original site
at Bajan Calypso Barn
links added by Kate Liu for World Literature in English
================================================================================
Patois Dictionary.
A -- C -- E
-- G -- I -- K -- M
-- O -- Q -- S --
T -- U --
PHRASES or PROVERBS
================================================================================
Compiled
by Mike Pawka / Kingsley
12/92 - 07/97
Added
Phrases Section
11/28/95
Last update
07/07/97 ; an updated version
(remote link)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(DON) GORGON :
outstanding dreadlocks, a person who is respected
(GO) SATTA :
claim how spiritual you are
(HIM A) FISH :
a gay person
(THE) CAT :
a woman's genitals
(TO) DRAW CARD : the act
of fooling someone
(TO) GET SALT : to
be thwarted, to encounter misfortune
(TO) RAAS :
"really?", "damn!"
(TOO) LIKKY-LIKKY : title given to those who
like to eat any food they
encounter , without discretion
(TOO) NYAMI-NYAMI : title given to those who
like to eat any food they
encounter, without discretion
A
: prep. to as in "go a shop," from Spanish
A DOOR
: outdoors
A GO
: aux w/v. going to do, as in "Me a go tell him"
ABLE
: able for, fit to cope "i aint able with he"
ABOVE
: to the winward or western side
ACCOMPONG :
n. name of Maroon warrior, Capt. Accompong, brother
of Cudjo; also name of town. From the Twi name for
the supreme deity
ACID
: rum
ACK
: act
ACKEE
: n. African food tree introduced about 1778. From Twi
ankye or Kru akee
AFFECKIN' :
affecting
AFTER
: used in telling the time instead of past
AFTERNOON :
a euphemism for backside
AGEN
: again
AGONY
: the sensations felt during sex
AH
: a
AKS
: ask
ALIAS
: adj. (urban slang) dangerous, violent
ALDOH
: although
ALL'S RIGHT :
for all right
AMBRILLA
: Unbrella
AN
: than
ANETHUH
: another
ARFRITIS
: arthritis
ARMAGEDDON :
the biblical final battle between the forces of good
and evil
AS
: stress laid on means "as soon as"
ASHAM
: n. Parched, sweetened, and ground corn. From twi osiam
AUNTIE MAN :
a fussy, effeminate man
AWAY
: abroad, Overseas "He comes from away"
AX
: ask
B'LEMMUH
: but let me
B'LOOKA
: but look
BABYLON
: 1. the corrupt establishment, the "system," Church
and State 2. the police, a policeman
BACCHANAL :
big Party, noise do, confusion, heavy quarreling
BACK
: again "This can use back"
BACK BACK :
to go back
BACK CHAT :
argumentative, insolent response
BACKRA
: white person
BAD
: good, great
BAD BWAI
: (bad boy) 1. refering to a bold man; a compliment
2. One who has committed a crime (rude bwai, ruddy,
baddy)
BAD LUCKY :
unlucky
BAD MINDED :
evil minded
BAD NASTY :
refers to bad health
BADNESS
: hooligan behavior, violence for its own sake
BAFAN
: clumsy; awkward
BAFANG
: a child who did not learn to walk the 1st 2-7 years
BAFF
: bath
BAGGY
: underpants for a woman or child
BAG-O-WIRE :
a betrayer
BAKRA
: white slavemaster, or member of the ruling class
colonial days. Popular etymology: "back raw" (which
he bestowed with a whip.)
BALD-HEAD :
a straight person; one without dreadlocks, one who
works for babylon
BALMYARD
: n. place where pocpmania rites are held, healing is
done, spells cast or lifted
BAMBA YAY :
by and by
BAMBOOZAL :
to confuse or con with smart talk.
BAMBU
: rolling paper
BAMMY
: a pancake made out of cassava, after it has been
grated and squeezed to remove the bitter juice
BANDULU
: bandit, criminal, one living by guile a BANDULU
BIZNESS is a racket, a swindle
BANGARANG :
hubbub, uproar, disorder, disturbance
BANK
: to enjoy yourself on bank holiday "I hear you were
out
banking easter monday"
BANKA, BUNKA :
a sore or injured foot or leg wrapped in bandages
BANKRA
: a big basket, including the type which hangs over the
sides of a donkey
BANS
: from bands; a whole lot, a great deal, nuff, whole
heap
BARE
: nothing else
BASHMENT
: party, dance, session
BAT
: butterfly or moth. English bat, the flying rodent,
is
a rat-bat
BATCHIE
: a batchelor
BATH SUIT :
swim Suit
BATTY
: bottom; backside; anus
BATTYBWOY :
a gay person
BAWLIN'
: to be broke, without financial means
BAYHOUSE
: a house by the sea-side rented by the month
BAZOODEE
: drunk, giddy or shaken up. Also head over heels in
love - as in Tootoolbay.
