This archive report was first published on 12 October 2019.
October 12, 2019, marked the emergence of a new phrase on Twitter: 'bomboclaat'. This Jamaican expression, used to convey anger, has been adopted by users to evoke reactions on various topics.
According to Urban Dictionary, 'bomboclaat' is a phrase commonly used in Jamaican speech and reggae music. It gained popularity after being used by Ugandan singers Jose Chameleone and Weasel in their 2012 song 'Bomboclaat', three years after Jamaica's Elephant Man dropped a song with the same title.
On Twitter, users have been uploading pictures and captioning them with 'bomboclaat', prompting others to retweet and share their thoughts on what the picture represents.
This trend follows the success of 'o jewa ka eng', a South African phrase that trended globally and helped many people find jobs or receive hospital funds. Another phrase, 'sco pa tu manaa', which means 'what experience does this remind you of?', was also adopted by Twitter users, who responded to pictures with their thoughts.
Examples of users' reactions include:
- Cliff Steele (@MarkyMack1) tweeted: 'Niaje mzito?? Sasa unakataa kunigotea? https://t.co/sCTPUD3mvF ' on October 9, 2019.
- Napendanga Viazi (@achi_achieng) tweeted: 'As long as you love me….. We could be starving, we could be homeless, we could be broke ' https://t.co/QDZPefGiQw ' on October 9, 2019.
- The Architect (@KyleKiragu) tweeted: 'Just try it. Avocado is nice' https://t.co/WeefV5xqeb ' on October 8, 2019.
As the 'bomboclaat' trend continues, it remains to be seen how users will adapt and use this phrase in the future.
