[4] The Avocado was the name given by the Spanish conquistadores to the Persea gratissima, whose fruit is the “alligator pear.” But M. Turiault again traces the Spanish word back to the Carib word Aouacate.
6. Azourdi casse en fin; dimain tape langouti. (Aujourd’hui bien mis; demain en langouti.)
“Well dressed to-day; only a langouti[5] tomorrow.”—[Mauritius.]
[5] The langouti was the garment worn about the loins by male slaves in Mauritius—who were wont to labor otherwise naked. In Creole both caser and taper signify “to put on,” with the difference that caser generally refers to good clothes. In colloquial French tapé means “stylishly dressed,” “well-rigged-out,” etc.
7. Azourdi soûle bon temps, dimain pagayé. (Aujourd’hui soûl de plaisir, demain la pagaye.)
“To-day drunk with fun, to-morrow the paddle.” Allusion to slavery discipline.—[Mauritius.]
8. Azourdi tout marmites dibout làhaut difé. (Aujourd’hui toutes les marmites sont debout sur le feu.)
“All the cooking-pots are on the fire now.” One man is now as good as another:—this proverb evidently refers to the abolition of slavery.—[Mauritius.]
9. Azourdi tout femmes alle confesse, més lhére zautes tourne léglise dìabe zétte encore pécé av zautes. (Aujourd’hui toutes les femmes vont à confesse; mais quand elles reviennent de l’église le diable leur jette encore des péchés.)