BE CROAX! :
equivalent of "by christ"
BE OUT
: without
BEACH
: to kick a football high
BEAST
: a policeman
BEATING
: "Doctor, I got a beating in the head" - a bad headache
BECAUSIN
: because
BEEF
: to tie knots in clothing
BEENIE
: little
BEFO'
: before
BEFORETIME :
once upon a time
BELLY HURT :
belly ache
BELLYOLOGIST :
a glutton
BELONKS
: belongs
BELOW
: to the leeward or eastern side
BELONKS
: belongs
BEWZE
: abuse
BEX
: vex (verb), or vexed (adjective)
BHUTTU (BUHTUH) : an uncouth, out
of fashion, uncultured person Use:
Wey yu a go inna dem deh cloze? Yu fayva buttu
BIDNESS
: business
BIG BOUT YAH :
large and in charge. Superlative indicating status
(power, fame, money, talent, etc) within some social
group
BIRDSPEED :
very fast
BIRF
: birth
BIRFRITE
: birthright
BISCUIT
: cookie
BISSY
: cola nut
BITCH
: spoilt "The taylor completly bitched up my suit"
BITE
: to itch "my toes biting me too bad"
BLACK UP
: to blacken
BLACK LEAD :
pencil
BLAM
: slam (as in bang)
BLEDDY
: bloody
BLEND
: to join with someone in a financial enterprise
BLIGE
: oblige
BLINES
: curtains
BLY
: chance, "must get a bly", "must get a chance"
BOASIE
: adj. proud, conceited, ostentatious. Combination of
English boastful and Yoruba bosi-proud and
ostentatious
BOASIN TONE :
swollen penis or testicles
BOBO
: a slight abrasion
BOBO
: fool
BODY
: a person "I didn't recongnise dat body was you"
BOFE
: both
BOLEFACE
: brazen
BOTSY
: backside
BOO
: applicable to flies swarming on some object
BOONOONOONOUS : meaning
wonderful
BOSIE
: old boy, fellow
BOTSY
: backside
BOUT
: trying to find ones way
BOX
: To smack or to hit in the face
BOXEY
: back side
BRAA
: from BREDDA; brother
BRAATA
: a little extra; like the 13th cookie in a baker's
dozen; or an extra helping of food. In musical shows
it has come to be the encore
BRADARAX! :
echoism for sudden noise created when a light object
drops
BRAKES
: to avoid a situation or hide from someone. To back
out of a vulnerable or uncomfortable position.
BRAM
: a small party
BRAM HOUSE :
a small dancehall
BRASS UP
: a dressing down
BREADFRUIT SWOPPER : a cheap, ordinary sort of person
BREAK FIVES :
expression for "Put It There" (shake hands)
BREDREN
: one's fellow male Rastas
BREAVE
: breath
BREFF
: breath
BREIF
: a begging letter
BREK
: brake
BRIDE
: no model for good behaviour
BRINDLE
: to be angry
BRING DOWN :
to cause unpleasantness
BRINKS
: title given to a man who is supplying a woman with
money
BROADWAY
: highway
BRUDDER, BRUDDUH : brother
BRUGGADUNG! :
echoism for a sudden noise created by a falling object
BRUSH OFF :
"We brush off now" means we aint friends no more
BUBBIES
: females breasts
BUBU
: fool
BUCK UP
: meet
BUCKY
: home-made gun
BUD
: bird
BUFU-BUFU :
fat, swollen, blubbery; too big; clumsy or lumbering
BUGUYAGA
: a sloppy, dirty person, like a bum or tramp
BULL BUCKA :
a bully
BULLA
: a comon sugar and flour cookie or small round cake,
sold everywhere in Jamaica
BULLER/BULL :
a gay man
BUM BY
: a corruption of "bye and bye"
BUMBA CLOT,(TO GET) BUN to have one's spouse or girl/boy-friend cheat
on
oneself, to be cheated out of something
BUMBO
: bottom; backside. A common curse word, especially in
combination with CLOT (cloth), a reference to the
days before toilet paper
BUNG NAVEL :
a protruberant navel
BUNGIN'
: bounding
BUNGO
: n. racially pejorative. Crude, black, ignorant,
boorish person. From Hausa bunga-bumpkin, nincompoop
BUNKS
: to knock or bump against, from "to bounce", BUNKS MI
RES, catch my rest, take a nap
BUPP
: to bump ones head on something
BURYING
: a funeral
'BUSE
: to use abusive language
BUSINESS
: "That don't business me" that don't bother me
BUSYLICKUM :
a busybody
BUTT
: to get a Butt is to be on the receiving side of a
Horn. to be cheated on by your loved one. Usually
followed by a state of Tabanca.
BUTT OUT
: is used in directing someone to a place "Follow this
street and you will butt out on the main road"
BUTT UP
: to meet by accident
BUTTY
: sandwich
BWOY
: Boy
BY
: used as a conjunction, since
C'DEAR/CUH-DEAR : exlamation used
to denote sympathy
C'N
: couldn't
CAFFUFFLE :
to confuse
CAHN
: for can't
CALLALOU
: A spinach stew
CARD
: to fool someone
CARTOON
: used for carton
CAST
: a handful
CAST UP
: throw up, Vomit
CATCH ONESELF : the
phrase of returning from day dreaming
CATSPRADDLE :
spraddle
CEASE & SEKKLE! : stop everything
and relax!
