Thursday Thirteen banner was made by my good friend, Samulli.
I live in the Deira side of Dubai where the English language I hear is the “tweaked” version. Here’ what I hear on a daily basis:
1. Up and down – Not referring to jumping of any kind.
“How much is going to Mumbai, up and down?”
“Really? You got yours for 1,000 dhs only for up and down?”
No idea what that means? Give up? It means, round trip. Don’t be too hard on yourself. I didn’t have the slightest idea the first time I heard it!!
2. Expired – food, service validity and you might NOT guess, human beings.
A colleague told me: “My uncle has expired last night. ”
3. Do one thing – or two or three, as many as you like! You can hear this when someone is giving instructions on what to do.
“Do one thing, Ali Baba, pick up the mail at the post office and bring it here.” Oops, those were two things!
4. One Mr. xx – There is someone called Mr. xx.
“There is one Mr. Kamal in the accounts department, go meet him.”
5. Increment – “Did you have increment this year?” or “No, the company will not provide increment because of the recession.”
It means, salary increase.
6. Snaps – “Grace, can you take my snaps?”
Huh?
“My snaps. I’ll come with a nice top (blouse) tomorrow so please bring your camera.”
Oh, photos!
7. Filipiniii- Pronounce, Fi-li-pi-niii, referring to Filipinos here in Dubai. I get this all the time: “Are you Filipiniii?”
8. Goggles- not the swimming gadget nor the search engine, heh. Goggles, dark ones, for the sun! Duh!
9. Pressurizing situation- I hear pressurinzing instead of “pressing” or “pressuring”.
“The client is constantly pressurizing us!” or “Please don’t keep pressurizing me, I am busy with other things!”
Oooh-kaay. Stop the pressurizing already!
10. Everything is “too much”- “Ah, summer. It’s too much hot!” or “What? 10 dirhams for this? it’s too much costly!”
Clearly. This is too much for my ears.
11. I have one doubt – doubt, question, confusion.
“Wait, I have one doubt, how to go to Karama?”
12. “Yeah”- the ultimate sentence ender in Dubai. Gotta love it. Not!
“I’ll call you tomorrow, yeah?”
“So you’ve been in Dubai for almost three years, yeah?”
13. xx Sir/xx Madam- the way the bosses or females are referred to. Here they don’t say Sir Elton John or Madam Tussauds (hehehe, can’t think of any better examples!) they say: Elton John Sir and Tussauds Madam.
This Thursday Thirteen is brought to you by Grace Madam. 
If you missed the first part of What They’re Talkin, check out the post I did last year.
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Grace (5)
Kayla @ TheEclecticElement (4)
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
I just wanted to let you know that “expired” is proper in California too!
I guess I am living in the cave then — it sounds so strange to me!!
Oh wow….I’d be lost if visiting then….but I do really like the version of photos…’snaps’. That’s a good one.
My Thirteen is posted…a message to all cats/dogs AND their owners. All in fun! Happy day wishes to you….
Hootin’ Annis last blog post..
Filipiniii?
That could drive you crazy
http://iamharriet.blogspot.com/2009/06/lovin-thursday.html
Yeah, I don’t think I would understand what they were saying if I were just plunked down in the middle of them all.
Jackis last blog post..Potpourri
Having been married to the Amazing Egyptian Dude for nearly 30 years, I’ve heard a few of these myself. My favorite, though, remains substituting OPEN for ON and CLOSE for OFF. Conquered this one by telling DH to read the words on the appliance he wanted to OPEN or CLOSE.
Carleens last blog post..Thursday Thirteen #5: Podcasts to Learn By
We would use snaps here too
JanMary, N Irelands last blog post..Lessons Learned – results, chefs, parties and talent!
I hear “I have one doubt” a lot here as well… mostly from my Indian colleagues.
Enrico Pangans last blog post..Classic MTV
I could use an increment
Chelles last blog post..
That was so much fun, Grace! Thanks for another peek at life in Dubai!
I figured out most of them. In context, it wasn’t hard. But yeah, I’d be grimacing right along with you at that poor syntax!
Susan Helene Gottfrieds last blog post..Thursday Thirteen: Soul Bendorff
Cool list. I would be totally “lost in translation” with those though. Thanks for the explanations.
Thanks for sharing. Happy TT!
I knew all save numbers 7, 8, and 13.
Jennifers last blog post..The Giving of One’s Time, Talent, and Kindness
Love it! Kind of reminds me of someone I used to work with. One of her favorites was the phrase “that one”-referring to pretty much anything.
Do one thing is my favourite!!
The one I hear alot is “tell me”. they say it as soon as you pick up the phone even if you’re calling them for something grrrrr
Come to the store to avail yourself the discount – we have discouns in store..
Do the needful… do what you gotta do (charity, wash your hands,etc)
Hello Ma’amsir – am i a madam or a sir or a bad crossdresser?
lol good post….you do get confused sometimes….when i was learning Spanish there was this sentence which had burro in it.. now in Italian it means butter so i simply couldnt understand the sentence, then i ask my teacher and he tells me its donkey….ahhhh now thats better! but confusing