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Source:http://www.tensports.com/news/chris-gayle-fresh-sexism-scandal-after-interview-charlotte-edwardes

"They have more than equality. Women can do what they want. Jamaican women are very vocal. They will let you know what time is it, for sure," he said.

He added: "Women should please their man," explaining: "When he comes home, food is on the table. Serious," although if she also works, "they share" and it is down to the "first person home".

What he means by 'what time is it'?

What he meant when he said 'serious'?Should it be 'seriously'?Also should it be 'food should be on the table'?

"People think that (my) attitude towards the game stink," the former West Indies captain said.

"That's how it come across: lazy. But to score a triple century, that's not lazy. You cannot be lazy and do such things."

It should be 'it comes across'?Is it right to say:"My attitude come across:lazy"?

The West Indies batsman said women threw themselves at him in their thousands, explaining he was "damn good-looking".

Correct to say 'throw themselves in their thousands?

Note:All paragraphs from same interview.

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  • He is not a native English speaker. And I feel his English is realy strange. Maybe English words are mixed with Jamaican kind of language system and you can see the result.
    – user33000
    May 29, 2016 at 6:10
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    He should have said "what time it is" I guess he wanted to say, "when the right time is" something like this. By serious he may meant "seriously".You see he made several mistakes. Do not expect to see a very fine English in these situations.
    – user33000
    May 29, 2016 at 6:18
  • Yes I also think so
    – Anubhav
    May 29, 2016 at 6:45
  • The West Indies batsman said women threw themselves at him in their thousands, explaining he was "damn good-looking".Is it right , 'threw themselves in their thousands'?
    – Anubhav
    May 29, 2016 at 9:21
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    Your answer is here macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/…
    – user33000
    May 29, 2016 at 10:06

1 Answer 1

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There are many dialects of English, each with their own vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar. In this example the speaker is from Jamaica; you may find it interesting to find a recording of him speaking. I don't think we should describe his use of English as having "mistakes", but it is interesting to observe the differences between dialects and standard English. I am from Yorkshire in northern England, and we too have quite a distinct dialect. Other good examples would be found in Scotland (and dare I say, southern USA ;-)

You should understand the

what time is it

phrase as being a rather rueful echoing of what a "very vocal" woman has said to him. So in the original statement we could imagine quotation marks around the phrase

she will let you know "what time is it"

to really understand this you need to imagine the woman, probably rather expressively, indicating that she is not happy. Imagine a "very vocal" Jamaican woman explaining to you that you have given offence by your asking

What time is it?

by implication you have been too lazy to find out for yourself, perhaps you are still in bed while she is working.

What time is it? I'll give you "what time is it", it is time you did some work. What time is it? You will find "what time is it" when I come in there!

Note how the woman is quoting the offending question, so that the question text becomes a noun in itself.

Hence now the man says ruefully

She very clearly told me "what time is it".

Not meaning that she told him literally that it is (say) 11:30AM, but rather that "What time is it" was not a good question to be asking.

For:

That's how it come across

Standard english could use

That's how it comes across

With the "it" referring by implication to "my attitude". Jamaican dialect is using slightly different verb endings.

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  • Still 'what time is it ' unclear.And it should be 'when he comes home,fodd should be one the table'?
    – Anubhav
    May 29, 2016 at 9:19
  • Are you sure he meant what you said by "what time is it"? You are making another context for it to explain it in this context!!!! I feel "what time is it" has an idiomatic use in Jamaican English.
    – user33000
    May 29, 2016 at 20:17
  • I can see that this could be a possibility, but I did research and failed to find any such idiom. What would it be an idiom for? I am inferring context from the overall pattern of speech. Perhaps you could find some examples of the idiom to back up your feelings?
    – djna
    May 29, 2016 at 21:35

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