CEPES
: (n.) - beard
CERACE
: a ubiquitous vine used for boiling medicinal tea, and
for bathing. It is proverbial for its bitterness
CHA! or CHO! :
a disdainful expletive (1) pshaw! (2) very common,
mild explanation expressing impatience, vexation or
disappointment
CHAKA-CHAKA :
messy, disorderly, untidy
CHANT
: (v.) - to sing, especially cultural or spiritual songs
CHAT, CHAT DOWN : to engage a girl
in flirtatious talk
CHEAP
: just as cheap, just as well
CHECK
: to stop, or to cause to stop
CHEESE
: a fool, an idiot
CHEESE ON! :
an expression for admiration
CHIMMY
: chamber pot.
CHINK
: bed bug
CHINKY
: stingy, miserly
CHIPS
: french Fries
CHO
: very common, mild explanation expressing impatience,
vexation or disappointment
CHOOKA CHOOKA : echo
work for old motorcar
CHOSSEL
: attractive member of the opposite sex
CHRISTUNS :
christians
CHUCK
: the rough push that is an invitation to a fight
CHUCK UP
: variant of chock, very close to
CHUH!
: denotes contempt or impatience
CHUPSE, STUPSE : to suck
ones teeth as a sign of distrust or sulking
CLAP
: hit, break, stride
CLEAN OUT :
used to express early dawn
CLOFF
: cloth
CLOT
: 1. cloth, an essential part of most Jamaican bad words,
such as bumbo clot, rass clot, blood clot, etc.
The essence of Jamaican cursing seems to be nastiness,
rather than the blashemy or sexuality which is
characteristic of the metropolitan countries. 2. to
hit or strike - from the verb "to clout". 3. literally
means a used tampon
COCK LOFT :
a small bedroom in the upper storey of a house
COCO
: a potato-like edible root, known elsewhere as the
taro or the eddo It was brought to Jamaica from the
South Pacific This is completely distinct from cocoa,
usually called chocolate
COHOBBLEOPOT :
a stew composed of a variety of ingredients
COIL
: money
COLE
: cold
COLLEGE
: secondary School
COLLIE
: n. (urban slang) ganja
COME DUNG :
come down, get ready (as to prepare to play a tune)
COME EEN LIKE : to
seem as if; to resemble
COME ROUND :
to give someone whats coming to them
COME YAH (cumyu) : come here
COMING
: expressing future time
CONFUFFLE :
to intentionally confuse or make a fool of someone.
CONTROL
: to be in charge of, responsible for, to own; to take
COO 'PON
: v. (origin unclear) Look upon!
COO YAH
: v. (origin unclear) Look here! pay attention
COOL OUT
: to sit and one's ease
COOL RUNNINGS : usually
used at a time of departure on a long journey
meaning have a safe trip
COOLIE
: the traditional Jamaican pithet for East Indians. It
is never used
It is never used for Chinese Jamaicans usually in the
form coolie-man or coolie-oman. It is not considered
polite today anymore than the term nega, but it is
still used widely in rural areas
COONOO-MOONOO : one
who is very foolish or acts as such.
COPYGOWCHIE :
a comical drawing a child might make
CORK UP
: jammed, filled, crowded
CORN
: 1. marijuana 2. money 3. a bullet
CORN
: to acquire in plenty "since he open de shop he
corning the money"
COTCH
: verb (cotch up), to support something else, as with
a
forked stick; to balance something or place it
temporarily; to beg someone a cotch, can be a place
on a crowded bus seat or bench; or it may mean to
cotch a while, to stay somewhere temporarily
COTTA
: a roll of cloth or vegetation placed on top of the
head to cushion the skull from the weight of a head
load
COURTING NUTS : peanuts
CRAB MASH :
to iron clothes badly
CRAB
: aside from it's usual meaning, it is a verb meaning
to scratch or claw
CRAVATTIN' :
coveting
CRAVEN
: greedy
CRIS
: crisp; popularly used for anything brand-new, slick-
looking
CRISSARS
: crisp, brand-new
CROCUS BAG :
a very large sack made of coarse cloth, like burlap
CROMANTY
: adj. from Corromantee, Blacks from the Gold Coast
believed to be rebellious
CROSS COMICAL : applied
to persons in the way of good-humoured abuse
CROSSES
: problems, vexations, trials; bad luck, misfortunes
CRUCIAL
: serious, great, "hard,", "dread"
CRUEL
: angry, or, not to be messed with
CUBBITCH
: covetous
CUDJO
: n. name of famous Maroon warrior; mn born on Monday,
from Fante, Twi kudwo
CULTURE
: reflecting or pertaining to the roots values and
traditions highly respected by the Rastas
CUSS-CUSS :
a quarrel or fracas, with lots of cursing
CUT
: a castrated animal is said to be cut
CUT & CONTRIVE : to inch
and pinch
CUT (ONES) EYES : to avoid eye
contact (to ignore)
CUT YAI
: to cut your eye at somebody is a very common means
of
expressing scorn or contempt, for example; one catches
the other person's eye, then deliberatly turns one's
own eyes as an insult
CUTE
: "I never see nobody look so cute" means that the
person looks ridiculous
CUTLASH
: a cutlass
CUTS
: book illustrations
CUTTER
: sandwich
CUTTERS
: finger food, snack, hors d'ouveres
CYAAN
: cannot, can't
D.J.
