cocoa payol
n.— «If one admitted to knowing Hindi, one would be ostracised for being “coolie”; if one admitted to knowing French, as a “country bookie” or “small islander”; Spanish, a “cocoa payol”; and so forth.» —“Hindi and Innocent Creole Culture” by Kirk Meighoo Trinidad Express Apr. 23, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Unwrap the name of a candy bar, and you just might find a story inside. For instance, one chewy treat found in many a checkout lane is named after a family’s beloved horse. And: 50 years ago in the United States, some Latino elementary...
It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when people disagreed over the best word to use when answering the phone. Alexander Graham Bell suggested answering with ahoy! but Thomas Edison was partial to hello! A fascinating new book about...