Trinidad and Tobago Dictionary
Speaking to a Trini (Trinidadian) or a Gonian (Gonian) could be one of thefrustrating things in the world. I remember a friend telling me that the people in Tobago speak much clearer and are easier to understand that in Trinidad. My immediate response was “Burh?” (no offence). I love Tobago, but lets face the facts, Tobago is more tourist, friendly and service driven, where as it Trinidad is more, is more, humm……less service driven, I will say it in this way. You have to shop at any store in any other country and then shop in Trinidad to know what I am speaking about, there is a subtle difference (I am not bashing, the service in Trinidad). For example, if you go on vacation and shop at Target, The Gap, DSW, The Converse Store, Old Navy, Best Buy, Media Mart for example, the staff is very friendly and they give you the impression that they want to save you some money, where as in Trinidad and Tobago you can feel the difference. This could be a topic for another time.
Trini’s have their own unique language, it is fascinating to listen to and sometimes very difficult to follow. As my friend Khanmanie informed me as to how people phrase their language “in La brea is different from Talparo”. This unique way of speaking is based on phrases, syntax and words taken from our Amerindian, Spanish, Portuguese, French (French Creole), British, African, East Indian, Chinese, Arabic and American heritage. Many things we say sound strange, but are easily understandable. For example; San Fernando = Sando or South, Port of Spain = Tong or North, Chaguanas = Central, Diego Martin = Diego, San Juan =Sawa, Sangre Grande = Grande, Guayaguaye = Guaya, and Point Fortin = Point. My all-time favorite is, English “What did you say?” = Trini “Wahyousayday?’ So to clarify all the confusion with all the Trini Slag, especially for my non-Trini friends, I have done some research and created a Trinidad and Tobago Dictionary or a Trini Translator. Please read, enjoy, laugh and share.
A
Ah - Substitute for “I”.
Ahse - Ass.
Air - Ear.
Airish - Proud.
Allyuh - All of you people.
Alipang - Man's hair-cut.
Angostura (bitters) (n): A reddish-brown, slightly bitter, aromatic, alcohol-based liquid used to flavour drinks. Originally developed as an aid to digestion by Dr J.G.B Siegert, in the town of Angostura in Venezuela. The Siegert family moved to Trinidad in 1875.
Arwe - Ours, us.
Ash Wednesday - Ash Wednesday is the day after Carnival Tuesday. It marks the beginning of “Lent”, which is a 6-week period of fasting, prayer and repentance before Easter.
Ax - Ask. To ask a question.
Ah-yah-yai - An expression of anticipation or pain, etc.
B
Bacchanal - A Latin word meaning 'drinking a lot' named after the Greek and Roman God of wine called Bacchus. It is a revelry considered obscene. In Trinidad and Tobago, it means “having fun”, “going to party”, “party atmosphere”, “create a scandal”, “confusion”, “argument” . Example, “Look Bacchanal”
Back back - Suggestive dance; the male dancers front rubbing against the females.
Back chat - Insolent response, especially from a child to an adult. Females rear or vice versa.
Badderation, Badder – Problems, mischievous.
Bad eye, (cut-eye) - A look of anger or reproach, especially when looking from the corner of the eye.
Bad-John, Bad Man - A bully, a dangerous man, a gangster, someone with a reputation for hurting people.
Bam-see - An attractive female buttocks.
Bam bam, Boom-boom - Backside, behind, ass, bottom, buttock.
Basa basa - Argumentatve, confrontational.
Bawlin – Crying or confused .
Baygo, Baigo - Tobago.
Beyganne, Biganne - The vegetable melongene, eggplant (Solanum melongena).
Bee Wee - BWIA, British West Indian Airways, the national airline of Trinidad & Tobago, known today as Caribbean Airlines.
Big pappy - Bourgeois.
Bobolee - A person who is habitually taken advantage of.
Bol-Face - Bold Face, Pushy, loud and wrong, unreasonable, demanding.
Boof - To insult, castigate, yell at or argue with.
Boo-boo-lups - Fat, clumsy ungainly person.
Boomsie - Backside, behind, ass, bottom, buttock.
Boushettte - The tip of the sternum.
Brought-up-sy - Showing that a person was properly brought up, decorum.
Bragadang - In a state of disrepair.
Bragadacious - Boastful.
Breed - Impregnate.
