My Trini Dictionary (soon to become The Definitive TD)

When Eric at work showed me this today, I felt such a powerful longing for Mummy and Fabian that my heart ached. There may be only four or five of these I haven't heard in my lifetime.

Hyeah nuh, if allyuh have any additions for dis here dictionary, lemme know, nah?
(hee hee!)

Ah: Substitute for "I"
Ah-Ah: Expression denoting surprise, indignation. Said quickly or very slowly for effect.
Ah I Ah Eh Able: Give me patience. I can't keep up with you. You're too much.
Ah Never See More: An exclamation of surprise, anger, bewilderment. (I've never seen anything like that)
Alla-All-Yuh: Every last one of you.
All Kinda Ting: All kinds of things. Everything imaginable, including the proverbal kitchen sink.
All (Every) Man Jack: Everyone without exception
Allyuh: All of you people
Atall: Not at all
Ax: Ask
Aye-yah-yie: An expression of anticipation or pain, etc.

Bacchanal: Scandal, heavy quarrelling, big party, confusion
Back chat: Insolent response, especially from a child to an adult
Bad eye(cut-eye): A look of anger, especially when looking from the corner of the eye
Bad talk: To malign or slander
Ba-John: A bully or a really tough customer
Bamsee (Bam-bam): The rear end, what you sit on
Bam-se Lambe: Rather attractive bamsee
Bawl Dong De Place: To cry excessively. To be in a state of grief and to display it unrestrained.
Bawlin': To cry, yell or howl
Beat Yuh Wit A Wo'k Stick: An expression used about someone who is a work-a-holic. One who works constantly.
BeeWee: British West Indian Airways (BWIA--some say this is actually an acronym for: But Will It Arrive?), the national airline of Trinidad
Behin' God Back: A very distance place. Remotest part of the country.
Bim An' Bam: Like two peas in a pod. Very much alike.
Bol'face: A pushy person, unreasonably demanding
Break Away: When one "cuts loose"
Broughtupsy: Showing that a person was properly brought up, decorum
Buh wha de jail (or ass) is dis? An expression denoting annoyance, surprise, incredulity
Buh wait nah: But wait a minute

Cheups(Stcheups): A noise made by sucking your teeth
Chinkee: Very tiny portions of anything
Coki-eye: Cross-eyed
Commesse: Confusion associated with arguments, gossip and slander
Cuff: Hitting someone or something with a clenched fist
Cut-ass: A beating, physical punishment
Cyah: Can't

Da is yu? Is that you?
Dan-dan: Any sharp looking outfit
Dat good for yuh: Serves you right
Doh: Don't
Dotish: Silly, stupid, foolish and dumb
Dougla: Mixture of East Indians and African parentage
Drevait(dree-vay): Wayward person who likes to "knock about"
Duppie: Ghost, Spirit
Dutty: Dirty

Eh: What did you say?
Eh-eh: No, no way, oh no
Eh-heh: Oh really? I understand. Yes
En'less: Plenty
Ent? Is that not so?
Expectin a flood / Plantin rice: when one's pants are too short above the ankles

Fall out: To stop speaking with someone or to terminate a friendship
Faddah: Father
Fete: a party
Flim: Film
Founkie: Foul-smelling, stink odour
’Fraid: Afraid
Fresh Water Yankee: A Trini who goes to America and comes back acting and talking Yankee (Originally someone acting Yankee without even going overseas, or crossing salt water).
Fuh so: So much, Plenty of anything

Gallery: To show off
Gallivanting: Out and about
God blame a mule: An expression of exasperation
Goin'orf: Someone who appears to be going out of their mind
Gun talk: Fighting words, to threaten verbally
Gyul: Girl

Harden: Disobedient
Hyeah nuh: Listen
Hototo: A very large amount of anything
Hut: Hurt

Ice Water! An expression of triumph
I Come Out To Play: I aim to have a good time.
I eh payin' tax fuh mih mout': I could say anything I want
In ting: To be involved in current activity
In Trut': In truth and in fact.
Is De Wus: It's the worst. The pits. No good; very disappointing.
Is Me An' You Today: The show-down between us takes place now. I shall be observing you all day.
Is so? Is that so?
Is You To Ketch: You will be the one left holding the bag. You will be outsmarted. You're the one in trouble now

