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#131210 08/10/04 04:37 PM
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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?


#131211 08/10/04 11:17 PM
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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.



#131212 08/11/04 11:32 AM
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Oh, now that's just groady to the max. Good to know, though, in case I ever accidentally call someone a blood clot.




#131213 08/11/04 08:32 PM
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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.


#131214 08/11/04 10:56 PM
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Yeesh, sorry I asked.

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



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