The Mauritius dictionary letter by letter: H is for…

The Mauritius dictionary letter by letter: H is for…

 

Hart, Robert Edward – Mauritian poet who famously owned a house made from corals in Souillac, which was made a museum after his death

Hauvillard, Montagne d’ – Mountain Peak near Midlands that peaks at around 531m, 17th highest (out of 76) in the island

He-man – Cartoon hero who was a normal guy who had a cat but who could transform into He-man and one helluva tiger respectively thanks to his magic sword; Rocked the late 80s/early 90s and had the tremendously-named (evil) Skeletor as sworn enemy

Heero, Gavin – Mauritian football player who used to be at Crystal Palace; not much more known about him.

Henrietta – Name of an area in Upper Vacoas, known for being an access point to Tamarin Falls and for its famous NTC 141 buses that seem to ‘fly’ on the road (due to their usually high speed)

Helvetia – Village in Moka District; Relatively unknown until the creation of yet another ‘utopic neighbourhood’ which its promoters promise will be ‘just like the neighbourhoods in the Hollywood movies’

Helvetia, Les Allées d’ – Latest ‘luxury’ neighbourhood project to hit the island

Hey – The equivalent greeting of ‘Hey’ in probably every other language (or ‘ehi’ in Italian); also used by some to express different feelings like annoyance, appreciation, etc.  See also Eeehhhhhh

Hilux – Brand of vans that can be seen filling the roads in sooty smoke due to poor maintenance; used to be considered the Mercedes of vans until the arrival of actual Mercedes vans on Mauritian roads

Hinterland – Famous racehorse which graced the turf of Champ de Mars

hithertododos – someone who tries to bring you Moricienneries on WordPress

 

Additional material from contributors (Your own suggestions can be added in the comments or, if mailed to the admin (moricienneries@gmail.com), will appear here).

The Mauritius dictionary letter by letter: G is for…

The Mauritius dictionary letter by letter: G is for…

G*got – Local linguistic marvel referencing a certain male body part; used to convey anger, frustration, joy, surprise…basically anything. See also, Fran Tou

Gainda – Yellowish-orange flower that can be found in most yards everywhere; probably the most commonly used flower by Indo-Mauritians for prayers

Galets, Rivière des – River in the South of the island famous for its galets, flattened, polished rocks that are used as foot scrubs in many a Mauritian’s bathroom

Gandia – Marijuana, Maryzanne, Maryjane…however it is called, it stays the same

Gaon – Hindi term for village; typically used in a not-so-nice way to describe something not modern

Garfield – Cartoon star whose books and cartoons used to be snatched feverishly by pupils all around whenever brought to school

Gaulette – Local term for fishing rod

Gaulette, La – Small fishing village along the West Coast

George V Stadium, The New – Found in Curepipe and used to be known as George V Stadium, before millions were spent renovating it, thereafter it being referred to as ‘The New’; other home to the notoriously supreme talents of Club M (the National Football Team) after Stade Anjaley Coopen, it retains the Dorian Grayish capacity of always looking the same no matter how many impossibilions are put in it. See also, Club M

Giant, The – Mythical wrestler for many kids (and adults) back during the days of WCW on MBC

Gidi-Gidi – Local expression for tickles

Golin Mayard – How kids with a cold would call the game Colin Mayard. See also, Colin Mayard

Gokool, Jug – Most famous sports journalist in the History of Mauritius, famous for his genuinely passionate reporting of la ligne droite  finale (the final straight line) for horse races at the Champ de Mars

Gopia – Term used to describe someone who is not too bright

Gr*n – Flowery gem of a term depicting another male body part; used mainly to describe people who are  not really appreciated, but sometimes also used between male friends as a means to convey friendship

Grand Baie – Touristic village in the North West of the island, home to the [only?] nightlife of Mauritius

Grand Bassin – Sacred lake in the high grounds of Mauritius, said to be an extension of the holy Ganges river in India, that is visited by thousands of pilgrims each year for Maha Shivaratri; home to the gigantic 108ft statue of Shiv Ji and in the near future, a similar one of Durga Ma, it is also a touristic attraction and one of the rare places where the air breathed smells ‘clean’

