A Acqui -teacher The “acqui” gave appeal homework to her students yesterday. Alpargata -shoe She took her son to the store to get his favorite “alpargatas” Alipang- clean shaven head The little boy cried when his father told him to go get an “alipang” by the barber. B Bacchanal- scandal, heavy quarreling, big party, confusion My neighbors peeped their heads out of their windows to listen to the “bacchanal” that was going on between my family. Back chat -insolent response, especially from a child to an adult My mother slapped me in my face when I gave her “back chat.” Backayo- back of yonder (refers to an area over the village of Windward in Carriacou. “I am taking a trip up to” “backayo”, she yelled to her neighbor. bad-eye (cut-eye) -a look of anger, especially when looking from the corner of the eye. When she passed sally in the hallway, she gave her a “bad- eye”. Badman -a macho, brave, fearless, and courageous Rasta; sometime may mean violent or showing unsavory behavior. “Let us go see if the “bad man” is down the street”, the children yelled in the village. Bageede- a kind of evil spirit that takes people and drags them in the bushes. “If you go outside at night the “bageede” will get you”, the parents told their children. ba-john or bajon- a bully or a tough customer “If you want to be a ‘bajon” you may leave my classroom,”warned the teacher. Bamsee- the rear end, what you sit on “I will whoop your bamsee if you don’t sit down.”, yelled my mother. Bangalang-a loud metallic sound I heard a “bangalang” sound when I turned the corner. bavay-dry saliva around the mouth in the morning after bed She rushed out bed with “bavay” still on her face. beff! -to fall with a loud noise. “I heard you took a “beff” on the stairs yesterday”, she joked with her brother. beh-beh -a stupid person. Tira is a real “beh-beh” bladdaw or broadies -big disk shaped dumplins I will make some “broadies for lunch.” Bluggoe- vegetable in the plantain/banana family “I don’t like “bluggoe”’, the young boy shouted to his mother. Bobo-skin sore/ bruised skin Melisa go a “bobo” from climbing the tree bol’face a pushy person, unreasonably demanding boli or bolie dish calabash, a large round fruit (a word of African – Wolof - origin Bon Jay Peni Mueh Good God Help Us! Bon Jé or Bon Jay Good God (Bon Dieu) Bongo elders Rasta honorific; in everyday speech, the status of male individuals as boobooman ghost borve tup lie too much bounce run into something; hit bram same as bashie Bram a professional dance, which is popular in La Portie and St. John, St. Andrews brango spicy gossip breaking biche playing truant broughtupsy showing that a person was properly brought up; decorum brutalize me tap Buckras damage the faucet White people buh wait nah but wait a minute, now hold on/it bujut a man who likes to fight in dance with his razor and knife bull pistle a tough, long whip made with the penis of a bull bush bath a bath with herbs, or bush, in it, given by an obeahman or obeahwoman for illness or bad luck buss he face hit him hard in the face ‘But look my cross!’ bween cutlass ‘Well, I never;’ ‘Well, how do you like that!’ C caboosay or kabusy-dented, bent up. I saw him yesterday driving a “caboosay’ car. cabre or cabress-light-skinned man or woman jenny had a boyfriend who was a “cabre”. caca jay (caca yeux)-Crusty stuff in the corner of your eye upon waking. Please go wash the “caca jay” out of your eyes. callaloo or callaloo -dasheen leaves (used like spinach), often used in soup. I will put some “callaloo” in the soup. Chapat -a sandal shoe Go get the “chapat” in the verandah. cheenky; chinkee -tiny; very tiny portions of anything I got a “cheenky” piece of bread at the vendor. coki-eye -cross-eyed “Look at that coki- eye girl across the street.” commesse or comes-confusion associated with arguments, gossip and slander, complete foul-up. “Come inside and do not get involved in that “commesse”, a mother yelled to her child. Congoree-millipede Don’t play with that “congoree”. Coolie -racist term for Indian; an expression denoting someone of East Indian descent craft girl crapaud cribo or creebo large black serpent; a large colorful serpent which lives preferentially in damp holes in the ground curry-favour to be supportive of one against the other cursing scolding cut skin (cut arse) to spank cutlass or cutliss cut-tail L dat machete; poor man’s pen lickings, beatings dan-dan any sharp looking outfit that djblesse female devil dou-dou doo’) a term of endearment: darling, sweetie-pie, honey. (pronounced ‘doo- dougla mixture of East Indian and African parentage drebble when baby’s saliva