Jam: A big noisy party
Jeez-an-ages (Jeez-an-fiyah): Used for any reason where an outburst is appropriate
Jingay: A hex or spell. To try to confuse an opponent with Mumbo-jumbo.
Jokey / Jokey-Fied: An amusing person or incident.
Jook: To stab at anything
Jumbie: Ghost
Jump-up: Dance to calyso at Carvnival
Jus' Dey: Just there. Very near. Not far away.
Jus'now: In a little while
Jus'so? Just like that?
Jus'so: Out of the blue

Ketch: Catch
Kicksin': Fooling around, having fun, being a source of amusement.
Klim: Any brand of powdered milk

Lef dat: Leave that
Leh: Let
Leh go: Let go
Leh we: Let us
Lick dong: To accidentally hit someone or something
Licks: A beating, physical punishment
Like t'ing: To be somewhat mischievous
Lil'bit: In small portions
Lime: When a small group of people engage in a sometimes pre-arranged activity
Long eye: A person who is envious of the possessions of others
Look nuh! An expression of annoyance

Maco: A person who minds other people's business; To spy on
Macocious: A person having the trait of a maco
Maga: Very thin, skinny
Mamaguy: To make fun of
Mama Yo! Expression denoting shock and surprise
Matter Fix: Everything is well organized
Mih han' slip: An expression used when too much of an ingredient is used
Mook: A man who is a pushover for his woman
Mooma: Mother
Mosquito drumstick: Very thin legs
Mudda: Mother
Mout'er: A boaster
Much up: To pamper, to butter up

Nah: No
Nastiness: An expression of disgust applied to a good-for-nothing person
Never see come see: Someone who has recently been exposed to something new and
who overdoes it to ridiculous proportions
Ning ning: Tired eyes
Now fuh now: Instantly
Nowherian: A person who does not have any fixed place of abode

Obzokee: Awkward in appearance, anything bent or twisted out of shape
Oh geed! An expression used when an offensive smell arises,
Oh gosh!-
Oh gorm man!-
Oh shimps man!- These are all expressions denoting shock, surprise, indignation
Oh ho? Is that so?
Ol' talk: Idle chatter, social chit-chat
One set ah: A lot of anything
One time: Immediately
Own-way: Stubborn person

Pallet: Frozen lolly
Papa yo! Exclamation of surprise
Party Done: Go home
Pesh: Money
Pissin' tail: A person of no class or importance
Planasse: To hit someone continuously with the flat part of a cutlass
Playin' social: Someone who pretends to be of a higher social strata than they are
Pong: Pound
Po-po: Very small child, baby
Pouhpse: To expel gas from your nether regions
Prim-prim: Disgustingly proper and formal
Provision: Term used for any or all root vegetables

Quenk: An irritating person
Qualeybe: Withered, dried up

Raff: To grab suddenly
Ragadang: Broken down
Ram-cram: Packed to capacity
Rumfle: Ruffled or wrinkled

Saga boy/girl: Flashy dresser, dandy
Salop: A disgusting person.
Sapat: Chunky wooden clog with a canvas or discarded tyre upper.
Shades: Sunglasses
Shif' yuh carcass: Move over, get going
Shub: Shove, move or cast aside
Shut: Shirt
Simidimi: A lot of small ritualistic movements. Titivate.
Skinnin' yuh teet': Grinning
Skin up yuh nose: To turn up one's nose at anything
Sof' Man/Sofy: Effeminate man. Spineless.
Sometimeish: Moody
So-So T'ank You An' Yuhself: I am all right thank you, and how are you.
Stchupid: Stupid
Stchupidee: A foolish person
Strims: Shrimps
Surprise De Water: To finally have a bath after a long time.
Sweet Drink: Aerated beverage. Pop. Soda.
Sweetie: Any confectionary
Swell up yuh face: To look angry, to pout

Tabanca: The forlorn feeling one gets when a love affair is over
Tabanca, Tarange, Foofooroo: Advancing stages of Tabanca
Tanty: Aunt
Tellyphone slap: When you get cuffed in the head so hard, your mouth and ears ring
Tight: Intoxicated, drunk, stoned
T'ing: Thing
Titivay: To waste time or stir up trouble
To Besides: Besides which
Too bad: Used at the end of a statement to indicate very or plenty
Too-tool-bay: A confused state, in a daze, also head over heels in love
Tot tots: Female breasts