Grande Rivière XXX – A number of rivers in Mauritius were named using this format, where XXX can be Nord Ouest, Sud Est, Noire, or simply left blank

Granite – Type of volcanic rock; famous term for students during Geography (formerly EVS) classes in primary schools

Gratter Senti – Literally meaning Scratch & Sniff; expression used to depict doing nothing, e.g. Li passe so letemps gratter senti

Grenier, Chemin – Big village in the South; described by some as the capital of the South

Greo – The common name for cooked semolina; typically used as offering for prayers

Gris Gris – Arguably the most famous cliff in in Mauritius; found in the South of the island along with a few others like Le Souffleur, La Roche qui Pleure, etc.

Gros Pois – Pulses eaten at least once per week in every household, be it in masala, in la daube, or in any other preparation; full of proteins, tasty, but also famously known to cause severe flatulence for some

Gym, Al fer – Literally translated as ‘To go make gym’; Expression used to say ‘Going to the Gym’, e.g. To al fer gym tou…

Additional material from contributors (Your own suggestions can be added in the comments or, if mailecd to the admin (moricienneries@gmail.com), will appear here).

The Mauritius dictionary letter by letter: F is for…

The Mauritius dictionary letter by letter: F is for…

 

F*****mama – One of the most common linguistic marvels heard in Mauritius, and anywhere else in the world where Mauritians are present

Falooda – See Alouda

Farley’s Rusk – Biscuit-type of food aimed primarily at babies but that were eaten by everybody. Tastier than anything ever consumed but that cannot be seen nowadays for some unknown reason

Farquhar, Sir Robert – First English Governor of Mauritius after they recapture the island from the French in 1810; played an important role towards the abolition of slavery and their replacement by paid workers from abroad

Fass – Common expression used mainly by kids to declare they are not talking to someone; Opposite said to be Dos.  See also, Dos

Fenouss – Basically, milk that has gone bad. The ironic issue is that when milk goes bad by itself, it is thrown away but when we make it bad purposefully ourselves by adding some [ascorbic] acid to it, then we eat it

Fer lere – Literally translates as ‘make time’. In Creole, this is usually used to describe a situation when someone is delaying, e.g. “li p fair lere”

Fermal, Mo XXX pe – Common excuse heard from schoolchildren who do not want to go to school. Replace XXX by anything, e.g. head, belly, hair, schoolbag etc.; also a common excuse heard among the adult population who do not want to go to work

Ferme ar moi – Translates as “shut up with me”.  Usually used in a heated argument when one person wants the other to shut up.

Ferney – Historical valley in Mauritius; Also a nature reserve that houses what is probably the last standing indigenous forest in Mauritius

F*sse – Another common flowery expression shared between Mauritians; Widely use due to its easy, monosyllabic, hence easier pronunciation; Said to be theroretically less offensive than F*****mama, but more than makes up in quantity what it lacks in quality

Fezer – Usually used to describe someone as being arrogant or showing off

Filao – Evergreen tree that arbour the white beaches of Mauritius, spiky seed pods of which are the scourge of those who walk barefoot under filao trees

Fire Brigade – Legendary football team during the days when ‘football used to be communal’

Fire fire – Used to describe something exciting, e.g. ‘ene match fire fire pe deroule la’

Firinga – A cyclone in the recent few years that caused so much damage that it even managed to have houses named after it, See Firinga, Maison Type

Firinga, Maison Type – Small houses that were built for those who had lost their houses to the cyclone Firinga, but that kept on being built for people who had not lost any house to any cyclone

Fit – In the context of “pa fair fit”, i.e don’t let me down.

Fité – Usually means sharp but can be used in a more personal scenario when describing a bitter person, “so la langue bien fité” (his/her tongue is sharp)

Flacq – One of the large districts on the East coast of Mauritius. Also includes villages with the same name, e.g. “Centre De Flacq” and “Poste de Flacq”

Flic-en-Flac – Arguably the most popular beach for people who live in the centre of Mauritius

Flying Dodos – A pub at Bagatelle that  is probably the only place in Mauritius where they brew their own beer; closely resembles )in decor) the biergartens that Moricienneries™ used to visit while in Germany

Fokaire – Creole version of the very similarly sounding English term

Fond du Sac – Village in Mauritius; pronounced by many as Fan Di Sac

Ford – American car brand; Commonly seen on very, very, very old lorries

Fran Fran tou – See Fran tou

Fran tou – Local linguistic expression used to emphasise a point, or to express surprise, or anger, or basically anything. It fits anywhere

François – Language spoken by show-offs who like to pretend to be sophisticated by speaking what they [wrongly] believe is French; also the name of a tremendously brilliant friend of Moricienneries™.  Cheers mate!

