The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #138727 Message #3176176
Posted By: GUEST,leeneia
25-Jun-11 - 08:25 AM
Thread Name: Origins: Mattie Rag meanings (Jamaican Mento)
Subject: RE: Origins: Mattie Rag meanings
It baffles me, Morwen, but the words 'chaw' and 'rag' make me think it's about chewing tobacco. Maybe there's some illegal substance that resembles chewing tobacco and papa got caught chawing it.
The words stirred a dim memory in me of an announcer on a cigarette ad saying the words 'finest rag tobacco.' I googled 'rag tobacco,' and discovered that 'cut rag tobacco' is a standard phrase in the tobacco business.
Mattie could be a brand name or it could be the seller's name.
In my opinion the editors went overboard with precious spellings. Why tu for too? Sey for say? Fa is probably of. If they really think catch has to have a short e in it, they could spell it cetch, rather than ketch, which is a kind of boat.
Reading it aloud helps, but I think local knowledge is also needed.