Thursday 2 August 2012

Slow-backward: Mambulaoan lingo that enriched your life


By PERCY A OSTONAL
Michigan, USA


THERE'S no way you can avoid remembering the time of your life when you were growing up in Mambulao. Distinctively ours, the words we'd spoken and accustomed with were just like anything but endless "music to ours ears" … bringing along with it thousand memories of our town and people. Truly and typically heart-warming, old-timer residents, whenever they gather for a party, be at home or overseas, make that feeling of attachments emotionally wonderful.

These words will surely turn back THE CLOCK of the 50s, 60s and the 70s for you. Having fun yet?

Hamlagin (jump at, bitten by (dog) to pursue)
Napapaha (thirsty)
Hamigin (to take all, as in gambling winnings)
Ganga, iganga (to cook in vinegar, ginger and garlic … in short, pinaksiw!)
Badi-in (to split open a fish and dry it in the sun), as in “badi-in mo yong natirang isda)
Kabil-an, magkabil-an (slippers or shoes not in proper pair), as in magkabil-an ang sapatos mo!)
Kalag-kag (rake, as in “kalagkagin mo na yang mga basura sa harap ng bahay)
Mapar-at (foul urine odor)
Amusin (dirty face)
Bubun (shallow spring water well, common in the barrio.
Tinumok (local dish made from gabi leaves, young coconut, coconut milk and shrimps)
Sapoti, sinapoti (lousily done) … as in tsk… sinapoti mo naman ang pag-shayn ng sapatos ko …
Baranggol (crudely done) … baranggol ang pagkagawa ng silya …
Balaghari (rainbow)
Nek-nek (a very tiny mosquito species common in the barrio that bites annoyingly)
Lukton (grasshopper)
Sundang (big bolo)
Palas (sharp knife five to six inches long)
Mapasingkig (bumping into something)
Tumir-is (to pee/urinate)
Tungaw (an irritation that usually occurs on the male’s genetal skin, caused by minuscule bugs some gets by sitting in the grass)
Tabuldo (boiled kamote in ginger and sugar)
Nag iidig-idig (shaking)
Pungod, punggurin (acne, pimple)
Tusik na tusik (too drunk, dead drunk)
Nag lagabong (fall to the ground)
Nag-kukuya-kuyakoy (relaxing, day dreaming, swinging a leg or legs, while seated on a chair)
Bulaan (liar, untruthful)
Bar-ad (a description of a person who’s not smart; clumsy or lousy)
Osmak (commonly used to describe individual with bad mouth or using bad words;  messy, unclean)
‘Tangala yan (my golly or what a thing!!! (expression of surprise – actually from “putang-gala ‘yan” to mean a roaming hooker)
Putang-gala! (a cuss, to mean “town hooker or prostitute)
Anak ng Cura! (a cuss, to mean “you son of a priest!”)
Hubo (naked) followed by “hubad as in hubo’t hubad”
Sunga-nga-in (punch to the face)
Siya ngani (yes, it’s true)
Iyo ‘man (right …)
Maglalako (vendor, to sell)
Kuripas (to run fastest you can)
Budyakin (to punch to abdomen)
Taga-in (to hack with a bolo)
Kurag-it (scream), as in ‘yang batang ‘yan, lagi na lang kumukurag-it!
Ti-ikin (to grab by the neck, strangle)
Tikin (long bamboo pole used to gather coconuts, usually made up of four to five joined bamboo trunks with a sharp curb blade at the tip).
Ilado (refers to fish that has been on ice; and not good anymore compared to the fresh ones)
Kastiguhin (to punish severely … from “castigate”)
Paja-hin o sinturunin (belt him/her up)
Pakatan (mangrove forest)
Pastidyo (hard to please) as in “pastidyo kang bata ka … ano ba’ng gusto mo?!”
Ispanta (to wonder or to suspect), as in “nag-iispanta na ako sa taong ‘yan…”
Mag agwanta (to be patient enough) as in “wala kang agwanta (you got no patience)
Agwanta ka (pasensya ka)
Para-utot (fond of releasing gas)
Mangawil, magkawil (to catch fish with hook and line attached to a bamboo pole)
Sinsoro (a fish net similar to gill neat)
Pula (stress in ‘u’, to mean deaf-mute, as in tulog pa ‘yung pula ko … (my [deaf-mute] son is still asleep)
Maghinaw (to wash hands)
Sag-maw (‘kaning-baboy” or hogwash)
Salapi (50 centavos) … as in, magkano ang gulay mo? “Salapi po…”
Dakmal, dinakmal (grab by hand) … as in “dinakmal ang kanin sa plato)

(Some of these words were provided to me by fellow Mambulaoans namely Mr Pert Dumangas,  Ms Dondin Relos,  (Los Angeles, California) , Ms Rosalie O Reyes , Connecticut (USA), Priscillano "Pong" Ostonal Jr (Toronto, Canada) and Alfredo P Hernandez (Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea)
.