Buh wait nah - But wait a minute, now hold on, now wait!
Buljol - A meal made of shredded salt fish, onions, tomatoes, pepper and olive oil.
Bum-bu toe - A sore toe.
Bun, Bon - Burnt.
Bun-bun - Food left in the bottom of the pot.
Buse - To talk agressively to; to abuse verbally.
Buss Up Shut - Shredded roti skin, served with curried meats, vegetables etc.
Burrokeet - Human donkey.
Back a jackass in ah horse race (phrase) - Back or bet on a loser one that should have been obvious had no chance to succeed.
Bad John (noun) - A man willing to use violence and who likes being known as a dangerous person; a ruffian. John Archer, nicknamed “Bad John”, a notorious habitual violent criminal during the early years of the 20th century.
· It seems like everybody is turning bad-john these days.
· You playin’ bad-john! Take care I bust a lash in your ass and make you coil up like a old snake here tonight (Khan 1964:131)
Boboli, bobolee, bouberly (n) - is rooted in the Carnival and Good Friday celebrations where an effigy of Judas Iscariot, called a “bobolee” was beaten. The word Boboli is believed to be of African origin specifically from Kikongo bubulu ‘ignorant; stupid; mad’ + Kikongo buubulu ‘beaten; flogged’.
Bokee - A penalty in children’s games, usually marbles, in which the winner snaps a finger or pitches a marbles hard against the loser’s fingers or knuckles.
Break Dew - Remain outside for a long time at night; stay outside all night until the morning DEW comes.
· You break so much dew you catch cold (Ottley 1971:10)
Bring Belly - Become pregnant while living in the parental home. You playing big woman, knocking all about at night, don’t bring any belly here.
Broko foot: Having one leg shorter than the other, limping.
Brulejol / buljol / bhuljol / bull-jowl / brulejol / bulljoll, buljug - A dish made from salt cod, oil, onions, tomatoes, peppers usually eaten for breakfast. French origin brÛle ‘burn’ + geule ‘throat’.
Buck (n) - an aboriginal Indian native of Guyana. A Guyana Amerindian locally generally refers to the Guarahoon tribe, living in Venezuela, and sometimes Guyana. (English buck ‘a man, applied to native Indians of South America’ probably Dutch bok ‘he-goat’) Warahoon.
Bus bamboo, burst bamboo (phr) – An activity usually of boys, traditionally done from Divali through Christmas. A small amount of pitch oil is poured into a section of cut bamboo, then the fumes are ignited. The resulting explosion sounds like a small canon.
C
Calinda - A Spanish dance music. Trinbago had Spanish Colonialists whose culture and music affected and influenced the island's music. Calinda is a word for the early stickfights.
Carnival Band - A group of Carnival revellers, may be as over 4,000 individuals.
Callaloo - A dish (sort of broil/soup) made from leaves of the dasheen bush, okra, coconut milk, seasonings crab and salt meat or crab. It is like spinach.
Calypso - A musical and lyrical comment on any subject, profusely composed for, but not limited to the Carnival season. It is the English version of Kaiso which is west African.
Calypso Monarch - A title given to the singer who wins the Calypso competition every year at Carnival time.
Calypsonian - One who sings calypsos.
Caroni - An Indian village in Trinbago. Derived form an Indian word. There is also a swamp called Caroni Swamp.
Channa - Chick peas, a nutritious legume.
Chantwell - A French word to describe a type of music and dance. A Chantwell (chanter = to sing) was the singing front man of the early stickfighters (calinda). For not being the first who got knocked out by a hit of the bois, he has worn kind of a helmet made from pots and clothes. It might have been the first form of Calypsonian.
Cheups/Steups - A derogatory sound noise made by sucking your teeth.
Chinkee, Chinkeey - Very tiny or small portions of anything.
Chupid - Stupid, foolish.
Chupidee - A foolish person.
Chutney - A puree spicy sauce from India and used in Tribago by descendants of India.
Chutney Soca - The Indian version of Soca. Started in the 80s. Trinbagonians will tell you: "Chutney is the most rum intense of all Trinidadian music forms".
Coki-eye - Cross-eyed.
Commesse - Confusion, controversy, associated with argument, gossip and slander.
Compere - Male companion or friend, god-father.
Conga Line - Wining in a row.
Conventional band - A large steelband.
