A Thousand Ways to say Good-Bye

No I'm not early terminating. I have been thinking lately though, since I ride alone in taxis more frequently now that Caitlin is at the 4H, and I am working with the St. Elizabeth Parish Council, about all the different ways people say good-bye when they leave the taxi. From my perspective, it seems that women really stick to the 'Bye' and 'Good-bye', but guys have a whole slew of phraseology for parting. I've been trying these out on my drivas, who usually give me a blank stare and an 'okay', but here is a brief anthology of my experience thus far.

• The standard 'Aalright' ("Alright") : This is a very common method of both greeting and farewell. Non-committal, it can be used with strangers, acquaintance and friend alike.
• 'Okey' ("Okay") : See 'Alright'.
• 'Yes' : (See 'Okey') More typically used with strangers and passing acquaintances.
• 'Layta' ("Later") : A common one used after spending any amount of time with someone, conversing or not.
• 'Likkle more' ("Little more"): similar to 'Latar', it has implications of perhaps knowing a little patois.
• 'Likkle bit' ("Little bit"): I'm not quite sure, but I think this implies that you'll see the person again soon. Although I've certainly used it as a more permanent farewell.
• 'Easy nuh' ("Easy now"): My guess, at least how I use it, is "Take it easy", I don't hear this one often, so of course, I use it a lot.
• And my newest favorite 'Give Tanks!' ("Give Thanks!") [Which Caitlin wryly suggested I could add "an' bullets! Pop! Pop!", which isn't very funny]: Of course this means "Give Thanks to God", but since everything is Christian, there is no more or less religious significance to this farewell. I particularly like to follow this one with 'Ya hear?'.
  

Many farewells can also be suffixed with 'Ya hear?', except 'Aalright', 'Okey', and 'Yes', which would just sound weird followed by 'Ya hear?'.

Here is a older picture of Sonia's baby Tana. Sonia is one of the women in the St. Helena Women's Group partnership and a good friend of Caitlin. I took this picture back in May. Ain't she cute?


Give tanks! Ya hear?

-Khaled