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Rasta/Patois Dictionary.
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Updated and Corrected by Richard Dennison, 8/3/93
Edited by Michio Ogata, 8/6/93
Updated by Mike Pawka 5/5/95
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Sources: 1. Reggae International, Stephen Davis, Peter Simon, R&B, 1982
2. KSBR 88.5 FM, Laguna Beach, CA. Handout.
3. posted on rec.music.reggae
4. reggae archives maintainer (mike pawka)
5. Understanding Jamaican Patois, L. Emilie Adams, Kingston
6. Richard Dennison
7. Glossary from "The Harder They Come" (Bo Peterson)
8. Norman Redington
9. The Beat
10. Allen Kaatz
11. Jah Bill (William Just)
12. Arlene Laing
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A : prep. to as in "go a shop," from Spanish (7)
A GO : aux w/v. going to do, as in "Me a go tell him" (7)
A DOOR : outdoors. (5)
ACCOMPONG : n. name of Maroon warrior, Capt. Accompong, brother of
Cudjo; also name of town. From the Twi name for the
supreme deity (7)
ACKEE : n. African food tree introduced about 1778. From Twi
ankye or Kru akee (7)
AGONY : the sensations felt during sex (6)
ALIAS : adj. (urban slang) dangerous, violent (7)
AN : than (5)
ARMAGEDDON : the biblical final battle between the forces of good
and evil (1)
ASHAM : n. Parched, sweetened, and ground corn. From twi
osiam (7)
BABYLON : 1. the corrupt establishment, the "system,
" Church and State 2. the police, a policeman (1)
BAD : good, great (2)
BADNESS : hooligan behavior, violence for its own sake (1)
BAFAN : clumsy; awkward (5)
BAFANG : a child who did not learn to walk the 1st 2-7 years. (5)
BAG-O-WIRE : a betrayer (1)
BAGGY : underpants for a woman or child. (5)
BALMYARD : n. place where pocpmania rites are held, healing is
done, spells cast or lifted (7)
BAKRA : white slavemaster, or member of the ruling class in
colonial days. Popular etymology:
"back raw" (which he bestowed with a whip.) (5)
BALD-HEAD : a straight person; one without dreadlocks;
one who works for babylon (2)
BAMBA YAY : by and by (7)
BAMBU : rolling paper (1)
BAMMY : a pancake made out of cassava, after it has been grated
and squeezed to remove the bitter juice. (5)
BANDULU : bandit, criminal, one living by guile (1)
a BANDULU BIZNESS is a racket, a swindle. (5)
BANGARANG : hubbub, uproar, disorder, disturbance. (5)
BANKRA : a big basket, including the type which hangs over the
sides of a donkey. (5)
BANS : from bands; a whole lot, a great deal, nuff,
whole heap. (5)
BAT : butterfly or moth. English bat, the flying rodent,
is a rat-bat. (5)
BATTY : bottom; backside; anus. (5)
BATTYBWOY : a gay person (6)
BEAST : a policeman (1)
BEX : vex (verb), or vexed (adjective). (5)
BHUTTU (BUHTUH) : an uncouth, out of fashion, uncultured person
Use: Wey yu a go inna dem deh cloze? Yu fayva buttu (12)
BISSY : cola nut. (5)
BLY : chance, "must get a bly", "must get a chance". (4)
BOASIE : adj. proud, conceited, ostentatious. Combination of
English boastful and Yoruba bosi-proud and ostentatious
(7)
BOBO : fool. (5)
BRAA : from BREDDA; brother. (5)
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. (5)
BREDREN : one's fellow male Rastas (1)
BRINDLE : to be angry (6)
BRINKS : title given to a man who is supplying a woman with money
(6)
BUBU : fool. (5)
BUCKY : home-made gun (2)
BUFU-BUFU : fat, swollen, blubbery; too big; clumsy or lumbering.(5)
BUGUYAGA : a sloppy, dirty person, like a bum or tramp. (5)
BULL BUCKA : a bully (1)
BULLA : a comon sugar and flour cookie or small round cake,
sold everywhere in Jamaica. (5)
BUMBA CLOT,
(TO GET) BUN : to have one's spouse or girl/boy-friend cheat on
oneself, to be cheated out of something (6)
RAS CLOT,
BLOOD CLOT : curse words (1)
