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Monday, July 31, 2006
Mongaya: Jerjer
By Anol Mongaya
RADIO commentator Joash Dignos can’t take responsibility for making the word “jerjer” popular. Teban and Goliat started it. Then Budoy weaved “jerjer” into his lyrics on the day he entered Big Brother’s house in the PBB celebrity edition.
But thanks to Dignos and the reaction of the Ouanos, we are now openly talking about the etymology of “jerjer.”
According to Teban, he and Goliat coined the word in their radio drama to mean “kaligo” or “taking a bath.” When interviewed, Superbalita language consultant Ernie Lariosa agreed.
However, the two radio drama personalities used “jerjer” in such a way that people soon use it to mean “sexual intercourse” in lieu of the more vulgar terms. Yes, even Budoy got away with it in primetime national television.
It is like the Bisaya term “kuan” which could mean practically anything though people playfully use it to refer to sex or the sex organs. “Gi-kuan ni kuan ang kuan ni kuan.”
Yet in the streets, “jerjer” refers more to the sex act than “kuan.” When I first heard of the term “jerjer” inside a downtown beerhouse years ago, the meaning was clearly sexual intercourse.
Even online, www.urbandictionary.com defined “jerjer” as “Filipino expression of the word sex” and “when two people (male and female to be specific) make tot-tot.”
It seems Dignos will have a hard time convincing the court that the word “jerjer” means anything else aside from sex. Worse, I heard from Ouano’s camp that a decided court case involved the word “jerjer” and the judge used it to mean sex. How’s that for precedent?
Still, we could grant Dignos the benefit of “jerjer” to mean “kaligo.” So in the libel allegation against him filed by Cheryl Ouano, Dignos may have meant “mayor mikaligo sa iyang umagad.” Ouch. The people I asked still found this malicious.
From where I sit, I think the Ouanos have the upper hand in the libel cases. Politically however, “jerjer” as a demolition issue has placed the Ouanos in a no win situation. Had they stayed mum, Mandauehanons might soon believe the rumor aired daily with nary an answer. But now, going all out against Dignos has dignified the rumor into front page news. The more the Ouanos defend themselves, the more people talk about the allegations openly.
Nevertheless, the Ouano camp is doing a great job by letting Linda Ouano, the wife of Mayor Thadeo Ouano, take the cudgels in defending the family and in going against verbal abuse on air.
But then, the relatively unknown commentator from Mindanao made a shortcut to fame. For who knew a certain Joash Dignos existed before the Ouanos took offense of the jerjer allegation? We can refer to him as the jerjer commentator. Mana kag jerjer, bay?
***
The entry of more challengers to the Ayala Consortium as Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) supplier is a welcome move. I hope it will result in MCWD and the people of Cebu getting the best deal, i.e. cheaper yet reliable supply of potable water.
***
People close to suspended airport manager Adelberto Yap should advise him to let go the position if he is indeed innocent of all the allegations. His “kapit-tuko” stance is doing him a lot of disservice. The more he struggles to stay as airport manager, the more people believe the allegations against him.
(superbalita@sunstar.com.ph or anol.blogs.friendster.com/anols_blog)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (July 31, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here.
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