constantly comes from their mouth dwive or dreevay or drive or drivay or drevait or drevet to walk about in the streets without a fixed purpose; to be out and about for the fun of it eat from bramble to timber to be taken for a ride, to gullibly accept a story fass a person that stick their nose in other people's business or someone that is solely interested in other people's business. fedlock Achilles tendon fe-o-lay limeing all about fete a party, loud music, lots to eat and drink, dancing to wee hours of the morning. fig banana fret upset friction if someone asks you for this they want a match galay, galay foot exema marks on feet goat mouth something you say that turns out to be true ground provisions root vegetables gunmouth pants from the markedly tapering (hence gun-barrel-like) shape of long trousers, esp. as worn by youngsters when wide-bottomed or baggy trousers hototo (hotoetoe) a very large amount of anything humbug annoy jamette a loose, loud and war-ish woman jamoon star apple jeda to make hypocrite/talk about a person secretly ‘Jeez-an-ages’ Jezebelle used for any reason where an outburst is appropriate name for a mean tempered, vindictive, bad woman Jihad Holy War; in Grenada, referring to one Muslim faction’s action against the PRG (Mt. Rich) jola a bag made to carry the load on the shoulder jook monkey, jook monkey, monkey conkaray enough they’re going to get mad jook; juk If you tease someone long poke; to stab at anything, to stick or punch with a pointed object jookootoo simple, ordinary; a simpleton, poor, unschooled and unsophisticated e.g. a slave or agricultural labourer josho sweet water tea, no milk jukunu even the simple person jul, shut jul mouth, shut mouth jumbie house.” ghost, spirit; ‘De jumbies, listen, dey lighting matches all round the juper an old broken down hut jus’now or just now in a little while; don’t expect something in five minutes if you get this answer. It’s like the Spanish mañana, today, tomorrow or next year— or never jus’so out of the blue, totally unexpected ‘Jus’so?’ ‘Just like that?’ kabusé miserable, twisted ‘Ka dammit fut’ expletive (probably a mixture of progressive Patwa ka, English dammit and Patwa fout, damn) kaiso Calypso; indigenous song ka-ka not a very polite word for bowel excavation kaka-jab homemade medicine for griping kakakoo the remains of the coconut husk after boiling/making coconut oil kaka-pul foul shit kalinda stick fight kanky hanging on to a moving vehicle kashay to split a top with your top kata wrap or cushion worn on the head to carry heavy loads (a word of African – Twi – origin) keeper common law wife ketch catch ketch dey arse ketch-arse have a hard time hardship ketching the tail Having a hard time ‘Ki bés sa?’ ‘What base is that?’ ‘Ki-é té la?’ ‘Who was there?’ or ‘Who else was there?’ klim any brand of powdered milk kokoyaya somebody who does the opposite konnèt know konpé friend kooblay to curl up koyas dry wood that is very hard to split krapo frog (from French crapaud, often figured in folk sayings) kunumunu man passive, weak man to his wife kusu cashew kusumere to simmer down kutta food, meal, lunch, dinner la diablesse or la jabless or la diables devil-woman (creature said to inhabit the spirit world); said to have one human foot and one cattle foot lacas dirty things that some from a person’s skin lacute very greedy person who beg food lagahou vampire lah hay same as dwive or dreevay or drive or drivay or drevait or drevet laku junction laly moss on stone and wall lamuhwe saltfish lanyap to be given a little extra as a show of gratitude lassor cutlass last lacas the remains of something lavway (singing) to call with a loud voice lawe street M la-we-de-sh slow corner street la-westa the unwanted remains lead pencil ‘Lef dat’ leh ‘Leave that’ let, let’s leh we let us lick dong to accidentally hit someone or something lick down knock down licks a beating, physical punishment ligarue or ligaru a prolific sucker of human blood like bush, like peas lots of like t’ing to be somewhat mischievous lil’bit in small meaningless portions lime when a small group of people engage in a sometimes pre-arranged activity lime to hang around or loaf little in big she pregnant livicated dedicated locho low man. Probably from Low Joe long eye a person who is envious of the possessions of others; look on with jealousy or to covet long-garlet a tall, slim person ‘Look nuh!’ an expression of annoyance M lougarou or loogarou vampire; a being who returns in body and soul from the other world; can take the resemblance of a ball of bluish fire; a pact made with the devil calls for a certain amount