Frank Frank all – Moritienglish/Moritianglais (Anglicised Creole) version of Fran Fran tou; See also Fran tou

Fraternels, Les Verts – A Political Party, even though the name sounds more like that of a ‘secret club’ created by a group of kids than anything

Fres – Popular (read cheap) mint drops with smokers; used to be available everywhere from stands in the bus station and supermarkets to forgotten deep inside pant pockets only to be discovered right before, or after, washing

Frico – Some brand of milk

Frigidaire – An electronics brand; So good that it replaced the term refrigerator for many a Mauritian long ago

 

 

Additional material from contributors (Your own suggestions can be added in the comments or, if mailed to the admin (moricienneries@gmail.com), will appear here).

The Mauritius dictionary letter by letter: E is for…

The Mauritius dictionary letter by letter: E is for…

E – Pre-suicide test grade for ‘intellectuals’; Possible bliss for non-intellectuals

Easicall – Telephone card used for International calls.

East-Sider – Hip Store for youngsters at one point. When did the East rise in power? Whatever happened to the previously much-adulated West?

Easypack de Chantecler – A bag of different chicken pieces that is supposed to facilitate the life of every housewife who is cooking dinner with a broad smile as if cooking chicken was what she had dreamt of all her life

Eclair, Mo pou fer toi truv z’ – Expression used in Creole to convey anger, literally meaning “I will make you see lightning”

Editions de l’Ocean Indien – Local/Regional reference in matters of books, office supplies, libraries, etc.; parent company of the Nationnaly famous ‘Le Primtemps’ library at Vacoas

Edouard, Doddy – If he was as talented as his name sounds fun, he would be defending against the world’s best strikers for some European Club instead of against the tenors of Seychelles for Club M

Efferalgan – If that was a drug, mostly everybody above 30 would be addicted to it; said to be better than Panadol even though they are the same

Eeehhhhhh – Common expression used in Creole to express annoyance; also used by some to express appreciation/encouraging the other party by feigning annoyance when teased

Eid – Very important festival for our Muslim brothers; comes in different forms such as Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Addah, etc.

Elaiti (Cardamome) – Spice commonly used in various recipes in Mauritius, be it main courses, desserts, or even in some drinks; adds an amazing fragrance to succulent Mauritian black tea

Elastic – What boys used to use to ‘fire’ paper rockets at each other while in Primary/Elementary School

Emamdee, Yashin – Famous jockey who used to grace the Champ de Mars and whose name we got used to hear yelled ethusiastically by the legendary Jug Gokool in the ‘ligne droite finale’

Energizer – Famous brand of dry cells

Enhancement Plan – The latest attempt at a Machiavellian plan hatched by those above to put an end to the tax-evading practices of private tuition for primary school children

ENT – Hospital found in Vacoas where people go for any Ear, Nose, or Throat problems; also visited by some solely to have some company or to be taken care of by the good-looking young doctors in the casualty unit

Entente Boulet Rouge-Riche Mare Rovers – Football Club in the prestigious Barclays League, but that finished last and will be relegated

Environnement, Police de – Terrifying branch of the Police Force that enforces environmentally-related laws by driving around a whole lot and adding to the fumes but does little else

Escalier, l’ – Small village in the South of Mauritius

Escalope (de poulet) – Another name for chicken breast

Escobar, Pablo – Fake name used by some dude in an attempt to appear more prominent that he really was in a hidden documentary by M6, but that got him beaten up almost to death by the real dude in question and his gang

Eski – Local soft drink brand. Sister of Esko?