Coo-coo - A traditional cornmeal pudding with ochro and vegetables.
Coo-coo nah a soak - Cannot agree.
Cork - Constipated.
Coskel / Koskel - Weird, strange.
Crack - Crazy, insane.
Crapo, Crapaud - Frog.
Crapo smoke he pipe - He is in a lot of trouble, he is already done for.
COTT - The Copyright Music Organisation of T&T who represents composers, songwriters, lyristics, and music publishers.
Cuff - To punch or hitting with a cleched fist.
Cunumunu, Coo-nu-moonoo - Idiot, foolish, stupid person.
Cut yu cards straight - No scheming.
Cutlass - A long knife. It was used by the Indians to cut the sugar cane during their indenture ship in the late 1900 in Trinbago. It was infamous for its use in fights, especially the Carnival fights. It's other name is machete.
Cyaa, Cyah - Can't, can not.
Carnival Baby (n) - A child born about nine months after Carnival usually in November. (From being conceived during Carnival fever.
Catty-Catty (adj) - Said of a man who likes sex with many women.
· She lend one brush to Lord Shorty, the catty catty one from South.
Cax for bokee - In marble PITCH, a game in which players place their marbles at random, each player then tries to hit another’s marble, and the player whose marble is hit gets a BOKEE penalty.
Cax - The sound of a solid hit in marbles
· I hit him caxs!
Chickichong, chickeechong -
· Bird: A small songbird also known as a bullfinch or large red-bellied finch. The bird is about five inches long, mostly black with a brown belly and a short thick beak, its song ‘a fairly long, musical series of clear whistled notes’.
· Kite: In addition to the paper and wood kites, there are the all-paper kits, known as chickichong and the corbeau kites. They are made and flown mostly by elementary school-age children since all you need to make them is a piece of paper (usually the size of a school exercise-copy book) and thread. The kite is named after the bird because of its small stature.
Chupid, chupit - Stupid, unintelligent, without sense
· Maybe one of the headmasters in the orphanage bus’ a lash in he head one day and it affec’ he senses. Maybe the boy was just a chupid boy.
Chupidee - A stupid person.
· Look dat boy so chupidee – he let he cousin take way he marbles.
Chupidness - Stupidity; bad behaviour, wrong-headedness; unworthiness.
· Allyuh take yuh fight outside. Doh bring this chupidness to me.
Cobo, Cobeau, Corbeau n Coragyps atratus (Black Vulture) - a large bird. A very common resident in Tridindada, not found in Tobago. Corbeau is French for Raven.
Cockroach before fowl (phrase) - Temptation; something impossible to resist.
· Doh put that cake out – you put cockroach before fowl.
Cock tax - Court-ordered child support payments.
D
Dada head - Thick, hard niggery hair.
Dance top in mud - Try something without chance of success; be frustrated by trying to do something in too difficult a situation. (From impossibility of making a top spin in mud) => spin top in mud.
· You people want to build a little India of your own in Trinidad. You are trying to dance top in mud. It can not be done. The difficulty lies in the fact that you are too muh of a majority to assimilate, too much of a minority to dominate (Naipaul 1976:92)
Dan-dan - Fashionable clothes.
Dardy, daddy - Father.
Dem say – Gossip, other people said…..
Dhansirya - A woman who wastes money. I sorry fuh he, that wife ah he one is ah dhansirya.
Dhantal - Traditional Indian instrument kind of "sounding metal tubes", to hear in Chutney Socas
Dholak - Traditional Indian instrument, a drum played from both sides, to hear in Chutney Socas.
Dimanche Gras - French for Great Sunday and is the title of the main carnival event called dimanche gras night. On dimanche gras which is carnival Sunday night the calypso competition and the King and Queen of the bands are held. It is a spectacle to begin the carnival on Monday morning (jouvert).
Dingolay - A word used by early Calypsonians and particularly Kitch. It is a dance but a special dance with erotic and sensuous overtones. It is a wine with sexual suggestiveness. It is a tease. It is used by women who flirt and men who respond. Twists; turn; gyrate your waist and butt in a seductive way.
· De sweet music make everybody want to dingolay (Baptiste 1992)
Dinged, Dingy – Discoloured clothes, Fabric or cloth that looses it’s original colour and has a smell.
Divali - An Indian (Hindu)
religious festival that is now a public holiday in
Trinbago. It is a festival of lights.