of blood from humans or animals loupgarou or loupsgarou devil maazee pun Pun throwing sprat to catch whale macawel large, fierce snake macmere godmother of my child maco or macco a person who minds other people’s business for the purpose of gossip; maco verb: to gossip; maco noun: a gossip macocious a person having the trait of a maco macoco or macoocoo or makuku swollen testicles mad blood rash and itch maga very thin, skinny making marse creating disturbances making ting a merry enjoying oneself makomè or macomè or macommè female crony (literally, godmother) makushat familiar terms of address to woman friend; a big black cat malcadie or malkadie acting weird malewe (malhaureux) A wretched person maljoe or maljeaux evil eye, bad eye Mamadjo Mother of Water; naiad, water nymph; siren, mermaid mamaguy to make a fool of; to make fun of, to ridicule mama maladie time maman an evil spirit which was supposed to come around at Christmas mother, mama ‘Maman go in La Bay’ ‘Mama has gone to La Bay’ (From a lullaby. La Bay, the sea or the bay, is the name by which Grenville, Grenada’s second town, is known mamapool a homebody of a Mama’s boy ‘Mama Yo!’ expression denoting shock and surprise manager belly what in the States is called a corporation. A paunch. ‘Manman o’ ‘O Mother’ manty tup making stories manty tup talk too much marasma malnutrition marchan vendor ‘Marche-shoo’ ‘Scram!’ maroon or mawun a feast for people helping on a job, like cutting cane or moving a house; an event organised to provide assistance for a member of the community in the carrying out of a specific task – moving a house, cutting a cane crop, etc.; In the Eastern Caribbean, a large gang of workmen who voluntarily join forces, mainly on Saturdays, to plow one another’s garden plots during the planting season; a member of a community founded by runaway slaves; pronounced maroon, the word possible originates from the communal activities of the Maroons, African slaves who ran away from the estates; also the practice of running away & forming communities independent of the plantation system in the Americas; a term derived from the Spanish word cimarron, meaning wild or unruly, used to refer to runaway slaves in various parts of the Caribbean. masanto kerosene-filled bottle with cloth wick mash up smashed master lie very good at lying matin late N matité rude, used to mean womanish matter fix everything is well-organised mauvais’-langue met lie slanderous can lie very well mi han’ slip an expression used when too much of an ingredient is used mingie a stingy person miserable bothersome mivel or mad bull a part in a kite that sings ‘Moka-chuway-muy’ ‘I go kill you dead’ moko the devil monkey-wedding from children’s chant ‘Sun and rain/ Monkey marrying’, said when the sun shines through a shower of rain Mooma Mother ‘More in the mortar than the pestle’ mountain dew illegally distilled white rum mout’er a boaster Mt. Trose Mt. Rose much up to pamper, to butter up Mudder Mother muf seagull muhsbie mwen I, me A saying like, “Still waters run deep.” it must be so ‘Mwen ba té shoinjé’ ‘Mwen ja perdi’ ‘I didn’t remember’ ‘I’m already lost’ ‘Mwen pwan trop tard’ ‘I started too late’ ‘Mwen wivé’ ‘I have arrived’ Nah No naked means ‘only.’ Some innocent tourist once asked if anyone lived up at Fort George and was shocked on being told, “Naked men”. Meaning men only. Nana (mammynana) Grandmother Na-Na-Tae Children’s game in which members of the family are personified nanaterre nancy-stories, nansi story loosely, ‘fairy tales’. Strictly, Anansi stories, brought from West Africa, featuring a tricky spiderman, “Ananse’ means ‘spider’ nastiness an expression of disgust applied to a good-for-nothing person Nen Nen Mother or Grandmother nennen (or nen) godmother never see come seesomeone who has recently been exposed to something new and who overdoes it to ridiculous proportions next one another. “Have a next one.” Have another ning ning tired eyes nock-ah-about liming with the fellows now fuh now, now for now instantly, NOW, right away nowherian a person who does not have any fixed place of abode Nyabinghi It refers variously to the island-wide religious gatherings of Rasta brethren and sistren at which communicants ‘praise Jah’ and ‘chant down Babylon.’ nyam up de ital eat up your food (Jamaican) P obeah sorcery, witchcraft obeahism A form of sorcery practices in the Caribbean and West Africa, the practitioners of which are reputed to be able to cast spells or unleash spiritual powers against their victims or enemies. obzokee or obsocky shape; odd-looking ‘O Grey!’ awkward in appearance, anything bent or twisted out of ‘Oh, Goodness!’ ‘Oh geed!’ an expression used when an offensive smell arises ‘Oh gosh!’ or ‘Oh gorm!’ man! or ‘Oh shrimps man!’ shock, surprise, indignation and admiration ol’ mas’ All expressions denoting “Everything turn ol’ mas’. “ Everything got confused ol’ talk or old-talk idle chatter, gossip, social chit-chat Old Year’s Night New Year’s Eve one day one day congoté some day it will happen/did happen (but usually infers it never did or will) one set ah a lot of anything one time all at once open ce-pulka out a house without rooms put out. “out the light before you go.” outside childillegitimate child over sea travel abroad over yonder over there overstanding understanding own-way stubborn person Oye! an expression of fatigue or pain palé Patwa speak Patwa (patois) pallet frozen lolly palmistes mountain palms with plumed heads about 100 feet from the ground pampalamps pelvic private parts pankwhy or pan-kwhy today.’ ‘Pa maliwèse!’ making a dollar on the side; ‘We make a pankwhy ‘Evil take you!’ Panol ‘Spanish’: term denoting a racial type – brown (‘red) skin and wavy black hair panquai a little extra something ‘Papa Gad’ God (eg.) ‘Papa Gad go gee dem’ ‘Papa mèt’ exclamation (literally, my father) ‘Papa yo!’ exclamation of surprise paren godfather pasu the remainder payul white people (usually refers to Spaniards) pèctusstately, proper ‘Pèrdoné mwen’ ‘Forgive me’ pesh money petit faire? are you (doing something) without sharing (or in secret)? picong to give picong is to tease ‘Pinmeway’ ‘So help me, God’ pippial small-time, two-by-four, insignificant pissin’ tail a person of no class or importance pitch-oil kerosene planasse or planass or planarse to hit someone continuously with the flat part of a cutlass; to spank with a cutlass play lougarou play the fool playin’ social are someone who pretends to be of a higher social strata than they playing mas joining a street band of masqueraders pli mal it gets worse and worse pò djab o poor devil polorie Indian food pong pound po-po baby; very small child posie potty, chamber-pot poupa father poyah cutless – ‘Ah go rest my poyah on you if you keep troubling me’ preach paul argue press wardrobe or closet prick poke prim-prim disgustingly proper and formal pu-ah-ear free drinks puh it on to put on punkasal stinky old shoes; old running shoes pushatay dust pussinkitten ‘Pwah Maniwell’ a curse, used originally to drive owls away pwangad be careful S ‘Pwangad waya piké mwen’ ‘Take care lest the wire pricks me’ (song) pwel hair around the private parts quacko John Public qualey or quail withered, dried up quenk an irritating person quite down all the way down – used in giving directions raff to grab suddenly ragadang broken down ram-cram packed to capacity rangatang a state of disorder or chaos red rum ordinary rum as opposed to white rum redants tiny red ants which sting viciously redskin rest down lay down – “rest the pot down” reverse back reverse roti Indian bread rumfle ruffled or wrinkled Sa-e-a-e-a what will be, will be saga boy/girl (zaguer from zigzaguer flashy dresser, dandy; a saga-boy is a man who dresses in fine clothes to profile for woman saga-clothes and teater ‘Sa ki fè’w?’ trendy clothes and cinema ‘What’s happening?’ Salle River Sallee, or salt salop a bad person salupuew one who possess cunning and devious habits santopee centipede saracca or saraca ritual feast of African origin, held for a healing purpose, to bring good spirits to the neighbourhood; sacrifice sea bath a swim ‘Se kon sa nonk-li yé’ ‘That’s what his uncle is like’ ‘Se kon sa tout nom an famni-a yé’ “All the men in the family are like that’ sésé sister shades sunglasses she belly big the woman pregnant “She give him bo" when a man have sex with a skinny woman and he hurts his groin and it swells. she make child the woman give birth she making child she pregnant ‘Shif’ yuh carcass’ ‘Move over,’ ‘Get going’ shooshoo whisper – ‘What you shooshooing ‘bout?’ shu-shu to speak privately about an issue or somebody shub shove, more or cast aside si Bon Jé if God was there sight? see? simmy-dimmy Sin man sisi mumbo-jumbo an aesthetically pleasing dresser sister skin up yuh nose to turn up one’s nose at anything skinnin’ yuh feet’ grinning sly-drawers underpants sometimeish moody sookooyant a she-devil with one human foot and one animal hoff soongoo docile or without initiative soungoo someone who is looking lonesome sou-sou community banking where money is distributed weekly or monthly spoon a male and female dancing tight and slow squingy very small steupes, or cheups sound indicating sucking of the teeth; sucking sound denoting disgust; contempt; there is the cheups of surprised amusement; a soft rapid sucking with tiny movements of the lips; there is the simple, abrupt cheups of disdain; the sad cheups: an emission of three of four slower cheupses; the insulting cheups: a long, lasting noisy cheups which is sufficient cause for a fight stickin’ lizard same as wood slave (lizard with padded suction cups on its feet) stripped of water prostrate illness straw cork so called because a twist of straw is used to stopper the ‘mountain dew’ strims shrimps ‘Study your head!’ ‘Watch out what you’re doing!’ suck salt same as ‘preach paul’ sugar diabetes sukuya the mythical transformation from a human to another animal Sunday name given name susu savings club sut foolishness swal de swal what is yours is yours Z swallow a breadfruit become pregnant sweet drink soft drink sweet eye wink sweetie any confectionery swell up and bust the inevitable ending of anyone acted on by Obeah swell up yah face to look angry, to pout swiper cutlass t’ing thing t’ing on’ t’ing tabanca etcetera the forlorn feeling one gets when a love affair is over tactay, tactay face freckled face tambran tamarind tam-ful to trick (esp. of April Fool’s Day) Tan’ Mavis/Aunt Mavis ‘Auntie’ used loosely Tanty; Tante; Tantie Aunt tapia-floor tapia is an indigenous mud and straw preparation used in building ‘Tem mwen té bien iwe’ ‘When things were good’ ‘Tem mwen té ja santé’ ‘When I was happy’ tetch large, usually iron, basins seen all over the island, formerly used in the making of sugar the animal full the animal pregnant the cow drop the cow give birth ‘The wind was very rapid’ ‘The wind was very strong’ Tibly Tivoli tight intoxicated, drunk, stoned Timtim ting a Nansi story A politically incorrect term for woman or dawta. titiri tiny river fish to besides besides which ‘To France with that!’ ‘To hell with that!’ ‘Tonnè!’ ‘Thunder!’ too-too children’s word for faeces too-tool-bay a confused state, in a daze, also head over heels in love to tie the knot tot tots to get married female breasts tout moun ca playwai tuty everyone is crying a little insect that stays in the dust under houses twahu a hard grown up man uhr’ni waist-length veil worn by Indian woman umpteen plenty of anything vampin’ an offensive smell vaps to suddenly behave excitedly or in a strange manner vest sleeveless undershirt vete earth worm vex angry ‘Vini ou kai vini, ou kai wè’ vous affaire (Zaffair) ‘You are coming, you will see’ that is your business vrooping jumping from here to there vroop-vrap haste vyé nèg old nigger (from vyé, old, and nèg, black) waiter tray wajang a rowdy, uncouth person walk busy walk fast ‘W’ap’nin?’ ‘What’s going on?’ warap a very weak mixture ‘Wash the wares’ ‘Do the dishes’ wash your foot and come an impromptu dance or fete (sometimes held to raise funds) at which people come as they are, i.e. with no particular preparation in the way of dress, even (as in earlier times) barefoot. ‘We foot’ exclamation of disgust ‘Well yes!’ an expression of disbelief wepucow see for yourself ‘We pupa’ exclamation of disgust ‘Whappen?’ ‘What’s the matter with you?’ ‘Wha-happenin’ dey?’ ‘What’s happening?’ ‘What is to is must is’ or Wha is to is mus is’ ‘When flour come to water’ ‘What will be will be’ Same as When push come to shove ‘When God cyah comes he does send’ When god is busy he elects someone to act in his stead ‘When push come to shove’ When things get tough ‘When the begum break’ Same as When the mark bus’ ‘When the mark bus’’ whey where When things come to a head ‘Whey yuh say?’ ‘What did you say?’ whilst while wood male sex organ wood slave a kind of house lizard—gecko wotless might be used to describe a slightly naughty story Woye! Same as Oye! An expression of fatigue or pain yampee or yampie substance resembling phlegm secreted from the eyes during sleep; mucus, found in the corner of the eye yaw-yaw unpleasant taste of fruit ‘You an’ all?’ ‘You too?’ you so people like you ‘Yu story’ ‘You’re fibbing’ ‘Yuh faddah head’ an expression of annoyance ‘Yuh faddah is a glassmaker?’ you are blocking my view ‘Yuh grandmother’s head’ a vile epithet ‘Yuh look fuh dat’ ‘It’s your own fault’ ‘Yuh mekin’ joke!’ ‘You can’t be serious!’ yuhrrie watery and without taste zaboca avocado pear zaè spider ‘Zafé-I’ That’s his/her business (meaning, Let him/her do as he/she pleases) zaffaire that is our business zagada ground lizard zaguer boy (zigzaguer boy) same as saga boy zamie or make zamie or zami woman lesbian; to be in a sexual relationship with another zug-up zup a rough and uneven cutting of anything to stand up and pitch at a marble