Esko – Local brand of biscuits, that later expanded to noodles and some other stuff

Esperer – What some people say instead of ‘attendre’ when they want you to hold on for a few seconds that makes it sound like you will never get what you asked for

Eureka – Cheap wine drunk by high school students when not in possession of enough money to buy Bordofin

Euro – European Football Championships, held every 4 years; some people seem to struggle with the ‘Euro’ concept and cheer for Brazil to win

Everyday – Brand of milk that used to be uber popular before but that then disappeared as fast as mad cow disease appeared

Additional material from contributors (Your own suggestions can be added in the comments or, if mailed to the admin [moricienneries@gmail.com], will appear below)

The Mauritius dictionary letter by letter: D is for…

The Mauritius dictionary letter by letter: D is for…

Dalmatians, 101 – Famous cartoon back in the days that seems to be not so famous today

Dalpuri – Staple food of many a Mauritian, which is also the reason why so many of them are heart patients

D’Ambre, Ile – One of the many small islands surrounding our own small island

Dannon, Bledina de – Has this become the modern reference for baby food?

Delo – La vie, as says the commercial

Delo coco – Refreshing drink found, as its name suggests, in a coconut. Commonly drank by the beach on a hot and sunny day

Demarches – What everybody says they’re supposed to be doing when ‘discovered’ unexpectedly by someone they know while wandering around aimlessly in Port Louis on a day where they were normally supposed to be somewhere else

Di lait – Used to be obtained in liquid form from cows. Now obtained in powdered form from boxes; used to be given to every students at school in the 90s but now too bloody expensive to even make it twice a day in a home

Dilwale Dunhanya Le Jayenge – Hindi movie that seems to never get old for some, who watch it every month or so, and still cry their hearts out each time

Disc Operating System (DOS) – The days before Windows made its apparition when everything was command prompt

Disc, Digital Video – What will soon be known as ‘what used to be advanced technology’ in only a few years. See also, Disc, Video Compact

Disc, Video Compact – What used to be advanced technology only a few years ago

Dithé, Ti – Extra compensation for [stereotypically] the hard workers of the public sector who work hard everyday just to make others’ lives more miserable. Typically given in brown envelopes that were obtained in the mail but whose stamp has been removed and name label torn off. See also Barracks, Line, Dramer.

Diverti – What is often attributed as the cause for someone’s failure to do something even if it is completely false or has absolutely nothing to do with it. ‘Li tro diverti,’ they say.

Dodo – Our emblem, our most renowned islander in the whole wide world. R.I.P.

Dodo International – Most powerful globally universal company who is the leader for everything there is. Trademark products include vaseline and slippers; also, couple of guys who probably have nothing better to do than write ‘insighful’ stuff on a facebook group and a wordpress blog that rock.  Latest findings suggest that it is a talented football team that is part of the International Mauritius Foundation on the online management game Xpert11.  See also Moricienneries

Domaine Anna – Restaurant found in the middle of sugarcane fields on the way to Flic en Flac.  Common place for company dinners and events.

Domaine du Chasseur – One of the last areas of endemic forest in Mauritius; reknowned for hunting, as its name suggests.

Domaine XXX – What the various natural areas in the island that are privately owned are usually called.  Replace the XXX with a name.  See also, Domaine Anna, Domaine du Chasseur

Dos – Expression used (by kids?) as a reconciliation memo to say that they are once again on talking terms; its opposite is fass.  See also, Fass

D’Or, XXX – Yet another name for those who lack the imagination/creatvity to come up with a name or who have gotten tired looking

Draguer – What teens typically do whenever they get the chance, whether others are looking or not. Also done by adults, even though they never admit it. Level 1 involves the lips and the tongue. Level 2 includes the hands also. Level 3…is called something else.

Dramer – What highschool students do before and after school, and some while at school too; also what [stereotypical] hard workers of the public sector who work hard everyday do. See also Dithé, Ti

 

Additional material from contributors (Your own suggestions can be added in the comments or, if mailed to the admin (moricienneries@gmail.com), will appear here)

The Mauritius dictionary letter by letter: C is for…

The Mauritius dictionary letter by letter: C is for…

 

Cabo – Majestic freshwater algae-eating fish that is called ugly for some reason; Known officially as Plecostomus

Cadbury – What used to be the standard for chocolate before, in Mauritius; now lost among the hordes of other brands found on the local market, that are equally as good, if not better

Cadets, Hindu – Football team during the days of communal local football whose players were, as the name suggests, Hindus.