Doe doe - Lie down
Doh, Dough - Don't, do not.
Dong - Down.
Donkey years, donkeys years - A very long time.
Doo doo / Doux doux - Sweetheart often used with darling, as in dodo dahling. Sweetie; a term of affectionate endearment, usually used to females The French doux means "sweet", used commonly in French Creole. including as a term of affection, are historically found in the east and north-east of France, (Aud-Buscher, 1989), also possibly Yoruba “dun”‘ which is sweet’ = dood(s)
· “Ah…done tell mih wifey wot to do when I die. Ah tell she, ‘Doo-Doo gyul, when I die, please bury min wit’ a bottle in each hand” (Sweetbread, Express 21 July 1982:42).
Doogla, Dougla - A person of mixed race, usually African and East India or French Creole, Spanish, and East Indian.
Dotish - Silly, stupid, foolish and dumb, slow-thinking, incompetent
· You too Dotish! Dotish men like you deserve what you get. If you can’t work things out with your own woman, then stop complaining. Sorf -soft- men like you should simply do as you are told.
Doubles - Curried channa served between two pieces of fried bread.
Douen, Duende, Douaine, Doune, Dwen, Duegne (n): A Folklore character, the spirit of a child who died before baptism. Douens wear large hats, have backwards-pointing feet, utter a soft hooting cry, and often lead children to wander off. duende ‘goblin’>
· Nex’ ting you know douens hauntin’ TTT, an’ we seein’ all dem programmes runnin’ backwards instead of upside-down as dey does run sometimes. (Keens-Douglas 1984:3)
Doughtish, Dotish - Stupid, probably from the English doltish.
Dress rong, Dress down - Move over, shift, I need a seat.
Drevait, Dree vay - Way ward person, to knock about.
Dudup - A bass drum. It is a drum with two notes split in half on the drum.
Dustbin - A garbage pan.
E
Eat and wipe mouth like fowl - Do something wrong, but quickly cover up the evidence. (French a fowl’s habit of wiping food off its beak).
Eh Eh - An exclamation of surprise or indignation, often said with much emphasis for effect. Eh - What did you say? Eh eh - No, no way, oh no. Eh heh - Oh really? I understand. Yes.
Eid ul Fitr - A Muslim festival (fasting for one month) and is a holiday ending with Eid ul Adha in Trinbago.
Enless - Plenty, endless.
Ent? - Is that not so? Thats true, isnt it?
F
Fada, fadder, farder, father (n): An intensifier usually positive, emphasising the large, grand, superlative, impressive, or exaggerated quality of something. Usually placed after the word it modifies.
- Boy! He bring home a big, big American Buick! That is car fadder!
- Dat year was fete fadder. An wat about de year dat Crazy “Nani Wine” and Baron “Somebody” had people dancin. Dem tunes mash up de place, boy. (Foster 1990:51)
Faddah - Father.
Fall out - To stop speaking with someone or to terminate a friendship.
Fed up - The state of being bored.
Feel how (phr): Feel peculiar, not normal, especially uncomfortable, ill at ease, upset over something.
- “Doh feel no how, ah go fix up yuh bicycle for you.” (Baptiste 1993:57)
Feeding youh face - Eating. Eating a lot and not sharing.
Fete, Fet - A party, loud music, lots to eat and drink, dancing to wee hours of the morning.
Flim - Film.
Founkie / foong-key - Foul smelling, stink odour.
Fresh Water Yankee - A person who spends a short time in the U.S. and returns home with a heavy American accent; originally, one who acquired the accent by simply visiting a U.S. military base without even going overseas.
Follow fashion – Imitating, someone or something
Free up - Relax, let go.
Fruit doh fall far from d tree - Children aren't usually different from their parents. The Apple doh fall far from the tree.
Fuh true, Troot? - Yes that is true, Is that really so?
Fus - An almost indescribable amount, volume, people or things.
· “Fus it had people, the fire brigade shut down the fete.”
· “Fus you like thing.”
· “Fus you like bachannal.”
G
Ganga Channa - A magical practice to make a lover remain faithful; a woman squats over a bowl of hot CHANA, lets her sweat drip into it, and gives it to the man to eat. See also SWEAT RICE. Ganga ‘Ganges river; water + chana). The correct term [is] sweat rice, but channa (chick peas [garbanzo] beans) are substituted for rice and Ganga refers to water, of whatever dubious origin. This meal is served by a woman to the man that she wishes to cast a spell over. (Skettel.com 25 April 2001).