BUMBO : bottom; backside. A common curse word, especially in
combination with CLOT (cloth),
a reference to the days before toilet paper. (5)
BUNGO : n. racially pejorative. Crude, black, ignorant,
boorish person. From Hausa bunga-bumpkin, nincompoop (7)
BUNKS : to knock or bump against, from "to bounce",
BUNKS MI RES, catch my rest, take a nap. (5)
(THE) CAT : a woman's genitals (6)
CARD : to fool someone (6)
CEASE & SEKKLE! : stop everything and relax! (6)
CERACE : a ubiquitous vine used for boiling medicinal tea,
and for bathing. It is proverbial for its bitterness.(5)
CHA! or CHO! : a disdainful expletive (1) pshaw! (2) very common, mild
explanation expressing impatience, vexation or
disappointment. (5)
CHAKA-CHAKA : messy, disorderly, untidy. (5)
CHALICE or CHILLUM : a pipe for smoking herb, usually made from coconut shell
or CHALEWA : and tubing, used ritually by Rastas (1)
CHEAP : just as cheap, just as well. (5)
CHIMMY : chamber pot. (5)
CHO : very common, mild explanation expressing impatience,
vexation or disappointment. (5)
CLAP : hit, break, stride (1)
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". (5)
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. (5)
COIL : money (6)
COME DUNG : come down, get ready (as to prepare to play a tune) (6)
COME EEN LIKE : to seem as if; to resemble. (5)
CONTROL : to be in charge of, responsible for, to own; to take (1)
COO 'PON : v. (origin unclear) Look upon! (7)
COO YAH : v. (origin unclear) Look here! (7)
COOL RUNNINGS : a greeting; things are going smoothly (1)
COOLIE : the traditional Jamaican epithet 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. (5)
n. (urban slang) ganja (7)
CORK UP : jammed, filled, crowded (2)
CORN : 1. marijuana 2. money 3. a bullet (1)
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. (5)
COTTA : a roll of cloth or vegetation placed on top of the head
to cushion the skull from the weight of a head load. (5)
CRAB : aside from it's usual meaning, it is a verb meaning to
scratch or claw. (5)
CRAVEN : greedy (5)
CRIS : crisp; popularly used for anything brand-new,
slick-looking. (5)
CRISSARS : crisp, brand-new (2)
CROMANTY : adj. from Corromantee, Blacks from the Gold Coast
believed to be rebellious (7)
CROSSES : problems, vexations, trials; bad luck, misfortunes. (5)
CRUCIAL : serious, great, "hard,", "dread" (1)
CUBBITCH : covetous. (5)
CUDJO : n. name of famous Maroon warrior; mn born on Monday,
from Fante, Twi kudwo (7)
CULTURE : reflecting or pertaining to the roots values and
traditions highly respected by the Rastas (1)
CUSS-CUSS : a quarrel or fracas, with lots of cursing. (5)
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. (5)
CUTCHIE : pipe for communal smoking. (5)
CYAAN : cannot, can't (6)
D.J. : a person who sings or scats along with dub music,
sometimes called "toasting" (2)
DAAL : split peas, usually a thick soup, from Indian cuisine,
from Hindi. (5)
DADA : father (6)
DALLY : executive zig-zag movements on wheels (2) or on foot (6)
to ride a bicycle or motorbike with a weaving motion,
as when ones weaves around potholes. (5)
DAN DADA : the highest of DON'S (6)
DAN : than (5)
DARKERS : sunglasses (6)
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. (5)
DAWTA : a girl, woman, "sister," girlfriend (1)
DEADERS : meat, meat by-products (1)
DEESTANT : decent. (5)
DEGE or DEGE-DEGE : adjective, little, skimpy, measly, only, as in a two
dege-dege banana. (5)
DEH : there (place) (6)
DEY : v. to be, exist, as in "No yam no dey". From Ewe de or
Twi de - to be (7)
DI : the (6)
DINKI : a kind of traditional dance at funerals or "nine nights"
("set-ups"); now popular among school children. (5)
DIS or DIS YA : this (6)
DJEW : as a verb, rain a djew; as a noun, djew rain.
