Jamaican patois, literally "pussy rag." Originally it was a strong insult. In current usage it's often a meaningless interjection or expletive.
Derivation: "bombo" may come from French 'bon-bon,' a euphemism for female genitalia. "Clot" or "claat" is the Jamaican pronunciation of "cloth." Before pads were invented, women used a cloth diaper to adsorb menstrual flow. These pussy rags were washed and re-used. The blood stains never washed out completely, so you could tell from the bloodstained rags drying outdoors on the clothesline who was "on the rag," or menstruating. In Rastafari lore (based on Old Testament law) menstruation makes a woman unclean for 7 days. So calling someone a bloodclat (blood cloth), raasclaat (ass cloth), bomboclaat, or other variations can be a particularly vehement and graphic insult in its original sense.
Derivation: "bombo" may come from French 'bon-bon,' a euphemism for female genitalia. "Clot" or "claat" is the Jamaican pronunciation of "cloth." Before pads were invented, women used a cloth diaper to adsorb menstrual flow. These pussy rags were washed and re-used. The blood stains never washed out completely, so you could tell from the bloodstained rags drying outdoors on the clothesline who was "on the rag," or menstruating. In Rastafari lore (based on Old Testament law) menstruation makes a woman unclean for 7 days. So calling someone a bloodclat (blood cloth), raasclaat (ass cloth), bomboclaat, or other variations can be a particularly vehement and graphic insult in its original sense.
by dagoo neybah March 12, 2020
by A.M123 November 21, 2020