Strong language. This entry explains a word many Jamaicans consider offensive, so you can understand it when you hear it. Read the usage notes before you try it.
- Also written
- Bumbaclaat, Bomboclaat, Bumboclaat
What “Bumboklaat” means
Bumboklaat is one of the heaviest Jamaican expletives. It's shouted in shock, anger or awe, and can also be dropped into a sentence for force. It is very strong and offensive in most company.
Examples
Bumboklaat, yuh serious?!
Holy sh*t, are you serious?!
How to use it
Use with extreme caution, or not at all. Said at someone, it's a serious insult; around elders, children or strangers it's deeply offensive.
Where usage varies
Speakers don't all rank the klaat words the same way, but bumboklaat sits near the top. Clean substitutes include "blouse an skirt" and "rahtid".
Where it comes from
"Bumbo" is a Patois word for the bottom, and "klaat" means cloth. The combination is commonly explained as a cloth for the backside or a sanitary cloth, which is why it shocks, though that explanation isn't certain.