where did this come from?

[MissBlue]

it's a kind of message board slang - pretty much only used on these JA boards - that came out of an incorrect interpretation of what people THINK is Jamaican patois. it's a huge pet peeve of mine, for years now... "reach" is not a noun, and isn't used as a noun in patois either... patois speakers say something like "call me when you reach" - a verb.

If you replace 'reach' in any sentence with the word 'arrive', and see whether or not it makes any sense, that's what will tell you if it's being used correctly - either in speaky-spokey or patois.

[captaind]

it's a kind of message board slang - pretty much only used on these JA boards - that came out of an incorrect interpretation of what people THINK is Jamaican patois. it's a huge pet peeve of mine, for years now... "reach" is not a noun, and isn't used as a noun in patois either... patois speakers say something like "call me when you reach" - a verb.

If you replace 'reach' in any sentence with the word 'arrive', and see whether or not it makes any sense, that's what will tell you if it's being used correctly - either in speaky-spokey or patois.

That's what I originally posted before we got off to the sailing terminology thing. I've heard it used that way since the 60s.

When I'd go to the States for a visit I always had to write a letter (took 7 days back then) and tell the family "I reach home safe"