It means a light rain or drizzle. (5)
DOGHEART : a person who is especially cold and cruel (6)
DOLLY : executive zig-zag movements on wheels (2)
DON : one who is respected, master of a situation (6)
DONKYA : from "don't care"; careless, sloppy, lacking ambition,
etc. (5)
DOONDOOS : an albino. (5)
DOWNPRESSOR : preferred term for oppressor (1)
(TO) DRAW CARD : the act of fooling someone (6)
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" (1)
DREADLOCKS : 1. hair that is neither combed nor cut 2. a person with
dreadlocks (1)
DREADY : a friendly term for a fellow dread (1)
DUB : a roots electronic music, created by skillful,
artistic re-engineering of recorded tracks (2)
DUCK-ANTS : white ants, or termites. (5)
DUKUNU : sweet corn-meal dumplings boiled in wrapped leaves. (5)
DUNDUS : an albino. (5)
DUNGLE : n. legendary West Kingston slum surrounding a garbage
dump, now cleared. (7)
: From English dunghill
DUNS,DUNSA : money (1)
DUPPY : a ghost (1)
DUTCHY : dutch cooking pot, low round-bottomed heavy pot. (5)
EASE-UP : to forgive, to lighten up (6)
EVERYTING COOK
& CURRY : all is well, all is taken care of (6)
FAS' : to be fast with, meaning to be rude, impertinent,
to meddle with sombody's business, to be forward, etc.
(5)
FASSY : eczema-like scratchy sores on the skin;
also a verb meaning to cause oneself to be covered with
fassy by scratching. (5)
FAYVA : to favour, resemble, or look like; "fayva like"
also means "it seems as if". (5)
FE : the infinitive "to" as in "Have fe go" (7)
FEEL NO WAY : don't take offense, don't be sorry, don't worry (1)
FENKY-FENKY : (from finicky) choosy, proud, stuck-up. (5)
FENNEH : v. to feel physical distress, pain. From Twi
fene-to vomit; Fante fena-to be troubled; Lumba
feno-to faint (7)
FI : possessive. "fi me"-"mine" (7)
FIESTY : impudent, rude, out of order, cheeky. (5)
FIRST LIGHT : tomorrow (1)
(HIM A) FISH : a gay person (6)
FIT : when used of fruits and vegetables,
it means ready to pick, full grown,
though not necessarily fully ripe. (5)
FORWARD : 1. to go, move on, set out 2. in the future (1)
FRONTA : tobacco leaf used to roll herb (1)
FUCKERY : wrong, unfair (6)
FULLNESS,
TO THE FULLNESS : completely, absolutely, totally (1)
FUNDS : Money (6)
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!". (5)
GANJA : herb, marijuana (1)
GANSEY : t-shirt, any knit shirt (2)
(TO) GET SALT : to be thwarted, to encounter misfortune (6)
GATES : home, yard (1)
GENERAL : cool operator (1)
GIG : spinning top. (5)
GINNAL : n. trickster, con-man, an Amnancy figure as in "Sunday
Ginnal"-a preacher or clergyman (7)
GLAMITY : a woman's genitals (6)
GORGON : outstanding dreadlocks (1)
(DON) GORGON : outstanding dreadlocks, a person who is respected (2,6)
GRAVALICIOUS : greedy, avaricious. (5)
GRINDSMAN : one who displays great prowess in bed(6)
GROUNATION : large, island-wide meeting and celebration of Rastas (1)
GROUND : home, yard (4)
HACKLE : to hassle, bother, worry, trouble. As a noun, hackling.