: a person who sings or scats along with dub music,
sometimes called "toasting"
DAAL
: split peas, usually a thick soup, from Indian cuisine,
from Hindi
DADA
: father
DALLY
: executive zig-zag movements on wheels or on foot to
ride a bicycle or motorbike with a weaving motion,
as when ones weaves around potholes
DAN
: than
DAN DADA
: the highest of DON'S
DAN DAN
: a childs dress
DARK EYES :
to be suffering from spells of dizzyness or faintness
DARKERS
: sunglasses
DARU
: rum
DASHEEN
: a big soft yam-like root, often slightly greyish when
cooked. It is related to the coco, but one eats the
"head" instead of the tubers
DAT, DAH
: that
DAWTA
: a girl, woman, "sister," girlfriend
DEAD
: a dead person, a corpse
DEAD HOUSE :
a mortuary
DEAD WOOD :
(the w is silent) = A man that can't perform sexually.
Impotent
DEADERS
: meat, meat by-products
DEADIN'
: dying
DEAF BELL :
a ringing noise in the ear
DEESTANT
: decent
DEGE or DEGE-DEGE : adjective, little, skimpy,
measly, only, as in a two
dege-dege banana
DEH
: there (place)
DEM
: them
DENIS
: "If he takes a dislike to you, boy, yuh name denis"
that is, you are in trouble
DEPUTY
: mistress, other woman
DERE
: there
DESE
: these
DESTROYFUL :
destructive
DEY
: v. to be, exist, as in "No yam no dey". From Ewe de
or
Twi de - to be
DEY 'PON
: (aux. v.) - to be engaged in action or continuing
activity
DI
: the
DIALECK
: dialect
DIBBY-DIBBIES : young
women only interested in the latest fads
DIG DOWN
: demolish
DINKI
: a kind of traditional dance at funerals or "nine
nights" ("set-ups"); now popular among school
children.
DIS or DIS YA : this
DISPATCH
: to serve a customer in a shop "dispatch me, i be
waiting here for long"
DISREMEMBER :
fail to remember
DITE
: corruption of doit
DJEW
: as a verb, rain a djew; as a noun, djew rain It means
a light rain or drizzle
DO FLICKY :
any small tool or gadget
DOG DEAD
: an expression of finality
DOGHEART
: a person who is especially cold and cruel
DOH
: though
DOLLY
: executive zig-zag movements on wheels
DON
: one who is respected, master of a situation
DONKYA
: from "don't care"; careless, sloppy, lacking ambition,
etc
DOMS
: dominoes
DOONDOOS
: an albino
DOOR MOUTH :
threshold
DOTI
: earth
DOWN, DOWN YONDER : taken to mental hospital
DOWNPRESSOR :
preferred term for oppressor
DOWNTHE ISLANDS : excursion to
West End Islands and area
DRAW
: to strike a match
DREAD
: 1. a person with dreadlocks 2. a serious idea or thing
3. a dangerous situation or person 4. the "dreadful
power of the holy" 5. experientially, "awesome,
fearful confrontation of a people with a primordial
but historically denied racial selfhood"
DREADLOCKS :
1. hair that is neither combed nor cut 2. a person
with dreadlocks
DREADY
: a friendly term for a fellow dread
DRESS DOWN/GEARED DOWN dressed in the height of fashion, to move
down in
order to make room
DROP
: a lift offered by motorists
DUB
: a roots electronic music, created by skillful,
artistic re-engineering of recorded tracks
DUCK-ANTS :
white ants, or termites
DUCK'S GUTS :
denoting in truble
DUH
: they
DUHSELF
: themselves
DUKUNU
: sweet corn-meal dumplings boiled in wrapped leaves
DUNCY, DUNCEY : like
a dunce
DUNDUS
: an albino
DUNGLE
: n. legendary West Kingston slum surrounding a garbage
dump, now cleared: From English dunghill
DUNS,DUNSA :
money
DUPPY
: a ghost
DUPPY AGENT :
undertaker
DUST BOX
: waste paper bin
DUTCHY
: dutch cooking pot, low round-bottomed heavy pot.
EARLY
: the phrase "in the early" may be noted "we gotta put
a stop to this in the early"
EARF
: earth
EARFQUAKE :
earthquake
EASE-UP
: to forgive, to lighten up
EASY HALL (LIVING AT having no job, an idle life
EDDICATION :
education
EF
: if
EFFIN
: a variand of if
ELSEWHEY
: elsewhere
EN
: am not, is not, are not
ENT!??
