General
handle
What does handle mean?
The chosen nickname a CB user goes by on the air. Picked for color, personality, or your truck — almost never your legal name. Half the fun of CB culture is the handle.
"Breaker one-nine, this is Night Owl, anybody got a copy on the eastbound side?"
Origin
Pre-dates CB — ham radio operators used "handle" for an on-air name from the 1920s. CB exploded the practice in the '70s; the 1977 song "Convoy" canonized handles like Rubber Duck and Pig Pen for the general public. Lives on now as the term for a username on forums, Twitter, etc.
Frequently asked questions
What does handle mean in Caribbean slang?
To handle something means to take care of, deal with or manage it capably, as in 'I go handle it' for 'I'll take care of it'.
How do you use handle in a Trini sentence?
It is commonly paired with 'go' for the future, as in 'don't worry, I go handle it', meaning 'I will deal with it'.
Is handle the same as in standard English?
The meaning is close, but Caribbean English uses it more freely to mean taking full charge of a task, situation or person.
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