Words long used in the Caribbean and Bermuda now part of historical dictionary

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – More than a dozen words long applied in Bermuda and throughout the Caribbean obtained an official nod on Wednesday from the Oxford English Dictionary.

What happened

First in line is "bimpert, " a Bermudian word of unknown origin that is applied to describe a stupid or foolish person. Individuals on the tiny island in the north Atlantic often apply it in this traditional phrase: "A bimpert is justah wuffless bye, " which roughly translates to: an idiot is just a worthless boy.

Another colorful addition is "hornerman, " a word applied in the eastern Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago since 1975 to describe an unfaithful man or a man having a relationship with someone else's woman.

If someone in the Caribbean were to find out regarding such infidelities, they might be known "to get on, " which means to have an emotional outburst or produce a scene, or "to cut someone's tail, " meaning to beat someone.

The bottom line

Taken together, the developments around words long used in the Caribbean and Bermuda now part of historical point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.