Have just realized that there’s a new ‘in’ phrase in Jamaica and it’s spreading from commentator to commentator with the speed of hemorrhagic dengue fever. What do i mean by this? Yes, precisely, that is the phrase I’m talking about. What do i mean by this? That it is this phrase i have now heard used for the third time in the space of one week here in Kingston, Jamaica. And before it spreads much further I’d like to trace its origins. Can anyone tell me where it comes from? Please tell me who first used this phrase and why it’s taking Jamaica by storm. Was it a preacher? a ‘motivational speaker’? some first world politician like Obama? Why do I say this? (a variant of the said ‘in’ phrase…) .
First Angella Bourke of the People’s National Party used it on Impact last Thursday. She repeated it twice if i remember rightly. On Friday I heard someone else using it on radio, can’t remember who. Could it have been Emily Crooks? Naomi Francis? Cliff Hughes? Definitely not Raga. And those are the voices i regularly listen to on a weekday. Was it Carol Narcisse? Oh wait maybe it was someone at the Book Industry Association of Jamaica’s seminar on digital publishing in the Caribbean. I simply can’t remember but i did hear it again. And then just now, catching up with last Sunday’s dead tree media (the newspapers) i see that Clyde McKenzie has also caught the virus. In his article On the Success of Jamaican Music in last Sunday’s Observer he says:”In fact, ironically, the success of Jamaican music might well be working against Jamaican artistes. What do I mean by this? Well, on his return from etc etc….”
Seet deh? What do i mean by this?
Just that i want to know who originally popularized this phrase. Why do i say this? Because i can. Nuff said.
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So you’re a Nationwide fan just like myself. What do I mean by this? You’re well informed.
I like it though….
Why don’t we just say what we mean by this instead of using a confusing phrase and then assuming people want to ask what we mean by this? Why am I asking this? Because everyone else must be.
LOL. I have noticed this as well. And I am quite annoyed by the fact that speakers tend to overuse it in a context where their line of argument is clear, and not as paradoxical as they think. What do I mean by this? See prior sentence.