okay...so i might be getting a little carried away here; I've included terms that i know i haven't used in the blog! :-)
Many of our words can also be verbs, nouns, adjectives - take yuh pick - depending on the use. Also, is there really a right or wrong spelling?
A
Ah: I
ahow: weird, any feeling out of the ordinary
All inclusive: term to describe a fete/band where the entry price includes food and liquor - usually premium food and top shelf liquor
Allyuh: you all
ayeyayaye (altho, as usual who the hell knows how this is spelled): sound of exasperation; OYE!
B
beppin: nodding off/trying hard to stay awake/fighting sleep...u know like when u nod off and the jerking motion wakes u up and u try to pretend it didn't happen
better fete: our version of "better yet", even better
bhaji: a green leafy vegetable that could be spinach cousin
boatride: fete on a boat - boat goes out sailing for the duration of the party and then docks at the end
bol'face: pushy, unreasonably and shamelessly demanding
Boil down like bhaji: settled down/relaxed
(to) bouf (really have no idea how to spell this word): to chastise; also used like "yuh get bout"
bong to: bound to
boss/bess: best, excellent, rhell good
brackets: () parentheses
breakfast fete: party that starts at the crack of dawn. usually attended right after another party. Best if it is outdoors and u get to see the sun come up
bucket ah drop: a whole lot; rhell rhell rain. okay so i normally use this to describe how much rain might be coming down but figured it was applicable to get my point across with my sweating that one day fus i was sweating profusely
buh wha d: an expression to show how dare u? as in what the jail/ass/fcuk/any of those kinda terms...a contraction if u will of the entire expression (not sure how else to describe this)
C
carnival jumbie: someone who cannot get enuf of carnival. LOVES the music, the vibe, goes to all the fetes, will attend carnivals in all countries (at least once if they can) - a fanatic, if you will
catspraddle: fall
(to) chain up: instigate
chile: child
(to) check: to visit
chounx: a wee bit
cooler fete: a fete where patrons walk with their own coolers full of whatever they want to eat/drink. coolers can homemade, makeshift, whatever vessel they want that they can fill up. Drinks are not normally sold because only idiots will pay for drinks at a cooler fete! lol
cyah: cannot
D
d; the
daiz: that is
dat: that
dem: them
doh: don't
doubles: Trini street food; a "sandwich" (if u will) made up of 2 bara (flat fried dough (fluffy and light)) and filled with curry flavoured split peas
E
eh: a question - excuse me? also can be used to say not that something is not being done, not happening ie I eh doing that! when used twice like "eh eh", it means no (this word is very versatile)
eh heh (hmmmmm how to describe this?): said with a questioning intonation but of course no answer rhelly expected like oh yeah? that's what u think? oh really?
F
fas: nosy
fete: big big party - drinks, music, plenty people
foreign: anywhere outside of Trinidad (not other Caribbean islands tho)
fus (also fus so): not sure how to describe this...used for emphasis as in "I was sleeping blissfully this morning - not even dreaming FUS it was a good sleep!"
G
geezanages: sound of exasperation like geez louise
gimme ah bligh: give me a free pass/go easy on me - anything along those lines
gyurl: girl
(put) goat mout(h): to jinx, blight
H
hadda: have to
hol it dong: an expression like "take care" that you'd say to someone as you're leaving
house and land: a very large umbrella
I
I eh go lie: I'm not going to lie
I in dat: count me in
in ah bunguhlation: who knows how to spell this? not me…anyway an expression we use to describe an abundance of (whatever you're describing)
J
J'ouvert (pronounced "joo-vay"): derived from French patois and means daybreak. it marks the official start of carnival at home and begins at 4am on Carnival Monday morning.
L
lil: little
lime: hangout - wasting time talking about nothing for hours and hours on end...can involve food, drinks or music; can be planned or impromptu (these are the best ones)
O
ole talk: banal chitter chatter, shooting the breeze, yes talking
(oozing) salt: the "real" term is salty, i've just modified it a bit. really vex, pissed off, green with envy, grumpy..u get the drift
P
poemeone: woe woe woe is me
M
make ah turn: go somewhere
mornin mornin: good morning; also mornin neigbour
Me eh know: I don't know
meh: my, me (depending on the context -of course)
My ass is grass: shit out of luck, up a creek without a paddle, all those types of expressions
N
no scene (also small ting): no big deal, it's all good, no worries
P
pace: hectic non stop goings on
pholourie (puh-lorr-rie): Trini street food; balls of split pea flour deep fried and served with some kind of chutney
play mas: jump up (in the parade) in costume with your band of choice during carnival
R
Rum Punch: Here's the recipe, "1 of sour, 2 of sweet, 3 of strong, 4 of weak (or any other combination preferred by maker)'
rhell: real (i spell it how we says it...we don't say "R-E-E-L, we say something like R-E-A-L)
S
small ting: this one is hard…things that you not going to get your panties in a bunch over; stuff that you are willing to let go
stickin: hesitating, "hemming and hawing"
steups: a sound made by sucking one's teeth; also known as chups, schups - signifies exasperation, frustration, indifference
to storm: to show up uninvited or without paying to get in somewhere
sweet drinks: soda, pop, carbonated drinks
sorrel: drink made from the sorrel flower primarily at Christmas; flavor can be enhanced with Cherry Brandy or other type of alcohol
T
take in front: being proactive
ting: thing
take jamming: (essentially)meet MY expectations/do what I need/want it to do
W
wha's: what is
wha yuh go do: what can i do
wine: the dance of soca - gyrating your hips/waist (NOT shoulders) to the beat of the music with or without a partner
wha'am: what happen
whiteman: bruise that occurs when skin comes off and instead of blood you see white
Y
yuh: you or yours depending on the context
