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
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