(5)
HAFFI : to have to... (6)
HAIL : a greeting (1)
HARD : excellent, proficient, skillful, uncompromising (1)
HEETCH : itch. Many such words could be listed under H,
as initial H is added to scores of words at will. (5)
HEAD MAN JANCRO : n. albino buzzard (7)
HERB : marijuana (1)
HIEZ-HAAD : ears-hard, thick skulled, stubborn, unwilling or unable
to hear. (5)
HIEZ : ears. (5)
HITEY-TITEY : upper class, high tone, "stoosh". (5)
HOOD : penis. (5)
HORTICAL (DON) : respected, acclaimed (6)
HOT-STEPPER : fugitive from jail or gun court (1)
I-MAN : I, me, mine (1)
I-NEY : a greeting (2)
I-REY : 1. a greeting 2. excellent, cool, highest (1)
I-SHENCE : herb (1)
I-TAL : vital, organic, natural, wholesome; refers to way of
cooking and way of life (1)
in colors, red, green and gold (2)
I : replaces "me", "you", "my"; replaces the first syllable
of seleted words (1) I and I, I&I: I, me, you and me,
we (1)
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). (3)
IEZ-HAAD : ears-hard, thick skulled, stubborn, unwilling or
unable to hear. (5)
IEZ : ears. (5)
ILIE : adj. literally, "highly", valuable, exalted, even
sacred (7)
IGNORANT : short-tempered, easy to vex, irate. (5)
INNA DI MORROWS : tomorrow (6)
INNA : In the (4)
IRIE : adj. powerful and pleasing (7)
ISMS and SKISMS : negative term denoting Babylon's classificatory systems
(1)
ITES : 1. the heights
2. a greeting
3. the color red (1) great (2)
JA, JAM-DOWN : Jamaica (1)
JACKASS ROPE : homegrown tobacco, twisted into a rope. (5)
JAH KNOW : Lord knows (1)
JAH : God; possibly derived as a shortened form of Jahweh or
Jehovah (1)
Jah Ras Tafari, Haille Selassie, King of Kings, Lord of
Lords, conquering Lion of Judah; rastas revere Haile
Selassie as the personification of the Almighty (2)
JAMDUNG : Jamaica, "Jam" to press down "dung" down. Ironic
reference to social and economic conditions of the
masses (7)
JAMMIN : to be having a good time, to be dancing calypso/soca (6)
JANCRO : n. literally John Crow, buzzard (7)
JANGA : shrimp, crayfish. (5)
JELLY : a young coconut, full of jelly. (5)
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. (7)
JOOK : to pierce or stick, as with a thorn or a long pointed
stick. (5)
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. (5)
JUU : as a verb, rain a juu; as a noun, juu rain.
It means a light rain or drizzle. (5)
KALI; COOLY : marijuana (1)
KALLALOO : a dark, green leafy vegetable, very nutritious and
cheap. (5)
KASS KASS : n. quarrel or contention. From combination of English
curse or cuss, and Twi kasa kasa-to dispute verbally (7)
KATA : a roll of cloth or vegetation placed on top of the head
to cushion the skull from the weight of a head load. (5)
KEMPS : a little bit, a tiny piece, from skimps. (5)
KISS ME NECK! : common exclamation of surprise. (5)
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. (5)
KOUCHIE : bowl of a chalice or chillum pipe (1)
KRENG-KRENG : an old-fashioned meat rack, hung up high over the fire
to catch the smoke. (5)
KU DEH! : look there! (5)
KU PAN : look at. (5)
KU YA! : look here! (5)
KU : verb, look! (5)
KUMINA : n. Ecstatic dance for the purpose of communicating with
ancestors. From Twi akom-to be possessed and ana-by an
ancestor (7)
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. (5)
KYAAN : can't. (5)
KYAI : to carry. (5)
KYAN : can. (5)
LABA-LABA : to chat, gab; gossip. (5)
LABRISH : gossip, chit-chat. (5)
LAMBSBREAD : a form of high-quality marijuana (1)
LARGE : respected (6)
LEGGO BEAS' : wild, disorderly, like a let-go beast. (5)
LICKY-LICKY : fawning, flattering, obsequious. (5)
LILLY BIT : little bit, tiny. (5)
LION : a righteous Dread (1) a great soul (2)
LITTLE MORE : see you later (2)
(TOO) LIKKY-LIKKY : title given to those who like to eat any food they
encounter , without discretion (6)
MAAMA MAN : a gay person, an effeminate man, a weakling (6)
MACA : thorn, prickle. (5)
MADDA : mother (6)
MAFIA : big-time criminals (1)
MAGA DOG : mongrel (4)
MAGA : thin (2) (from meagre) (5)
MANACLES : chains (11)
MARINA : a man's undershirt, guernsey; a tank-top style. (5)
MAROON : n. free black warrior-communities which successfully
resisted British hegemony during eighteenth century
and early nineteenth century. From Spanish cimmaron-
untamed, wild (7)
MASCOT : denoting inferior status (2)
MASH IT UP : a huge success (1)
MASH UP, MASH DOWN : destroy (1)
MAAS : n. from master or massa. Now freed from its class
origin; a respectful form of address to an older man.
