This is a series of blog entries that will attempt to tackle various Filipino slang words that have their roots in English but have been appropriated for our own. I am no logophile though so if you have something to add on my subjective history, feel free to comment. Also, I am constantly looking for words to tackle so if you have suggestions, just leave a comment. Currently scheduled to appear every Tuesday.
One Filipino expression is patay malisya which when literally translated into English was dead malice. Perhaps the original intent of the phrase was not to reveal that one took offense, in the same way that to be a gentleman meant not being rude when insulted. However, it slowly changed over time into just not taking offense but not reacting at all. It could be a joke, an insult, an attempt to make you jealous, or a simple surprise, but as long as you show no emotional signs, one referred to you as being deadma or dedma, a shortened form of dead malice. In some circumstances, a person who is deadma is also referred to as KJ, an abbreviated term for killjoy.
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