Get On - Carry on loudly; talk in an angry or excited way.
- Any time you get ah real American in an aggravating situation, the first thing he do is let his voice be heard in objection; in other words, he does get on. (Lovelace, 1987:20)
Ghosts - Sprits. It is a part of Trinbago folklore.
Goat-Mouth – With, have or put-on, cause bad luck to befall someone or something by predicting or expressing a good outcome. (French belief that where goats eat, nothing grows.). A believed ability, possessed by some individuals, to deliberately frustrate somebody’s effort or cause some minor misfortune by predicting failure. Also known as bouch-kabwit in Dominica, which means to have bad mouth.
- His savings were diminishing and employment was not in sight. It seemed as though the Catholic priest has put goat-mouth on him.
- Lawd, Rachel, don’ set yu goat-mouth ‘pon de people them; yuh always preaching crosses.
Good Night - An evening greeting, used when first meeting someone or entering a home at night.
Gouti Look Back - A position for sexual intercourse in which the man is behind the woman who is usually on her hands and knees.
Gownay - Elope; run away to get married. They gone to gownay.
Grundig - A famous radio (from the German Grundig company) with a powerful sound. It was top of the line among radios. In the 1950s Neville Jules, captain of Trinidad All Stars steel orchestra created a pan which he called the grundig. It was famous for its tone among the steelbands.
Guts like Cobo (phr): With have, describing someone who can eat anything also someone who doesn’t react badly to being insulted or getting pressure.
- He doesn’t get on, he have guts like cobo (1990)
Gyul - Trini pronunciation for Girl.
H
Hair - Trini pronunciation Here or hear. Hair she (Hear she) Also Hair he I'm quoting her (him) as in "I ask she 'But why you late?' Hair she, 'You is meh mudder?' "
Half-Pick Duck, Harpic Duck - Not the whole story, explanation. (French taking only half the feathers of a duck.) = duck story.
- “Ah, dat is more like it. When yuh ah gimme ah drink, gimme ah man’s drink, no damm half pick duck” (Rollock 1975:18)
Hambug - To pester or bother someone.
Have cocoa in de sun (phrase): Trinidadian phrase used as a warning that something is vulnerable, and needs to be protected; often used for situations in which people have something to hide.
- When yuh have cocoa in de sun, look out for rain!
Heritage festival - An African festival held every year in Tobago, the twin sister island of Trinidad and Tobago.
Horn - To cheat on your spouse or lover, as in "She horning him like reindeer!" Cuckold; commit adultery; have a sexual relationship outside of an official one.
- Platform work demands at least the minding of one deputy, in case your wife is horning you while your’re out there, drilling.
Hornerman - A guy who makes love to someone's wife.
Huff - Steal especially take before anyone else can take it.
- She wanted to “huff” the little money her ex-husband had and take it back to the USA with her. (Bomb 9 Nov 1990:25)
Huggish - Rude, crude, mean; the behavior of a thug, gangster.
Hut - Trini pronunciation for hurt.
I
In truth - For real, no lie.
If crab walk -A proverbial expression indicating that if you do not take some risks, you will not gain anything, but if you take too many risks, you may end up in trouble.
- If crab don’ walk, he no get fat, but if he walk too much he go de pot no?
o .”It have ah fellah called Lucifer wid ah bag ah white powder.” Ras shorty I.
J
Jab Jab - A type of Carnival devil costume; jabs people with his fork and demands money from passersby. The Jab Jab is the oldest Trinidad Carnival character in existance today at the modern carnivals.
Jagabat Slut - Loose woman, prostitute; also Wajang (wah-jang) or Wabean (wah-bean).
Jamoo - An African word. It is a form of Soca music with spiritual content.
Jamboree - A gathering of community folks to celebrate an occasion, for instance a Pan Jamboree.
Jamette Class - Jamette class are prostitutes of the lower class. It is French of course.
Jomoline - Steel pan created in 1970 by Jomo Wahtuse. With 32 notes it covered the range from guitar to soprano. It's meant to be a solo instrument.
