From what I can see, the phrase "Who dat?" originated here in the state of Hawaii. Adopted from the Hawaiian Creole English (Pidgin) phrase: "Who that?" pronounced "Hu dat" literally meaning "Who is that person", the phrase has been in use here for centuries (from what I can see). Originally stemming from the sentence "`O wai kela kane/wahine?" literally meaning "Who is that man/woman?" and more directly meaning "Who that man/woman", the phrase has more often than not been shortened to "`O wai kela" literally meaning "Who is that?" or more directly meaning "Who that?" by its native speakers. Thus when the Westerners came along and tried to get the natives to speak their tongue, the creole version of the question "Who is that?" became "Who that?". And anyone who has spoken to someone here that speaks pidgin knows that pidgin speakers do not pronounce the 'th' sound. They either replace it with the 'd' sound (as in 'the' or 'this') or with the 'ch' sound (as with 'three' or 'throw') or occasionally with the 't' sound if the sound comes at the end of the word (as in 'teeth' or 'south'). So as far as I can see, the 'slang' originated here and spread east with the the coming and going of tourists. And now the Saints are gonna register a trademark on the phrase. WTF man. Seriously? The phrase most likely did not originate in New Orleans so what they gonna sue locals just for speaking pidgin? Stupid if you ask me. Here are some reference videos for anyone not from the islands.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJg8ICcjVH4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0m_Kw1DAYE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws70oI3yMBc
The Newbie Supporting and Training Guild
The NSTG's mission is to provide a safe and educational environment for the fostering of newbies to productive Gaians.
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