King of games we played then
Sungka, sinsito, tumbang-preso, tubigang haba, taguan, sungkitan (rubber band) sipaan, (rubber band) Pakit-kitan (scratch, as in lotto numbers), baksyatan (using mangrove fruits (saging-sagingan) as missile), skating (a 5”x 15” foot board platform running on two small ball bearings, stand and handle made of wood painted in multi-colors), tele-teleponohan (using small cans of milk with the open side covered with bond paper, hook-up with string in each of the cans), sungkayaw (stilt-walker), bahay-bahayan (that was my favorite), espa-espadahan, baril-barilan (at the old Mambulao Lumber Co property), tiraduran (using for missiles young avocado fruit the size of a thumb; usually played on the slopes of the JP Elementary School when avocado trees were bearing fruits), d'yolen (marble game)’ luksong- tinik, bilding (building), a girl’s game using wooden clogs as tool, piko (a girl’s game skipping on spaces drawn on the ground, skipping-rope, buradol (paper kite played by young kids), saranggola (kite much bigger and sturdier than buradol and played by adults).
 
How to get in at Fred Theater without paying
To get a "free movie" at Fred Theater then, I was told how to do it:

Make sure that few minutes before scheduled movie interval showing, you should be ready with ice cream in your hand and as people were on the way out, go for the "acting kill" and must convincingly inform whoever at the entrance that you're just coming back. "Kailangan tumutulo na ang ice cream mo para mapadali ang pag-papasok sa iyo" (in order to get in quick, your ice cream should be all over your hand).

(There was a time when one of the ticket usherettes (a nice old lady) was observed to be closing her eyes for several seconds while manning the ticket box at the entrance. Naughty kids exploited this: As soon as she closed her eyes, apparently due to lack of sleep, they would quickly sneak in right under her nose!). The kids hung around in front of a movie still bulletin board next to the lady, pretending to look at the black-and-white pictures, waiting for their cue to get in. - Editor.)

Great  Original hits of the 50s and 60s
 
1954-55
Rock and Roll Waltz  -  Kay Starr
Wanted - Perry Como
Mister Sandman -  The Chordettes
Little Things Mean A Lot - Kitty Kallen with orchestra directed by Jack Pleis
Only You - The platters
(We Gonna) Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley and his Comets

1956
My Prayer  - The Platters
Blueberry Hill - Fats Domino
I Almost Lost My Mind - Pat Boone
Allegheny Moon - Patti Page

1957
Tammy - Debbie Reynolds with orchestra directed by Joseph Gershenson
Love Letters in the Sand - Pat Boone
Fascination - Jane Morgan
Love Love - Tab Hunter
Wake Up Little Susie -- The Every Brothers

1958-59

Catch a Falling Star - Perry Como
Sugartime - The Mcguire Sisters with chorus and orchestra directed by Neal Hefti
Who's Sorry Now - Connie Francis

1960-61
Itsy bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini - Brian Hyland
Where the Boys  Are - Connie francis
Harbor Lights - The Platters
Exodus  - Ferrante & Teicher

1962
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do - Neil Sedaka
All Alone Am I - Brenda Lee
Love Letters - Ketty Lester
Sealed with a Kiss - Brian Hyland

1963
Upon the Roof - The Drifters
It's My Party - Lesley Gore

1964
Under the Boardwalk - The Drifters
Hellow Dolly - Louis Armstrong
Let It be Me  - Jerry Butler and Betty Everett

1965
What the World Needs Now Is Love - Jackie Deshannon
Lemon Tree - Trini Lopez
Downtown - Petula Clark

1966-67
You Don't Have to Say you Love Me  - Dusty Springfield
Dedicated to the One I Love - The Mamas and the Papas
Cherish - The Association

1968
Light My Fire - The Doors
Medley: Goin' Out of My head Can't Take My Eyes Off You - The Lettermen

1969
I'll Never Fall in Love Again - Tom Jones
Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet - Henry Mancini and his Orchestra

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