Da kine wurd/turm/frayze uv da dey: pilau wurds (dirty words)
“Eh bahbooze, yu wun lolo-bahkahtahdey buhgah yu!” (eh dummy, you’re a stupid, crazy idiot!) (A perfect example of a trilingual, Portuguese, Hawaiian, Japanese, triple-whammy put down!)
If your dad, coach or teacher laid that one on you, you must’ve really messed up! Your parents would’ve also busted out your middle name on top of that. Lol!
Regardless of the official translations for some of the following words/terms/sayings, they have morphed into meaning stupid, crazy, dirty, or other derogatory meaning. When it comes to descriptive, insulting words, Hawaiian and Portuguese are the champs! Combined with expressions of disappointment, everyone who grew up in Hawaii in the ‘40s-’60s has heard some of the following; no matter which ethnic group you belonged to, or hung out with. (Everything written phonetically since many of the Portuguese and Japanese words spelled correctly are not recognizable!)
> “Ai koodeezsh, yu not all deyah yu peelau keed!” (Omg, you’re outta your mind, you rotten kid!)
> “Yu bahkahtahdey yu! Why yu may’k lahdat ereety’m? yu poho yu!” (Eh stupid, why do you do things like that all the time? What a disappointment!)
> “Sumteen stay hownah ahroun heah! ass yu? Oh ass da maileh peelau ohdeyah?” (Something smells bad around here, is that you? Or the stink vine over there?)
> “Koodeeahbz! Yu stay poopooleh yu! Yu no kan may’k dakine kahpahkahee stuffs lah dat! Bumbye yu goeen get leekinz! Ass why hah’d!” (Shucks, you’re off your rocker you — you can’t keep doing stupid stuff all the time! You’re gonna get a lickin’! Can’t be helped!)
> “A hahnah kohkohleyley, I goeen tehl yu muhdah yu boolye buhgah yu! Yu wayss ty’m yu!” (I caught you! I’m gonna tell your mom because you’re always telling lies! You’re a waste of time!)
> “Gahnfahnit yu! Yu wah-ha nooee keed! Hoo yu teenk yu? Yu stay ackeen ly’k wun reel kahpooloo guava!” (#@*&+ you! You big-mouthed kid! Who do you think you are? You’re acting like a real mixed up guava!)
At this point, I’d like to say that someone who’s been on the receiving end of many of the above statements wasn’t exactly a model child/adolescent! (under-statement!) Ha! And, from personal experience, I can attest to the fact that many of the speakers were standing there with a guava switch, (wooden/metal) yardstick, paddle, or a rubbah slippah in their hand! Ouch! Lol! Also, it was usually followed with being grounded, withdrawal of allowance, suspension of driving privileges, etc. And no haupia or kulolo for a month! Ha!
I would also like to share the following from my yoot: (since I had quite a diverse bunch of friends and acquaintances) I often spent the night at their homes, and can report that none of the above was heard at my Oriental friends’ places! On the other hand, if I was a guest at my Pordagee, Kanaka or Bohdinkee friends’ hales, I (the guest) was not immune from sharing in da skohleenz from Vovo, Tutu Wahine or Abuela! Ha! Troo stohree but!
There are many, many more words and phrases that have not been shared. I will save them for a peelau wurds follow up column. I just hope the above has given you some insight as to how descriptive da kine Pidgin’ tok can be!
Pau fo nau.
Nexes wun: Shaka III Aug. 2
Wally Camp is a Big Island resident who writes a biweekly column for West Hawaii Today. He can be reached at hilowally@gmail.com