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Word of the Week: Doux-Doux

Doudou, doodoo, doux-doux (n): Sweetness; sweetie; a term of affectionate endearment, usually used to females. (French doux ‘sweet’; such repetition is common in French Creole, but some reduplicated forms of doux, including as a term of affection, are historically found in the east and north-east of France, Aud-Buscher 1989:13; also possibly Yoruba dun ‘is sweet’ = dood(s).
- “Ah…done tell mih wifey wot to do when I die. Ah tell she, ‘Doo-Doo gyul, when I die, please bury min wit’ a bottle in each hand” (Sweetbread, Express 21 July 1982:42).

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Source: Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago by Lise Winer

Jam-cram (adj): Crowded; packed usually with people. (English jam ‘press, squeeze or crowd together in a compact mass; force together’ + English cram ‘fill to excess’) = ram-cram, ram-jam.
- Everybody was jam-cram in the North Stand.
  - North Stand: During Carnival, a temporary spectators’ gallery erected on the north side of the big stage in Queen’s Park Savannah. I remember fondly going to many ah carnival events in the North Stand with fellas beating bottle and spoon. North Stand is often considered the place for common folk while the Grand Stand is reserved for the “who’s, who” of Trinidad.
  - Queen’s Park Savannah is a park in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Known locally as simply “the Savannah,” it is Port of Spain’s largest open space. It occupies about 260 acres (110 ha)[1] of level land, and the distance around the perimeter is about 2.2 mi (3.5 km).

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Source: Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago by Lise Winer

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If crab walk (phr): A proverbial expression indicating that if you do not take some risks, you will not gain anything, but if you take too many risks, you may end up in trouble.
- If crab don’ walk, he no get fat, but if he walk too much he go de pot no?

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Source: Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago by Lise Winer

The word of the week is a compilation of Trinidadian sayings -phrases and words- used on the island.

Dance top in mud (phr): Try something without chance of success; be frustrated by trying to do something in too difficult a situation. (From impossibility of making a top spin in mud) => spin top in mud.