Vampin': An offensive smell
Vaps: To suddenly behave excitedly or in a strange manner
Vex: Angry

Warahoun: A quarrelsome annoying person
Wajang: A roudy, uncouth person
Walk wit' yuh two han' swingin: To arrive empty handed especially when contributions are expected
Warap: A very weak mixture
Well: Used in a statement to emphasize a point
Well yes! An expression of disbelief
Whappen? What's the matter with you?
Wha-happenin' dey? What's happening
Whatless: Worthless
Whey: Where
Whey yuh? Where are you?
Whey yuh say? What did you say
Wine: To dance to soca calypso, to rotate the waist and hips

Yampee: Mucus, found in the corner of the eye
You an' all? You too?
You so: People like you
Yuh faddah head: An expression of annoyance
Yuh faddah is a glassmaker? You are blocking my view
Yuh foot hot: You can't keep still, always going somewhere
Yuh look fuh dat: It's your own fault
Yuh makin' joke! You can't be serious!
You still alive? Long time no see
You 'tink it easy? Can you believe it?

Zopse: The horizontal mambo
Zug-up: A rough and uneven cutting of anything

They should charge me rent...

...the amount of time I spend in this place. I've never made it out of here before 1 am since last Wednesday.
(Except for Easter Sunday. That was the bomb. I went to my parents house for Easter dinner, drank wine, ate stupid amounts of tasty food and watched Chris Rock. Dynomite.)

I confess that I actually stayed so late once two days ago, that I didn't feel like it was safe to leave the building, plus I didn't trust myself to wake up in time and drag my sorry behind out of my house in time for my meeting seven hours later, so I slept on the couch.

So ghetto. The office couches here are not very long, and I'm very tall, so you can imagine, I made quite a pitiful/comical sight when Eric, Tricia, and Adele came in that morning.

Actually, it's really quite late again, and I'm trying to make up my mind what to do. Last time I was here this late, I stayed. But one, I don't want to spend money buying washcloths and fresh undergarments at the Dollar Store--I'd really rather have a shower and a change of clothes at home. Two, I want my bed, even if I only stay in it for three hours. Three, and most importantly, I can't take the constant mockery from my co-workers that followed the last sleepover.

That settles it, yet another cab ride. Blast. I so can't afford this. But oh, I'm gonna.

"Wha...Huh?" A Stream of Consciousness Post

Growr. Stupid busy. Life is interesting, but no time to talk about it. Not even sure it's particularly interesting. It's all Youthworks related. Learning lots, but should sleep more, need to get the heck out of this office. Craving KFC. Philly Cheese Steaks. Swedish Berries. (Argh, next year, I want a manservant for my birthday. Y'all can start saving up now.) What happened to my social life? Vacation would be so awesome, like Cancun. Frozen drinks with little umbrellas. I am the colour of very weak tea. I haven't seen the inside of a gym in over a month. We are not terribly sexy and fabulous nowadays. Or very coherent much.

Thank You, Thank you...
I'm here all week!
(sigh.)

The Artful Dodger

I initially mis-typed the title, so that it read the Artful Didger.
Hm, that would've raised some interesting questions about the post that was to follow.
Many possibilities came to mind, and to my credit, 99% of them were PG-rated.
Did you have the same knee-jerk response to attempt to anticipate what on earth a title like that would be a prelude to?
C'mon, you know you did. Didger?
(heh heh, get it? Didger/Didja? ok, it's not a very funny joke, and I promise I did not plan this. It's just the screwy way my brain works sometimes.)

Anyway, I feel like the Artful Dodger today because I'm taking a wee bit of a break from work over here at BTW. Being a little delinquent, surfin' the Net a bit while waiting for my brain to recharge.

If you're interested to see what I'm working on, check this action out! Come and support theatre, come and support our youth! Shoot, come out and support me!
Yeah, this is a golden opportunity for those of you who missed Blacks Don't Bowl and feel guilty about it to make it up to me. Just joking. Sort of. Only if it it hurts your feelings or something. If not then, I'm not playin'.