Jouvert - It is French as many of the Carnival terms since we got our Carnival from the French who got it from Africa and was developed in the late 1880's. It stands for the opening of the dawn. It describes mas in the early dawn on Carnival Monday wearing costumes of mud, old clothes (Ole Mas), devil costumes or satirical themes. It starts around 4 am but lately it is held as early as 2 am.
Jumbie - An African word meaning spirit. Used a lot to describe a weird / eccentric person. Hence, a 'pan jumbie' is someone who's totally consumed by pan. Some of the old steel band men even call themselves "pan whore".
Junior Carnival parade - The parade for children at Carnival.
Jam-cram - Crowded; packed usually with people. (English jam-press, squeeze or crowd together in a compact mass; force together’ and English cram-fill to excess’) = ram-cram, ram-jam.
- Everybody was jam-cram in the North Stand.
Jorts, jhorts, draughts - Food, especially snacks or refreshments.
- If you see, endless jorts.
- Right in front of his place, he has the big lawn tennis court where prospective clients or investors could talk it over…cuffing down their liquor and small jorts.
Jouvert, Jour ouvert, Jouvert - [Trinidad Jouvert] the official beginning of Carnival at daybreak on the Monday preceding Ash Wednesday. (< French Creole jou ouve <French jour ouvert ‘day open’, as a translation of day clean)
- Well for me I waiting on Jour Ouvert, Just to jump me jum[p] and break away. (Kitchener “Jump in the Line” 1948)
- The Jour Ouvert of 1920 Port-of-Spain saw revellers crowding the streets from the crack of dawn, and in the bands, amidst the beaters of tamboo-bamboo, and bottle-and-spoon, could be seen revellers depicting crooks, pick-pockets, burglars, beggers, highway robbers, and Barbadian cooks. (Anthony 1989:25)
- Jouvay…the opening day of Carnival which begins in the early morning hours (often officially 2:00 A.M.) Monday morning before Ash Wednesday. Jouvay is a nocturnal mas that breaks shortly after dawn. Thousands of revellers in old clothes covered with mud, or as Blue or Red Devils, or drenched in black oil (Oil Men) fill the streets. (Martin 1998:227)
K
Kaiso - The first name for Calypso. It is derived from a West African word. Later it was anglicized to calypso. Keep Kaiso alive!
Kings and Queens - Two individual 'royal' characters of mas bands in the Carnival competition on Carnival Sunday night. They are also known as King of the band and Queen of the band.
Kakanade- Gossip; idle talk, shit talk.
Kakalaylay - Sexually suggestive dancing. /kakalele/ (<kaka + lele dance>)
Kaka-nay - Dirty nose; snotty nose. /kakane/ (kaka ‘feces; waste’ + nay ‘nose’ < French nez )
- We call him Mr. Ka Ka Nez because he alway digging he nose (Baptiste 1993:96-7)
Kick Pan - A children’s game in which a metal container is placed in the centre of the playing area; a catcher searches, while players to sneak in and kick if over before being caught.
- The children playing kick the can down the road
Kicksing – Not taking things seriously; fooling around and not working. For example, Kicksing is a style of parliamentary behaviour not condoned by the established code of ethics, but in which parliamentarians have great fun at taxpayers’ expense.
Knnh. - The slightest margin ever.
· “He win by ah knnh.”
Kokiyoko, Cokey-O-Ko– A cockcrow, describing the sound of a male fowl calling. Carry another person on one’s back, usually done with children for fun, or to relive the child when it is tired. Northeastern Kikongo koka ‘pick up and carry, e.g. scraps, leaves; kokila ‘hold the arms around the neck of another. Ewe kokolieko, Yoruba kekere-n-ke, Igbo kokorokoko, Lingala kokoliko, French coquerico, ‘sound of a cock crow’
Koté-si Koté-la, coté-ci coté-la -Gossip usually of the amusing kind or [used as an adjunct] And so on and so forth; etcetera.
- Look I ain[‘t] wan[t] to be in dis coté-ci coté-la, yo[u] see! All dis dem sa[y] he sa[y] ain'[t] fo[r] me.
Kunumunu, coonoomoonoo,cunumunu - A fool; simpleton; someone easily deceived or taken advantage of. /kunumunu/ (possibly Yoruba kunun, kunu ‘shy; no self-confident’; possibly Hindi and/or Bhojpuri cunuh munuh ‘little baby’.