‘Carapat’ – Bloodsucking insect that drinks the blood of its host while replacing it with lethal toxins, and which move to other hosts after the first one is dead; also used as term to describe certain types of people who use others for their own benefit before going on to use others after the first ones are ruined

Caripoulet – Ambiguously-named leaf that is used as condiment; is vegetarian even though the name suggests otherwise

Carrom – Board game played with circular pawns; every family must have one chacha/uncle/tonton who is an ‘expert’ in this game

Cassam, Bhai – Stereotypical carpenter in the neighbourhood

Cateau Vert – Endemic bird in danger of extinction. They exist in 2 varieties – Cateau Verte and Grosse Cateau Verte; Also the nickname given to the most successful girls’ highschool based in Rose-Hill

Cellplus – What Mauritius Telecom’s cellular branch used to be known as before being forcefully taken ov..uhm..before being invested in by Orange

Chelsea United – Next in line for the imitation of English football clubs. See also Bolton City, Arsenal.

Chez XXX – Common name for stores whose owners ran out of inspiration to find a name, or who are just plain lazy to find one

Club M – Nickname given to the world beaters of the Mauritius National Football Team, name that fills the rest of the football world with jitters

Colin Mayard – Kids’ game that involves tying a blindfold over one person’s eyes and the latter has to catch everybody; has nothing to do with adults’ game that involves tying a blindgod over one person’s eyes

Colleges des Ondes – They supposedly ‘teach’ via television; also known as Mauritius College of the Air

Condé – See Bulbul

Coq – Every family used to make it a must to possess at least one before but now can only be found in a few, rare farms today; also the ridiculously appropriate nickname given to the most fanatic national football team ever to have been seen on Earth till now

Coquillage – What Mauritian beaches were laden with before ‘cleaning’ operations started to be run every now and then; also slang used to describe something males have that females do not

Corbeau – “Beau comme un corbeau,” they used to say. “Ayo enkor n corbo!” they say today.

Corbeille Menagere – The most common first prize for Tombolas organised at school

Corne – Species of saltwater fish that induces nightmares after being eaten, or so the ‘elders’ say

Crayola – The one-time standard for wax crayons. See also Staedler, Pentel, Toyota

Crunchies – Corn snacks that were/are neither bad nor good, but were a much cheaper alternative to Twisties. Available in 2 flavors – Cheese (red) and Chicken (green)

Cundasamy, Jimmy – Mauritian David Beckham because he, for one, can curl his freekicks, but is left footed, and not as good-looking

Curepipe Starlight FC – Champions of the prestigious Barclays League some years back and regional football team of Curepipe that sounds more like the name of a gay nightclub than that of a football club; used to be managed at one point legendary Mauritan coach – Mr. Sarjoo Gowreesunkur

Additional material from contributors (Your own suggestions can be added in the comments or, if mailed to the admin (moricienneries@gmail.com), will appear here)

 

Prerrna

Camp Diable – Remote village in the south with an interesting name

Compagnie, Jardin de la – Public recreational area in central Port Louis, famous among locals, tourists, hawkers and shadier characters

Continent – Original name of the one-time only hypermarket in Mauritius, now overshadowed by its competitors at trianon, bagatelle, cascavelle, etc.

Couper – Activity involving the dilution of a strong drink by a milder one

Camper – Staying out overnight usually in the open; Also refers to standing/sitting at one place for an extended period, e.g. on the toilet seat

Yanish

Choisy, Mont – One of the more popular beaches in the North of Mauritius.

Cannon – Colloquial term used for something which was tough, e.g. ‘test la ti cannon’.

Champagne, Biscuit– A popular biscuit which used to be served to those guests who come during the weekends; Rare nowadays.

CNT – Bus company which has been providing its services to the Mauritian population for a long long time, formerly [Vacoas Transport]; Buses are usually of the TATA or Ashok Leyland make.

Curepipe – One of the major towns in Mauritius, focal point being the Jan Palach bus station.

Caudan Waterfront – Popular chillout place amongst college students, “fonctionnaires” and just random ppl in general; Has a pizza hut and the famous Labourdonnais Hotel.

