotive inclination, the natives use this phrase as imperative.
what are you dealing with (phrase) use instead of what things are pre-occupyinng you at the moment? what kind of anxieties do you have? this phrase will often be used when initially meeting a friend or acquaintance.
yam (v.) an adaptation of the word jam, when asked, natives explained the word is "easier to say this way."
fuds (n.) adaptation of the word food in its plural form. ex. i am going to go yam some fuds.
quads (n.) quantity of measurement with respect, in particular, to spliff -- a quads is the imperial equivalent of a quarter ounce, or the metric equivalent to 7 grams.
lates (ajd.) from the english later, lates (similarly to jam) is a reworking of a popular parting phrase to reduce it to a single syllable. natives will often repeat the word more than once at the conclusion of a conversation. ex. okay, i'm leaving now. lates, lates, lates.
brethren (n.) similar to the english word "brother," brethren does not refer to a literal sibling relationship but rather to a close friend. used most often with a possessive pronoun. ex. alright, my brethren, blaze up that spliff.



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