- From the day you give the callaloo, You had me just like your kunumunu. (Growler “I Don’t want no Calaloo” 1939)
Kuyoh - Fool; someone easily decived; under someone’s power. /kuyo/ Spanish cuna or French couillon ‘fool; imbecile’.
- His wife horning him, she have him so kuyoh, he only washing wares
Las' Lap - (Last Lap) The last few minutes before the Carnival ends at midnight on Carnival Tuesday.
Lef Trini - Leave Trini "Me eh see she again, she leave de fete long time!"
Liming - Hanging out. It is a local term named after the lime fruit that hangs down from the tree.
lacuray, la couray – A strained or difficult relationship or situation /lakure/ from French and French Creole la querelle ‘the quarrel’
Lajablesse, La Jabless, La Diablesse (n): A folklore character, a beautiful woman in a long dress who has one foot like a cow’s; she entices men astray at night in the forest or on lonely roads. < French la ‘the’ + diablesse ‘female devil’>
· The La diablesse is a she-devil, one of whose foot end in a cloven hoof, who frequents cemeteries and crossroads….she is particularly fond of attending belle air dances, and after the festivities, young males would make advanced to her and she would encourage her victim to follow her home….then as she leads him to a precipice she would suddenly transform herself into a huge hog…If however, the young swain knows the ropes he would pick two sticks and make a cross at which time she would also disappear.
Lick Out - Devastate; destroy; damaged; take away; wear out; use up; spend money without restraints, recklessly
· The school fees lick out my money.
Light Candle (phr): Perform an OBEAH ritual involving the lighting of a candle, in order to do harm to someone = put light.
· If I cannot get justice from the law of this land, I will even light candle.
Lime: Participate in an informal gathering of two or more people, characterised by semi-ritualised talking and socialising, drinking and eating. In the day when you miss me, Ah liming by some old lady.
Loup Garou, Lugahu - In folklore, a human who takes the form of an animal, generally, at night. loup garou ‘werewolf’>.
· The man who stole the chickens and was acquitted is really ah loup garou.
M
Maco - A person who minds other people's business for the purpose of gossip.
Macommère - A female companion or friend.
Macocious, Makocious - A person who is prying, nosy a maco.
Mas band - Costume band during the carnival celebrations.
Mas Camp -The place where the mas is made for the Carnival. There people gather all night as the Carnival costumes are made. A bar in Port of Spain that houses Calypso shows for Calysonians is called Mas Camp.
Magga - Very thin, skinny.
Makaforshet - Left overs; from the French phrase ma ca fourchette, meaning food stuck between the fork.
Maljoe - A blight, evil spell or misfortune.
Make style - Show off, tantalise.
Malkadee - Blight, unhealthy, ill.
Mama Poule - A derogatory term for a husband who seems to be controlled by his wife, a weakling, easily taken advantage of.
Mama Yo! - Expression denoting shock and surprise.
Mamaguy - To fast talk or sweet talk, to try to fool, make fun of or ridicule.
Mas/Mass - Masquerade, Carnival parade.
Mas Camp - Where costumes and floats for Carnival are designed and fabricated.
Matter Fix -Everything is well organized, everything is OK.
Mauby, Maubi - Bark of the tree Colubrina reclinata used to make a delicious drink of the same name.
Mauvais langue - To bad talk My.
Melongene - Eggplant a vegetable (Solanum melongena).
Merasmie - Un-healthy, sickly looking.
Midnight Robber - A character in the Carnival. He is dressed in a large hat with decorations and gives speeches to passers by.
Mih han slip - An expression used when too much of an ingredient is used.
Minstrels - A Carnival charactere. A quartet with white painted faces to imitate Americans. The Minstrels sing freedom songs of slavery, accompanied by Guitar, Tambourine, Chac-Chac and Toc-Toc.
Mo vey lang - Bad tongue, slanderous.
Moko Jumbie - Stilt dancers, young men that climb and walk on stilts during the Carnival. It is an African tradition. There is also a history of the Moko Jumbie and how he (temporary) died out. He traveled with a companion that was not on stilts, he collected money and the Moko Jumbie would usually collect money from those people living on the 2nd floors of buildings in POS. In those days the merchants lived over their business on the 2nd floors. When the trams were introduced that was the end of the Moko Jumbie as he could not safely navigate throught the many crossing cables and wires. Keep the Moko Jumbie alive!