(There was a cute picture too, but check it out, I'm sick of trying to format it for this blog and get it right. Just picture in your mind a whole mess of cute black kids arm in arm):

YouthWorks: Questioning Our Identity

YOUTHWORKS END OF YEAR PRESENTATIONS

AT THE BLACK THEATRE WORKSHOP SPACE

Press release
For immediate release

Montreal, April 10, 2006 – Led by Montreal’s own Tamara Brown, a group of fine artists have teamed up to prepare YouthWorks’ talented students for their performances scheduled for May 6 and 7 in the Black Theatre Workshop Space.

YouthWorks is inviting you to come along on a journey through identity in three pieces:

• Scenes from Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery.
  A girl comes of age in Southern USA. This charming play by Shay Youngblood evokes a girl’s loving relationship with a mother who abandoned her and the amazing women who raised her.
  
• Death of the Bourgeois Dream.
  In his new creation, Jason Selman looks at the tribulations of four young adults. Two things bring them together: their passion for music and their struggle with identity in a sea of Black stereotypes.
  
• What If.
  In a world where the news is full of stories of murder and crime, it is can be hard to tell who the victims are. Written by the cast, this play tells the heart-wrenching story of three women who are caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A Note From the Program Director:
When we first approached this year’s participants, we asked them to speak about the issues most prevalent in their hearts and minds right now. The overwhelming consensus addressed the many ways that they struggle to identify and reflect their true self-image to themselves and to a society that pressures them to fit into a mold that chafes, a reality presented by the media that doesn’t resonate for them. From the outpouring of their hearts, in this, our 35th season at Black Theatre Workshop, I am reminded of the ‘Reflec’tions’ of Rachel Van Fossen in our Season Program: ‘…good theatre can be said to hold a mirror up to society, and so to reflect us as human beings back to ourselves.’
-Tamara Brown

Information: Naïma Phillips
Administrative Coordinator
Tel.: 932 -1104 ext. 226
Fax: 932-6311
youthworks@blacktheatreworkshop.ca

YouthWorks:
Questioning Our Identity
Black Theatre Workshop
3680 Jeanne-Mance, Suite 460
Metro Place-des-Arts
May 6 and 7, 2006
3pm, 5pm and 7pm
Reservations:
(514) 932-1104 ext. 226
Free admission

DIG IT!!!!

So near, and yet so far...

I am referring of course to vacation time. Even though the play closes tonight, which should ostensibly free up some time in my schedule, bringing the total number of jobs down to one, somehow this will not be the case. Oh well. It appears that the protracted pastry and DVD binges I had allocated to fill in those gaps in my schedule will have to be cancelled until further notice. Damn.

Grr...oh so sleepy. I haven't fully bounced back from birthday night celebrations, or caught up on the missed sleep. Seeing my family and friends yesterday come out and support the play was like a shot of adrenaline to my system, I was happy, and buoyant and loving life! Today, not so much.
I crashed with Mom and Fabian and the crew at their hotel last night, and the pull-out bed mattress had a great big depression in the center of it. Anne and I kept rolling into the middle of the bed all night. It would be funny if I wasn't so tired now.

Bon. Enough whining. Today, I say goodbye to a play that has challenged me, personally and professionally, working with a group of people I love and admire and am going to miss terribly. Pretty frickin gorgeous first season out of school, I think. I am grateful. I have an awesome job!

Anyway, I'm thinking that I'm just going to stay 31 for the next 8 years or so. I've got good genetics, surely I can pull it off.

Gonna party like it's mah birthday!

All up in da club.... Come to Kandy Bar on St. Laurent below Rachel tomorrow night around 10:30 and celebrate mah b-day with me. Yessiree, in spite of trials and tribulations,

Miss Thang

is emerging triumphant and as fabulous as I wanna be! Y'all gots to show me some love, and I ain't too proud to beg for it! D'you wanna see the fabulous pics Neil took of me? They're not finished yet, but I think he made me look gooooood....






Cute huh?
C'mon you can tell me, I won't get a swelled head, I promise!
Big bisous to all of you, I love y'all so much! I have amazing friends and family, and I hug you and kiss you *m'wah!*

And in case you wanted to come see the show, it's SOLD OUT! 'Cause we are da BOMB! Your best bet now is to try to gatecrash. I shouldn't feel so gleeful, but I do! We even added an extra matinee, which sold out a day later! H'ray!