(7)
MASSIVE : respected (6), used with LARGE to add emphasis
MENELIK, RAS : n. Ethiopian nobleman who rallied his troops to resist
Italian aggression. Defeated Italians at Adowa 1896 (7)
MONKS : amongst. (5)
MORE TIME : see you later (1)
MR. T : the boss (2)
MUS MUS : a rat (4)
MY BABY MOTHER
/FATHER : the mother/father of my child (1,6)
MYAL : n. a form of benign magic oposed to Obeah, hence
myalman. From Hursa maye-wizard, person of mystic
power. (7)
NAGAH : n. pejorative for a black person (7)
NAGO : n. Yoruba person, practice or language. From Ewe
anago-Yoruba person (7)
NAH : adv. will not. Emphatic as in "Me nah do that" (7)
NANA : midwife; nanny or nurse. (5)
NASH : female genatalia (6)
NATTY, NATTY DREAD,
NATTY CONGO : 1. dreadlocks 2. a person with dreadlocks (1)
NAZARITE : Ancient Hebrew meaning to "separate", consecrated,
set apart by choice and devotion (1)
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 (1)
NIYAMEN : name for Rastas referring to Niyabinghi warriors of
East Africa (1)
NO KYA : no matter, as in "no kya weh im tun", no matter where
he turns. (5)
NO TRUE? : isn't it so? (1)
NUH : interrogative at end of sentence; literally, "Is it
not so?" (7)
NYAM : to eat. (5)
(TOO) NYAMI-NYAMI : title given to those who like to eat any food
they encounter, without discretion (6)
NYING'I-NYING'I : nagging, whining. (5)
O-DOKONO : boiled maize bread. (5)
OBEAH : traditional African "science", relating to matters of
the spirit and spirits, spells, divinations, omens,
extra-sensory knowledge, etc. (5)
OHT FI : about to, on the vergeof, as in "it hoht fi rain",
it is about to rain, it looks like rain. (5)
ONE LOVE : a parting phrase, expression of unity (1)
ONE-ONE : adjective, one by one, thus any small amount. (5)
ONGLE : only. (5)
PAKI : calabash, gourd. (5)
PAPAA : pawpaw, or papaya melon. (5)
PATU : owl. (5)
PAYAKA : heathen (11)
PYAKA : tricky or dishonest. (10)
PEEL-HEAD : bald-headed, usually certain chickens or vultures. (5)
PEENYWALLY : a kind of large fire fly, actually a type of flyig
beetle. (5)
PEER : avocado pear. (5)
PICKY, PICKY HEAD : brush haircut (3)
PICKY-PICKY : 1. finicky or choosy
2. Used of uncombed hair just starting to turn into
dreadlocks. (5)
PIKNY : pickaninny, child. (5)
PINDA : peanut. (5)
PIRA : a low wooden stool. (5)
PITY-ME-LIKL : a type of very tiny red ant whose bite is so hot and
long-lasting it resembles a sting. (5)
POCOMANIA, POCO : christian revival, distinct drum rhythm (2)
POLYTRICKS : politics (by Peter Tosh) (6)
POLYTRICKSTERS : politicians (by Peter Tosh) (6)
POPPY-SHOW : from puppet show, it is used in the idiom,
tek smadi mek poppy-show, which means to make fun of
someone or shame them, making them look ridiculous. (5)
PUM-PUM : a woman's genitals (6)
PUNAANI or PUNNI : a woman's genitals (6)
PUPPALICK : somersalt. (5)
PUTTIN' AWAY : a preposition, meaning "except for", or "except". (5)
PYAA-PYAA : sickly, weak; feeble, of no account. (5)
PYU : from spew; verb used of running sores or anything
similarly dripping or oozing. (5)
QUASHIE : n. peasant, country bumpkin, coarse and stupid person;
racial pejorative generic term for blacks; originally
Twi name of a boy born on a Sunday (7)
QUIPS : 1. nouns (from squips) a tiny piece or amount.