: isn't that so
EPCEP
: except
ESS
: corruption of ace - the ess of spades / a varient of
if
ETHUH
: other
EVAH
: ever
EVAHBODY
: everybody
EVAHT'ING :
everything
EVER SINCE :
a long time ago
EVERYTING COOK & CURRY all is well, all is taken care of
EXCEPT
: often used in conjunction meaning useless
EXPENSE
: to cause expense
EXPRESSIONS :
euphemistic term for bad language
FAASTIE
: impertinent, rude, impudent
FACK
: fact
FADDUH, FATHUH : father
FAIF
: faith
FAINTY, FAINTY-FAINTY faint
FALL (A)WAY :
to loose weight
FALLA FASHIN :
copycat
FAMILY
: often used to mean relative
FAN
: "Don't fan yourself about" is an injunction often
given to those recovering from illness
FAS'
: to be fast with, meaning to be rude, impertinent, to
meddle with sombody's business, to be forward, etc
FASH
: occasionally used in its correct sense of bother or
trouble "dont fash yourself"
FASHION
: to mean, not in season
FASSY
: eczema-like scratchy sores on the skin; also a verb
meaning to cause oneself to be covered with fassy by
scratching
FATHER GIVER :
to give the bride away
FAVOUR
: "This child favours his father, nuh?" to resemble in
features
FAYVA
: to favour, resemble, or look like; "fayva like" also
means "it seems as if"
FE
: the infinitive "to" as in "Have fe go" "a fe" Have
to
"fe dem" their
FEE-E-R-T-Y-T-VOO : a simpleton
FEEL NO WAY :
don't take offense, don't be sorry, don't worry
FENKY-FENKY :
(from finicky) choosy, proud, stuck-up.
FENNEH
: v. to feel physical distress, pain. From Twi fene-to
vomit; Fante fena-to be troubled; Lumba feno-to faint
FETE
: party
FI
: possessive. "fi me"-"mine" Can also mean "for" or "to",
as in "I ha' fi", I have to Yu num fi du dat = You
are not to do that
FIESTY
: impudent, rude, out of order, cheeky
FINGERSMITH :
a theif
FINNY
: withered or deformed
FIRE
: "Come lewwe fire one" - to have a drink
FIRE RAGE :
a quarrel
FIRST LIGHT :
tomorrow
FIT
: when used of fruits and vegetables, it means ready
to
pick, full grown, though not necessarily fully ripe
also means in good shape. ("You haffe fit!")
FITS
: to give anyone fits is to annoy or embarrass him
FLIMS
: films
FOLLER
: follow
FOLLOW PATTERN : imitative
FOOFOOLOO :
someone who is in a love-sick situation. Or an
extreme case of Tabanka. Also refers to a person who
lets others walk all over him.
FOR
: sort
FORCERIPE :
precious
FORENOON
: afternoon, never any period of time before noon
FORR'NER
: foreigner
FORTYLEG
: centipede
FORWARD
: 1. to go, move on, set out 2. in the future
FRAZMA
: a confused state of mind
FREENESS
: when something is obtained without cost
FRETTIN'
: getting upset
FRICTION
: a safety match
FRIENDSING :
holding hands, courting; as, "They have been
friendsing a long time"
FRONTA
: tobacco leaf used to roll herb
FRUPSE
: something of no account "It isn't worth a frupse"
FUCKERY
: wrong, unfair
FUH
: for
FUHGET
: forget
FUHGIVE
: forgive
FULLNESS,TO THE FULLNESS completely, absolutely, totally
FUNDS
: money
FUNNY UP
: odd, queer, contorted or deformed
FURTHUH
: further
FUSS BOX
: a fussy person
FUSSY
: used with the negative to express lack of interest
of
keeness
G'LONG
: go along
G'ROUN'
: go around
G'N
: going to
GAAN TO BED :
an adverbial phrase; following a verb of liking or
loving, it has a superlative meaning; can be used in
any context, such as "I love hafu yam gaan to bed!"
GALANG
: go along
GALAVANTING :
going out or travelling. Usually applies to someone
who is always going somewhere but not necessarily
for any particular reason.
GALLERYING :
showing off in front of others.
GANJA
: herb, marijuana
GANSEY
: t-shirt, any knit shirt
GANSY, GARNSEY : s wollen
jersey
GATES
: home, yard
GEAR DOWN :
dressed up
GEN
: pass tense of give
GENERAL
: cool operator
GET ON
: "just because you cant have your own way, look how
you
get on!"
GI
: give
GI'IN
: giving
GIG
: spinning top
GINE
: going "wey yuh gine?"
GINNAL
: n. trickster, con-man, an Amnancy figure as in
"Sunday ginnal"-a preacher or clergyman
GIMMERIT, GIMMUH : give it to me
GITTIMA
: a gift
GIVE OUT
: the housewife always gives out the dinner
GLAMITY
: a woman's genitals
GO
: (i) "Go away" - i dont beleive you, (ii) "is there
anything to go by" - is there any rum to hand (iii)
"He gone 'cross" - its all up with him (iv) "Those
two batsmen gone down, boy" - two batsmen are well
set (v) Gone down - eat quickly (vi) I gone - good
bye
GO FORWARDS :
sandals that have no heel strap; in such footware it
is difficult to step backwards
GOAT COLLECTION : refers to a large
collection of small coins
GOAT HEAVEN :
a state of bliss
GOAT MOUTH :
ill of luck
GOBBLE
: gob of spittle
GOD SPARE LIFE : i'll see
you tomorrow
GOGGLE
: the adams apple
GOOD
: (i) Extremly, (ii) accountable for no ones actions
GORGON
: outstanding dreadlocks
GRAVALICIOUS :
greedy, avaricious
GRIG
: grain
GRIND GINGER :
expressive phrase, denotes working oneself into a
temper
GRINDSMAN :
one who displays great prowess in bed
GROG
: rum
GROUNATION :
large, island-wide meeting and celebration of Rastas
GROUND
: home, yard
GRUMPUS BACK :
a surly person
GUV'MENT
: gouvernment
GUV'NUH
: governor
GYPSY
: meddlesome, officious
HABRA, DABRA AND THE CREW : Tom, Dick and Harry
HACKLE
: to hassle, bother, worry, trouble. As a noun, hackling
HAD NOT
: had it not been for
HADJA BUCK :
an uncouth, ill-bred person
HAFFI
: to have to...
