So, in a rap tune of recent vintage, our narrator (after surviving an almost fatal car accident) says "the doctors told me I had blood clots, but I'm not Jamaican, man." I checked with my brother, an afficionado of both rap and reggae to see what the heck was meant by this line. He says (and please ignore the lack of caps - he is of Gen Y), "blood clot, or bumba (sp) clot is like a derogatory statment about someone in jamaica. not really sure how it started but basically anything +clot is an insult."

I'd love to know the origin and/or specific meaning of the phrase. Can anyone here claret up for me?

In Jamaican patois, "clot" is the pronunciation of the English word "cloth." Many Jamaican insults are built around this word, e.g. ras clot, bumbo clot, blood clot. Comparing a person to anything which comes out of the human body is offensive to Jamaicans. The term "blood clot" refers literally to a used tampon or sanitary napkin. Figuratively, it serves as an adjective (or as a pair of nouns acting like adjectives) to add a profane, insulting, derogatory quality to whatever is being modified thereby.

Oh, now that's just groady to the max. Good to know, though, in case I ever accidentally call someone a blood clot.

Many Jamaican insults are built around this word, e.g. ras clot, bumbo clot, blood clot. Comparing a person to anything which comes out of the human body is offensive to Jamaicans.

Yeesh, sorry I asked. Thanks for dropping the knowledge on me, Padre.

Yeesh, sorry I asked.

Ya, my reaction to the blood clot was ewww, too.