2. verb, the Jamaican art of washing clothes making a
"squips-squips" sound. (5)
RAATID! : a common mild expletive of surprise or vexation, as in
"to raatid!". It is likely a polite permutation of
"ras", a la "gosh" or "heck". (5)
RANKING : highly respected (1)
RAS or RASS : backside, rump; a common curse is to rass! or rass clot!
a title used by Rastafarians meaning "lord" or "head" .
(5)
(TO) RAAS : "really?", "damn!"(6)
RASTA, RASTAFARIAN : a follower of Marcus Garvey who worships the Almighty
in the person of haile Selassie
RAT-BAT : bat, the night-flying rodent. (5)
RATCHET : a switchblade knife popular in Jamaica (1)
RED : 1. very high on herb 2. mulatto color (1)
RAHTID : expression of surprise, or to be enraged. From
biblical"wrothed" (7)
RENK : 1. foul-smelling, raw-smelling.
2. out of order, impudent, as in a rank-imposter.
"Yu too renk!". (5)
RHAATID : a curse-exclamation, similar to "what the hell" (6)
RHYGIN : adj. spirited, vigorous, lively, passionate with great
vitality and force; also sexually provocative and
aggressive. Probably a form of English raging. (7)
RIZZLA : brand of rolling paper. (3)
ROCKERS : reggae music (1) reggae music as it is played today,
the latest sound (2)
ROOTS : 1. derived from the experience of the common people,
natural indigenous
2. a greeting
3. name for a fellow Rasta (1)
ROTI : flat Indian pan breads. (5)
ROYAL, (RIAL) : n. offspring of some other race and black, ass in
"Chiney-Rial," "coolie-rial"; humorous as in
"monkey-rial" (7)
RUDE BOY : a criminal, a hard hearted person, a tough guy (6)
RUN-DUNG : food cooked in coconut juice, obtained after grating
the dry coconut meat and squeezing it in water,
thus extracting the coconut cream. (5)
RYAL : royal. (5)
SAL'TING : 1. dishes cooked with saltfish or meat.
2. that part of the meal which is served with the "food"
(starchy food, ground food).
3. by some strange extension, the female organ, often
simply called "sal". (5)
SALT : adjective, broke, empty-handed, low on funds or food,
as in "tings salt" or "i' salt". (5)
SAMBO : the colour between brown and black; someone who is a
cross between a mullatto (brown) and a black. (5)
SAMFAI MAN : trickster, conman. (5)
SHAMPATA : n. sandal of wood or tire rubber. Span. zapato (7)
SANKEY : n. religious song of a paticularly lugubrious tone,
sung in the long or common meter. From Ira David
Sankey, evangelist and hymnalist (7)
SATA : to rejoice, to meditate, to give thanks and praise. (5)
SATTA : sit, rest, meditate (1) relax (6)
(GO) SATTA : claim how spiritual you are (11)
SCIENCE : obeah, witchcraft (1)
SCIENTIST : occult practitioner (2)
SCOUT : denoting inferior status (6)
SCREECHIE : to sneak by (6)
SCREW : to scowl, to be angry (1)
SEEN : I understand, I agree (1)
SEEN? : Do you understand? (6)
SHAG : home-cured tobacco, straight from the field. (5)
SHAKE OUT : leave without haste, casually (2)
SHEG (UP) : verb, to bother, as in "all sheg up",
all hot and bothered, or or spoiled up (as of work). (5)
SHEG-UP : to be messed up, ruined (6)
SHEPHERD : n. leader of revivalist cult; also proprietor of
balmyard, healer and prophet (7)
SHOOB : to shove. (5)
SIDUNG : sit down (6)
SIGHT? : do you understand? (1)
SINKL-BIBLE : the aloevera plant. (5)
SINSEMILLA, SENSIE : popular, potent, seedless, unpollinated female strain
of marijuana (1)
SINTING : something. (5)
SIPPLE : slippery; slimy. (5)
SISTER, SISTREN : a woman, a friend, woman Rastafarians (1)
SITTIN' : something. (5)
SKANK : to dance to reggae music (1) to move with cunning,
ulterior motives (2)
SKIL : kiln, as in "limeskil". (5)
SKIN : rolling paper (1)
SKIN YOUR TEETH : smile (1)
SLABBA-SLABBA : big and fat, slobby, droopy. (5)
SLACKNESS : lewd, vulgar lyrics popular in DJ singing (4)
SMADI : somebody. (5)
SO-SO : only, solely, unaccompanied. (5) weak, pallid (6)
SOFT : not well done, amateurish; unable to cope (1)
broke, no money (2)
SPLIFF : large, cone-shaped marijuana cigarette (1)
SPRING : to sprout, as of yams or cocos, making them inedible.