HAG
: to worry, harass or pester
HAIL
: a greeting
HALFIE
: half bootle (small bottle)
HAND
: his entire arm "He got his hand broken just above the
elbow" (same applies for foot)
HAPPY DAYS :
a slang term for the breadfruit
HARD
: excellent, proficient, skillful, uncompromising
HARD EARS :
stubborn, doesn't listen
HARE RABBIT :
a Hare
HEAD
: "The women were heading the canes to the cart" - To
carry a load on the head
HEAD MAN JANCRO : n. albino buzzard
HEALF
: health
HEALFY
: healthy
HEART AFFECTION : a heart condition
HEETCH
: itch. Many such words could be listed under H, as
initial H is added to scores of words at will.
HEF(T)
: to lift to judge the weight
HEIGHT
: (i) "He wouldn't take my height" He wouldn't even
notice me (ii) "Made height down the road" He ran at
full speed down the road
HELLION
: a wild fellow
HENG
: hang
HERB
: marijuana
HEY
: here
HI
: to be noted in comination with gee and whoa as "He
won't hi, gee, nor whoa" i.e. he'll neither start,
move on, nor stop
HIEZ
: ears
HIEZ-HAAD :
ears-hard, thick skulled, stubborn, unwilling or
unable to hear
HIFALUTIN :
naughty
HIGGLERS
: higglers, who are primarly woman who buy and sell goods
that they have imported into the country. Some
higglers, however, do not make trips out of the
country to buy goods, but sell the goods that others
import. The connection between higglers and dancehall
culture is crucial as they form one of the strongest
international links between JA, North America, and the
Caribbean.
HIND CLAW :
referring to some means of financial support other
than one's recognised means of income
HITEY-TITEY :
upper class, high tone, "stoosh"
HOG THOMAS :
a ill mannered person
HOLD STRAIN :
"Take it easy"
HOMELY
: to be relaxed, comfortable, enjoying your home
surrounding
HOOD
: penis
HOOT
: to make discomfort or pain "The mosquitoes made me
hoot last night"
HOP AND DROP :
"He walks hop and drop" with a limp
HOPPING BALL :
tennis ball
HORN
: to cheat on your loved one. To be unfaithful. This
can cause Tabanca !
HORNIN'
: committing adultery
HORSPITTLE :
hospital
HORSTILISH :
hostile
HORTICAL (DON) : respected,
acclaimed
HOT-STEPPER :
fugitive from jail or gun court
HOUSE CLEAR :
a little pale from lack of sunlight
HUCJUM, HUKKUM : how come,
why?
HUMBUG
: to annoy, nuisance
HUMMUCH, HUMMUCHY : how much
HUSH
: shut up
I
: replaces "me", "you", "my"; replaces the first
syllable of seleted words (1) I and I, I&I: I, me,
you and me, we Rastafari speech eliminates you, me we,
they, etc., as divisive and replaces same with
communal I and I. I and I embraces the congregation in
unity with the Most I (high) in an endless circle of
inity (unity)
I-DREN
: (n.)- male Rastafarian
IEZ
: ears
IEZ-HAAD
: ears-hard, thick skulled, stubborn, unwilling or
unable to hear
IGNORANT
: an action that is rash or carefree, short-tempered,
easy to vex, irate
IG'RANT
: ignorant
ILIE
: adj. literally, "highly", valuable, exalted, even
sacred
I-MAN
: I, me, mine
I-NEY
: a greeting
INNA
: In the
INNA DI MORROWS : tomorrow
I-REY
: 1. a greeting 2. excellent, cool, highest
ILE
: oil
IRIE
: A Greeting. excellent, cool, highest adj. powerful
and pleasing
ISES/IZES/ISIS : praises
Praises to the almighty given by Rasta when
calling on the name of Jah for strength and assistance
for achieving progress in life
I-SHENCE
: herb
ISMS and SKISMS : negative term
denoting Babylon's classificatory
systems
I-TAL
: vital, organic, natural, wholesome; refers to way of
cooking and way of life in colors, red, green and
gold
ITCH
: scrath (my back)
ITES
: 1. the heights 2. a greeting 3. the color red,
great
JA, JAM-DOWN :
Jamaica
JACKASS ROPE :
homegrown tobacco, twisted into a rope.