Champ de Mars – The one and only racecourse in Mauritius where the famous Maiden cup is held every season; Focal point: the Tombo Malartik lol.

Chady – [stereptypical] local neighbourhood butcher.

Corolla, Toyota – The most popular car in Mauritius; Comes complete with the red ribbon and the typical DX 745 number plate, typically priced in the ‘90s at 200,000rs.

Corps de Garde – Mountain in Q.Bornes with a temple around 1/4 of the way up.

Composition – Term used to describe the essays that every Mauritian student has written 100s of times during their CPE years. Usually involves a trip to the seaside as the main topic… [ndlr: if anybody has access to a copy of any such essay, please let us know]

Crebel – Used to make good “costumes”. Not sure about how popular it is now…[or if it still exists]

Zaki

Caca dan cannsson – Literally, ‘ to excrete faecal matter in one’s pants’; Term used to describe a feeling of fright and/or stupor that overcomes one’s face usually made at the particular moment one is passing faecal matter on the ‘think-tank’. E.g, ‘couma mo get li, li caca dans cannsson’

Canette – Children’s game of marbles played by a yester generation; Last known to have played them were those representatives of generation X; Died down during the mid-to-late 9os

Coulouce – Local folk, one-hit wonder band who had a major hit with ‘Maja carley meri jaan, phirr se na hoga jawann’ in the early 90’s

Carambole – Starfruit, obtained during the summer period; Best enjoyed among friends under a tree following lunch either in hot salad form or with chilli-and-salt paste

Caca-l*k* – Derogatory term of the highest order used on a parasite of society should the latter be responsible for unspeakable acts of infringment on the unofficial laws of humanity, i.e, back-biting, rubbish player at a particular sport, diversion of personal information, etc

Crest – Mauritian washing-up liquid; Very successful brand back in the 90s. Now has some competition, Fairy, among the competitors. ‘Au boulot crest!’

Chamarel – Village in the south-west region of the island, unadulterated by modernity; One can travel back in time, to when development in the island were still at a stage of infancy. 18th/19th century-to-mid-60s would be a fair guess

Chamouny – Village found in the central-to-southern part of the island. One can find tea plantations contributing to the splendour of the landscape

 

The Mauritius dictionary letter by letter: B is for…

The Mauritius dictionary letter by letter: B is for…

B, Big – See also Bacchan, Amitabh

Bacchan, Amitabh – One of the most respected Bollywood actors who is still kicking it today at 60+; considered a living God and worshipped by many a Mauritian

Badinage Bookmaker – Horseracing mobile betting, even possible when the horse is in the stands (albeit before starting to run)

Badinage Merven – Horseracing-related lottery, the success rates of which are pretty much unknown

Balier Coco – Essential tool for whoever wants to keep their yard clean; also used by old women as a weapon against whoever annoys them

Balier Fatack – Made from dried Fatack (a weed or plant, however you choose to see it) and is a must-have in most Mauritian homes for any cleaning purposes ranging from sweeping dirt off the floor to destroying spider webs in cornersl

Barracks, Line – Police Headquarters located opposite Victoria Bus Station in Port Louis; also where every person seeking a driver’s licence must spend at least 1-2 full days before maybe obtaining what they went to look for there, by hook or by crook. See also Dithé, Ti

Basalt – A big portion of Mauritius

Bassin Blanc – A nature reserve in the southern region of Mauritius, known for being the natural habitat of the Pigeon des Mares; turned armed forces training ground since the disappearance of two lovebirds there in the 2000s.

Bassin, Grand – Religious site/Tourist attraction; rendered even more famous for its eels, or like kids say, ‘ena gro gro anguives la dan!’

Baton Mouroum – Hangs down from the ‘Brede Mouroum’ tree when the temperatures soar; also used as expression to describe someone very skinny.