(5)
STAR : common term of affection, camaraderie (1)
STEP : to leave, to depart (1) briskly, quickly (2)
STOOSH/STOSHUS : upper class, high tone, "hitey-titey". (5)
STRING UP : a muscial rehearsal (2)
STRUCTURE : body, health (1)
SU-SU : gossip, the sound of wispering. (5)
SUFFERER : a poor person stuggling to survive (2)
SUPM, SINTING : something (6)
TACK : bullet (2)
TACUMAH : n. character in Anancy tales. Said to be the son of
Anancy. Twin'ticuma (7)
TAKARI/TANKARI : stewed spicy pumpkin. (5)
TALL : long (1)
TALLOWAH : adj. sturdy, strong, fearless, physically capable.
From Ewe talala (7)
TAM : deep woolen hat, used by Dreads to cover their locks
(1,6)
TAMBRAN SWITCH : n. a flail made from the wiry branches of the Tamarind
tree, braided and oiled. Effective and much feared in
the hands of Babylon. (7)
TAN' : to stand; usually used in the sense of "to be".
"A so im tan", "that is what he is like";
"tan deh!" or "yu tan deh!" means "just you wait!".
"Tan tedy", stand steady, means "hold still". (5)
TARRA-WARRA : a polite way of expressing omitted bad words, a verbal
asterisk. (5)
TATA : n. father. Affectionate and respectful title for an old
man. Fram many african languages. Ewe, Ge, N'gombe (7)
TATU : a little thatched hut, often made of bamboo. (5)
TEETH : bullets (2)
TEIF : a theif, to steal (6)
TOTO : coconut cake. (5)
TRACE : to curse or speak abusively to someone. (5)
TRANSPORT : vehicle (1)
TUMPA : from stump, as in "tumpa-foot man", a one-foot man. (5)
TUNTI : female organ. (5)
UNO/UNU : you-all. (5) pron. you, plural. In usage close to
Afro-American y'awl. From Ibo unu, same meaning (7)
UPFUL : postitive, encouraging (2)
UPHILL : positive, righteous (1)
UPTOWN : the upper classes (1)
VEX : to get angry (1)
WA DAY : adverbial phrase, the other day. (5)
WA MEK? : why?
WAKL : wattle, a kind of woven bamboo work used to make house
walls. (5)
WANGA-GUT : hungry-belly. (5)
WARRA-WARRA : politely omitted bad words, same as "tarra-warra". (5)
WH'APPEN? : what's happening? (4)
WHATLEF : What's left over (7)
WHEELS : vehicle (6)
WHOLE HEAP : a lot (1)
WINJY : thin and sickly looking. (5)
WIS : vine, liana, from withe. (5)
WOLF : a non-rasta deadlocks (2)
WOOD : penis. (5)
YA NO SEE IT? : you know? (1)
YA : hear, or here. (5)
YABBA : a big clay pot. (5)
YAGA YAGA : Dancehall slang. a way to big up a brethren; to express
a greeting or attract attention, i.e. yo! or yush!
true friend; bonafide; brethren. (9)
YAHSO : here (place) (6)
YAI : eye. (5)
YARD : home, one's gates (1) tenement (2)
YOUTH : a child, a young man, an immature man (1)
ZION : Ethiopia, Africa, the Rastafarian holy land (1)
ZUNGU PAN : zinc pan. (5)