JAH KNOW
: Lord knows
JAH
: God; possibly derived as a shortened form of Jahweh
or Jehovah
JAMDUNG
: Jamaica, "Jam" to press down "dung" down. Ironic
reference to social and economic conditions of the
masses
JAMMIN
: to be having a good time, to be dancing calypso/soca
JANCRO
: n. literally John Crow, buzzard
JANGA
: shrimp, crayfish
JELLY
: a young coconut, full of jelly
JENKINS
: mental hospital
JINE
: join
JON CONNU :
n. (John Canoe). Bands of elaborately masked dancers
appearing around Christmas. They ressemble the
ancestral dancers of West Africa, but the ety. of the
word is unclear
JOOK
: to pierce or stick, as with a thorn or a long pointed
stick, to stab
JUDGIN'
: adjective, everyday or ordinary clothes or shoes worn
in the yard or in the bush, as in "judgin' boot" Also
as a verb, to judge, with a similar meaning
JUS' NOW
: wait a minute, in a little while, whenever
JUST NOW
: immediatley
JUSTLY
: exactly
JUU
: as a verb, rain a juu; as a noun, juu rain, it means
a light rain or drizzle
KALI; COOLY :
marijuana
KALLALOO
: a dark, green leafy vegetable, very nutritious and
cheap
KASS KASS :
n. quarrel or contention. From combination of English
curse or cuss, and Twi kasa kasa-to dispute verbally
KATA
: a roll of cloth or vegetation placed on top of the
head to cushion the skull from the weight of a head
load
KAYA
: see ganja
KEEP
: "Stop keeping that noise" - stop making that noise
KEEP MISS :
kept woman
KEM
: deceive
KEMPS
: a little bit, a tiny piece, from skimps
KERNEL
: an enlarged gland in the groin
KETCH UP
: grapple
KIMBOES
: akimbo
KIN TEET
: see kiss teet
KISS ME NECK! : common
exclamation of surprise
KISS TEET :
to kiss one's teeth or to suck one's teeth is to make
the very common hissing noise of disappoval, dislike,
vexation or disappointment
KNOCK
: to knock around - hang around
KNUCK, KNUCKA : knuckle
KOUCHIE
: bowl of a chalice or chillum pipe
KRENG-KRENG :
an old-fashioned meat rack, hung up high over the
fire to catch the smoke
KU
: verb, look!
KU DEH!
: look there!
KU PAN
: look at
KU YA!
: look here!
KU YU
: To say "Look at you." To the person you are refering
to
KUMINA
: n. Ecstatic dance for the purpose of communicating
with ancestors. From Twi akom-to be possessed and
ana-by an ancestor
KYA
: 1. to care; "donkya", don't care, careless; "no kya"
means no matter, as in "no kya weh im tun", no matter
where he turns 2. to carry
KYAAN
: can't
KYAI
: to carry
KYAN
: can
LABA-LABA :
to chat, gab; gossip
LABRISH
: gossip, chit-chat
LACKEY, LACKY : a subservient
person
LAGGA HEAD :
dumb acts as if you have no common sense. Stupid "yu
dam Lagga head bud"
LAMBSBREAD :
a form of high-quality marijuana
LARGE
: respected
'LARMER
: an alarmist
LASH
: whipped
LATED
: belated
LAY BY
: "I'll see you after school lay by" - I'll see you
after school this evening
LEAD
: a lead pencil
LEAVE
: "I was so busy, the bus left me" - I missed the bus
LEGGO
: let go
LEGGO BEAS' :
wild, disorderly, like a let-go beast
LEH
: let
LEMMUH
: let me
LENGF
: length
LET ALONE :
to leave alone
LET OFF
: pay out
LICK
: To hit
LICK MOUTH :
a gossiper
LICKY-LICKY :
fawning, flattering, obsequious
LIKE
: look like
LILLY BIT :
little bit, tiny
LIMBLESS
: shocked
LIME OR LIMIN' : group of
people hanging out, loafing, pleasure
occasion
LIMER
: an idle person
LIMESKIN
: a felt has seen its best days
LION
: a righteous Dread, a great soul
LITTLE MORE :
see you later
LOCAL
: sometimes used with refernece to a person or
thing
of no account
LOOKA
: look at
LOTTA
: a lot of
LOW RATE
: to belittle
MAAMA MAN :
a gay person, an effeminate man, a weakling
MAAS
: n. from master or massa. Now freed from its class
origin; a respectful form of address to an older man
MACA
: thorn, prickle
MACO/MACOSHUS : one
who likes to mind other people's business.
MADDA
: mother
MAFIA
: big-time criminals
MAGA
: thin (from meagre)
MAGA DOG
: mongrel
MAGUFFY
: a person in authority
MAIN GUARD :
central police station
MAKING SPORT :
joking, playing around (verbaly)
MAKIN STYLE :
showing off
MAMAGUY
: to put someone on, to make fun of, to say things or
make promises to another to make the other person feel
good.