Bax, Sebastien – Once the able Captain of the much less able Club M; played his trade for Sunrise FC before leaving for the greener pastures of South Africa; now retired

Bleu – 2nd Strip of our Beloved Mauritian Flag, representing the beautiful sea that surrounds the island; also what some people put in their clothes to make them white

Blue Marlin – Refreshing beer made locally, with 1% of alcohol more than its counterpart Phoenix Beer, but that for some reason is not as popular

Bobby, Le monde de – Fun to watch cartoon about a tiny kid on a tricycle with a head 5 times as big as his body; no longer played on the local channels

Bobok (Sek) – ‘Insult’, albeit not that much, that used to be heard a lot before; Sek was often added after for emphasis of some sort

Bolom Sounga – Terrorizing kids since the start of time; said to abduct children who were not nice and obedient

Bolton City – Fearsome football club somewhere in Mauritius; nothing else known about it

Bombli – Salted, dried fish that stinks but that is still consumed fried or in ‘rougaille’; also known as Bombay Duck

Brede XXX – Of many varieties; Food traditionally disliked by kids as it’s green (hence its English name being ‘Greens’) and tastes, well, how you’d expect a cooked green plant to taste like.

Brede Malbar – Was the subject of an intense campaign to change its name to ‘Brede National’ because of its supposedly-communal name, but which failed miserably.

Brilé, Latet – Hot-headed person, typically without the ability to reason or alternately governed by such overwhelming physical urges that the mind is totally bypassed

Bulbul – Small, crested endemic bird with a melodious song and eats fruits and insects; also known as Condé

Additional material from contributors (Your own suggestions can be added in the comments or, if mailed to the admin (moricienneries@gmail.com), will appear here)

Yanish

Babu – A very common name in Asian families in Mru; Usually replaces the actual name of the youngest boy of the family and stays that way 50yrs down the line! See also Garçon

Bagasse – Byproduct of sugarcane manufacture (straight out of EVS lol)

Bazaar – Market; Each town has its own day for market except le fameux bazaar P.Louis [and Rose Hill] that operate every day.

Bergamode – Local fruit; called Bergamot Orange in English

Betel, feuille– Very common in Hindu families in Mru; Used for pooja [ndlr: by some, as a food item for others trying to imitate actors in Bollywood movies]

Bis, gato – Sweets that used to be bought by every school kid in the past; rare [if not extinct] nowadays. Comes in different colours.

Board – The common term used to describe the “municipalite”; Has been witness to a host of unforgettable music in its lifetime. lol.

Bourik – Literally meaning ass; Usually used to describe a stupid person.

Briyani – Pretty self explanatory dish consisting of a mixture of spices, rice and various other mix and match items.

Zaki

Barre to fesse – Ultimatum given to someone or a group of people prior to infliction of any particular type of pain, be it physical or intellectual; E.g. a teacher might say the same to his students prior to a test or a felon might throw this at his victims prior to committing his felony

Batter render – Giving someone his ‘loose change’; Usually administered onto someone whom a grudge is held against. Can be physical as well as non-physical

Baygon – The only insecticide in the late 80s/90s to be effective against any creepy crawler that ever walked the earth. See also Baygon, gagne coutte

Baygon, gagne coutte – Worn-out and unable to move a muscle; Immobilised like the ‘roaches on their backs when Baygon is directly sprayed onto them’

Bescherelle – Red booklet tabulating verbs in French/how they should be written and be a pain in the ‘a**’ for children from 4th to 6th grades. (aler ensam zot tou, je piles, tu piles, il pile, elle, nou…..)

Bez simain ou aller – Telling someone to go scoot from a designated place, usually used in a state of anger/annoyment to get rid of someone

Bom net sa – Expression used to qualify an entity as being devoid of any excitement; Whether it be an object, a person or a party

Boule (bull) rouzz – literal translation of ‘Red Bull’

The Mauritius dictionary letter by letter: A is for…

The Mauritius dictionary letter by letter: A is for…

A1, Quincaillerie – If you can’t find what you need there, you won’t find it anywhere else

Ail, l’ – 50% of the ail/gingembre mixture that is ever-present in Mauritian cuisine; also annoying little cloth-eating flying insect attracted by light

Airport, Chips – What kids craved for back in the 90s, when they used to be served hot in generous portions and were actually quite good (for more info check out https://moricienneries.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/54/)

Alalila – Hit sega by Denis Azor that still makes the bottoms of people move rhymthmically on the dance floor

