The official language spoken in Bermuda is English. That being said, Bermudian English has its own unique twist, twang, and has evolved over centuries. Historically the language has been influenced by Bermuda’s colonial history and multicultural population.
Today, Bermudian english is a mix of proper english, British accent from the United Kingdom, African influence west indies, a lot of Portuguese and Caribbean influence as well as an ‘American accent’ from the Unites States.
Bermuda Etiquette
In Bermuda, ‘Good mornin,’ ‘Good afternoon,’ and ‘Good evenin’ are not only common they are expected greetings. The not only reflects the polite and formal nature of Bermudian society, but displays the country holds traditional values of humanity and community close.
Unique Vocabulary
There are about 65,000 Bermudian English speakers. As I write this, I am away from my book collection, but I still would love to share a few Bermudian words with you. From ace girl to chingas, let’s dive in.
Ace girl; female best friend, number one female friend BFF
Ace boy; male best friend, number one male friend BFF
Bermy: Slang for Bermuda
Bie; boy
Bimpert; a foolish person or moron
Boasty; a person who is full of themselves or acting to be
Chingas; Wow! Gosh! Oh my goodness. ‘Chingas, what a week!’
Chopsing; to gossip, chatter,
Gombey; Dancers who dress up in costume and masks. Along with the dancing there is music involving drums. The history is deep rooted back to when it was illegal for slaves to dance, this is why they wear masks to cover their face. Gombey’s are now iconic in Bermy.
Kangabat; an ugly person
Mug; unappealing or unpleasant. ‘This weather is mug’
Bermudian Sayings
BACKATAWN The section of Hamilton, north of Victoria street.
BERMUDA TIME Late, as usual.
DE BLOCK The backatawn section of Court Street. “You vant some some herb, go ron DE BLOCK.”
DAHN Not up: “DAHN de road.”
DAHN-DE-COUNTRY Eastwards, towards St. George’s.
DARK ‘N STORMY Bermuda’s national drink – Black rum and gingerburr.
LONGTAIL Young, unattached female tourists.
PUT THE MUNCH ON Kiss aggressively. (Unacceptable in daylight).
PUT THE PRICE UP Go whoring in New York.
ROCK, DE Bermuda.
ROCK FEVER A problem resulting from being on island too long (more than 10 months). Depression and lethargy become over-powering often resulting in mad drinking binges, staying out all night … this can only be cured by leaving the island.
SHARK OIL A Bermudian method of predicting hurricanes.
TAWN/TAHN The city of Hamilton.
UP DE COUNTRY Westwards, towards Somerset: “Cup Match is UP DE COUNTRY.”
VEXT Very angry: “I got caught speedin. Bye, fack I’m VEXT!”
WHERE YOU STAY What is the location of your domicile?
Watch some videos to hear
My first solo international trip was to Bermuda. Each year, I return for a few months to see friends, many who are now family.
With each trip back to Bermuda, I will continue to update and share more information here for you.
Hey there! My name is Ashley and I have a wild plan to overland around the world with my four-legged bestie, Porter da explorer.
This once-in-a-lifetime adventure is not only fulfilling my dreams, but also paying homage to my late father. His free spirit of exploration continues to guide me every mile of the way.
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Once you sign up, I will email you a free gift and from the road, I will send you monthly updates. Excited for you to explore the world with me, no matter where you are.