MAMAPOULE :
a fussy, effeminate man
MAMPI
: fat or overweight
MANACLES
: chains
MANNERS
: under heavy discipline or punishment. for example
when Kingston is under "heavy manners", they have a
curfew or call out the army
MARINA
: a man's undershirt, guernsey; a tank-top style
MARISH AND THE PARISH "Marish and the parish will be there"
- everyone
MAROON
: n. free black warrior-communities which successfully
resisted British hegemony during eighteenth century
and early nineteenth century. From Spanish
cimmaron-untamed, wild
MARRIEDIN' :
getting married
MAS
: masquerade
MASCOT
: denoting inferior status
MASH IT UP :
a huge success
MASH UP, MASH DOWN : destroy
MASSIVE
: respected, used with LARGE to add emphasis
MATEY
: mistress
MATTIE
: close friends
MAULSPRIG :
beat badly, thrash
MEAN
: "How yuh mean?" - what do you mean?
MEK
: make
MEK WE
: let Us
MENELIK, RAS :
n. Ethiopian nobleman who rallied his troops to
resist Italian aggression. Defeated Italians at Adowa
1896
MINCEMEAT :
hamburger
MIRACCALUS :
miraculous
MOCKSPORT :
harmless banter
MOCKSTICK :
a figure of ridicule
MOLLY-BOOBY :
a nitwit
MOOJIN
: an idiot
MONKS
: among
MORE TIME :
see you later
MORPHY
: hermaphrodite
MR. MENTION :
Talk of the town, originally talk of the females
signifying someone with many female conquests
MR. T
: the boss
MUCH
: to make to much of, to caress, or fondle
MUDDUH
: mother
MUH
: my
MURDERATION :
trouble, confusion
MURRACLE
: miracle
MUS MUS
: a rat
MUSSEE
: must be
MUSTER
: money is usually mustered, not saved
MY BABY MOTHER/FATHER the mother/father of my child
MYAL
: n. a form of benign magic oposed to Obeah, hence
myalman. From Hursa maye-wizard, person of mystic
power
NABLE
: navel
NAGAH
: n. pejorative for a black person
NAGO
: n. Yoruba person, practice or language. From Ewe
anago-Yoruba person
NAH
: adv. will not. Emphatic as in "Me nah do that"
NANA
: midwife; nanny or nurse
NANNY GOAT :
"What sweet nanny goat a go run him belly" is a
cautionary Jamaican proverb which translated means:
What tastes good to a goat will ruin his belly.
In other words - the things that seem good to you now,
can hurt you later...
NASH
: female genatalia
NASTY
: to make nasty
NATTY, NATTY DREAD, NATTY CONGO 1. dreadlocks 2. a person
with dreadlocks
NAZARITE
: Ancient Hebrew meaning to "separate", consecrated,
set
apart by choice and devotion
NEFFIN
: nothing
NEFFINARIAN :
a nobody or person of dubious morals
NEIDER
: neither
NEPSHA AND KIAH : Tom, Dick and
Harry
NEW BRAND :
brand New
NEXT
: other
NICK
: to throw dice
NIGHBERS
: neighbours
NIYABINGHI :
1. "death to all black and white oppressors" 2. East
African warriors who resisted colonial domination 3.
large Rastafarian meeting and spiritual gathering 4.
referring to orthodox, traditional Rastas 5. a variety
of drumming
NIYAMEN
: name for Rastas referring to Niyabinghi warriors of
East Africa
'NOUGHT
: a lot of
NO TRUE?
: isn't it so?
NOTCH
: don or top ranking badman
NOW FUH NOW :
instantly, while you wait
NOWHEY
: nowhere
NUFF
: enough
NUH
: added to an unanswered question
NUH
: interrogative at end of sentence; literally, "Is it
not so?"
NYAM
: eat
NYING'I-NYING'I : nagging, whining
OAR
: row
OBEAH
: traditional African "science", relating to matters
of
the spirit and spirits, spells, divinations, omens,
extra-sensory knowledge, etc
OBSOCKY
: odd, conpicuous, deserving of ridicule
OBZOKEE
: something that is unsightly in appearance. Out of
shape.
O-DOKONO
: boiled maize bread
OFFA
: of
OH GEED!
: an expression used when there is an offensive smell.
OHT FI
: about to, on the vergeof, as in "it hoht fi rain",
it
is about to rain, it looks like rain
OL TALK
: chit-Chat, idle chatter
ON' NEAT' :
underneath
ONCOUF
: uncouth
ONE LOVE
: a parting phrase, expression of unity
ONE SIDE
: aside
ONE TIME
: right now, immediately
ONE-ONE
: adjective, one by one, thus any small amount
ONGLE
: only
ONLIEST
: only
OPETIN
: open
OPINATED
: opinionated
ORDINARY
: common, vulgar, unrefined
OUT OUT
: to put out, extinguish
OUTA
: out of
OUTLORDED :
rude, good for nothing
OUTMAN
: a bogey man
OUTSIDE
: illegitimate (as outside child, outside woman)
OVER
: in the plural, things left over
OVERS
: to achieve another level of thinking usually better.
to move on past a trivial and into a superior position.
OWN WAY
: headstrong, or stubborn
PAIPSEY &nbs