Alouda – A more refreshing drink on a hot day is hard to find

Anerood – First name of arguably one of the most respected men in local History, who set Mauritius on the way to success in the 80s; also first name of arguably one of the most involuntarily comical men, whose trademark punch line is ‘Mo don li enn coup de pied mo avoy li dan karo kann’

Angleterre, Mo tonton in amen sa pu moi depi – What kids in the 90s used to tell their friends after they got a brand new digital watch with a backlight, usually of the Casio brand

Anil – probably one of the most common names found in the male Indo-Mauritian population

Anjalay, Stade – Formerly known as Stade Anerood Jugnauth, and former official ‘home’ of the notoriously good football Gods of Club M

Anthurium – The easy solution to decoration in case of surprise visits by foreign relatives/friends/acquaintances later that same day

Ariel – What washing powder is known as today; formerly called Omo

Arouille, Gato – Actually made from Violet

Arrack, l’ – One of the products the Dutch made from sugarcane back in the days and what ‘old’ peope drink today; also what younger ones call alcoholic drinks in order to sound more hip

Arrivage, Nouvelle – What stores like Manjoo, Cash and Carry, and Courts tell the public is on display while it is actually the same stuff they have been unable to sell the previous year

Association Sportive (AS) – Common prefix to any local football club after regionalization, such as the likes of AS Vacoas-Phoenix, AS Rivière du Rempart, etc.

Aston Martin – Modern symbol of social inequality between the haves and the have-nots; also known as total waste of taxpayers’ money

Avoyer Avoyer Avoyer – What people tell drivers driving their vehicles in reverse to park/get out of somewhere

Ayo – Trademark expression of any Mauritian

Ayurvedic – Generation X’s remedy source to everything

Additional material from contributors (Your own suggestions can be added in the comments or, if mailed to the admin (moricienneries@gmail.com), will appear here)

Yanish

Ajay – Typically “chauffer vanne lekol primaire”.

Americain, Tournevis – Another name for the Philips screwdriver

Appollo, Mine – No Mauritian can call himself a true Mauritian if s/he  hasn’t tried this at least once in a lifetime. lol. Comes in different flavours (“saveurs”) to cater for all

Arsenal – An actual place in North Mauritius; Local team from there becoming an increasingly popular team in Mauritius

Prerrna

Aircon – Short for air conditioning; Essential feature in most offices in and around Port Louis. Also available in some public transport and in select tuitions where one has to pay extra for the service

Anou ale XXX – Any public event [usually held on a sunday] including free food and free entertainment. Adapted from ‘Anou redresse nou pays’

Apiyer Sofere – Song of obscure origin known by every single primary school kid and sung typically at the start or end of a picnic trip [ndlr: often followed by ’12 faratas’, for reasons that nobody knows]

Arcades – Place of choice for youngsters to hang around before or after school hours, or even sometimes during school

Zaki

Akha, Roti – Supposedly the successor of Chapo La Paille. Found in Cassis (Roti has yet to be tried by the author for validity of the above statement)

Alain, Chez – Normally a shop around ward 4 in Port-Louis, owned by a pot-bellied sino-Mauritian who only wears old t-shirts and a pair of baggy shorts. The shop is usually painted in yellow with either the phoenix beer logo or the ever-so-Mauritian ‘Matinee’…cigarette par-excellence for high school kids back in the days when state express, marlboro and the likes were unaffordable

Ala-laaaaa – Expression depicting sheer joy, normally best said in circumstances involving someone you despise being given a skinning by an elder person/the teacher

Antoine – Fisherman living on the west coast of the island who owns a dinghy named ‘Marie-Therese’

Antoine (Antwenne) ek Lelette – Popular sketch comedies back in the late 90s where a hen-pecked husband used to constantly get berated by his control-freak wife. Caused major uproar within the male segment of the Creole community since it depicted them as anything but virile and macho

Arcade Salaffa – set of shops grouped in one gynormous building, found in Curepipe; popular place for shopping/hanging-out for youths back in the late 1980s. See also Arcades

Assize twa emba, Risse 1 sez – Literally, grab a chair n sit ‘down’; formerly common slang among young people in their strive to be hip

Ayo mo Famio!!!!! – See Ayo

Ayo papidou, doucement papidou – Reknowned sega of the 60s by the much-loved Ti Frer