OFF: Brit Slang!

[Doug Pearson]

On Fri, 16 Aug 2002 21:51:47 +0100, Jonathan Jarrett
<jjarrett at CHIARK.GREENEND.ORG.UK> wrote:
>        Eh? Hawkwind's toaster? Now you've lost me. Red Dwarf's toaster I
>remember. Hawkwind have not vouchsafed any details of their kitchen
>equipment that I remember. (Swords!)

Not a reggae fan, then?  A toaster is somewhat analagous to Reggae music
what a rapper or MC is to hip-hop music (confusingly, toasters are
sometimes referred to as DJ's in a reggae context, but they are not like a
hip-hop DJ doing scratching & turntable "tricks" ... they're known for
talking/rapping while playing the instrumental/dub b-sides of records).
Something of a reggae vocalist who isn't really a *singer*.  Some better-
known Jamaican toasters would include U-Roy, Yellowman, Eek-A Mouse, Prince
Far I, and others.  Pato Banton would be an English one.  That definition
can be found among the etymology here:
http://courses.lib.odu.edu/engl/jbing/444-Joshua.html
(scroll about 3/4 down, or just search for the word "reggae")

In the context of Hawkwind, the toaster would probably be the guy
saying, "Smoke thee hasheeesh" during one of their "techno" breaks. :^)

>        I understand rhyming slang mind ('cause we all talk like Cockneys
>and own castles over here as you know :-) )

heh heh ... got me! :^)

>but I have no idea what you're
>on about otherwise. Am I missing something really obvious?

No, not that obvious (or maybe it is now?) just in bad taste (my fault!
sorry!).

    -Doug
     jasret at mindspring.com