Mooma - Mother.
Mout open, tory jump out - Start to speak and everthing is revealed.
Mouter - A boaster.
Much up - To pamper, to butter up.
Mud Band - A J'ouvert mas band with revellers plastering their bodies in mud from head to toe.
MUTT - Musician's Union of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the only Non Governmental Organisation representing musicians in T&T, new founded in July 2006 and headed by Patrick Arnold. MUTT is open to everyone and it's the only union whose members have created an instrument.
Maco, macco, mako, makko, marko (v/n) – Gossip; peep at; look at something that is supposed to be private. Someone that is overly curious about other people’s affairs. Possibly derived from the French word ma commère (ma.ko.mè patios) ‘my child’s godmother’, hence ‘my very close friend’, this relationship resulting in an intimacy leading to gossip. There is also a derivation of the Hindi word jhānkanā (झांकना) – jhaake(v) which means to peep at; look at secretly. Do you macco?
Maharajin, marajhin, marajin (n) – A term of address or reference for the wife of a Brahmin or Pundit. Generally used as a term of respectful address for any married woman. Hindi Mahārāja (/ˌmɑːhəˈrɑːdʒə/; Sanskrit: महाराज; ‘sovereign emperor’ + -in, feminine form.
· Maljo, maljoe, maljeu (n): Evil eye; the belief that a conscious or unconscious look of envy or ill will can harm someone. <French Creole malzie, Spanish mal de ojo ‘evil eye’; Yoruba fi oju buruku si ‘put ugly eye on, Igbo /ole anja ‘look ugly eye’, Kikongo /ntadidi je disu/ ‘look with bad eye’
· I heard them say how my donkey grows, It seems like they want to give it maljo… The whole this is through jealousy , Because they want to buy me donkey from me.
· A disease, attributed to maljo, characterized by fever, changed colour, inability to urinate, loss of appetite and weight, greenish stool.
Mama Glo - Mama Dlo, Mama D’Leau (n): A folklore character in the form of a beautiful woman, sometimes snake-like, with long hair and a fish-like tail who lives in rivers. mama dlo/glo <French maman ‘mother’ + de l’eau ‘of the water’>
· Then there were….mama d’leau… – mother of the waters who is the great snake character of rivers. (Ahye 1938:45)
Massa Day Done - An expression used to reproach someone to remind them that colonial days are finished and old privileges and oppression are no longer acceptable. (Public lecture by Eric Williams, 22 March 1961)
Matta Fix - Settled; arranged; ready to go.
· A good brulejol must never boil, Once it’s well mixed, is matta fixed.
Mauvay Langue, mauvaise langue - Critical, slanderous talk. (French mauvaise ‘bad’ + langue ‘tongue’). A person who says malicious, gossipy or slanderous things.
· I find both appalling and disgusting..the pettiness that sees a sinister plot behind every move the brand new government makes. The mauvais langue, vicious and calculated to damage reputation and character.
Merikan, Merikins - Demobilised Black Soldiers for the West India Regiment, and escaped slaves who fought with the British against the United States in the War of 1812, established in the “Company” villages in eastern and south-central Trinidad after the American Revolution.
Mermaid - Tobago: The mermaid or fairymaid is a folklore character of a woman with a fish tail instead of legs, who lives in a river or in the sea near the coast. She is not dangerous or evil but can pull people under the water, take them travelling, and then return them to shore.
· It used to have a mermaid in the river here, but nobody ent see she for donkey years now.
N
Nah - No.
Nanny/Powder puff - Female genitalia, vagina.
Nastiness - An expression of disgust applied to a good-for-nothing person.
National Carnival Committee - The organization that is responsible for putting the Carnival celebrations together. Over the years it has had many names. Once it was the Carnival Development Committee (CDC).
Never see come see - Someone recently exposed to something new thus goes to ridiculous extremes.
Ning ning - Tired eyes.
Now fuh now - Instantly, right now.
No wherian - A person who does not have any fixed place of abode.
Neg Jardin, Negre Jardin, Neg Jadan - A Carnival Mas - in which players imitate black slave field-workers. From French Creole neg andFrench negre ‘black person’ + French Creole jadan and French jardin ‘garden; field’.
Never-see-come-see - Of a person, unsophisticated and therefore excited about something ordinary. (French just now coming to see something new.)
- Yuh like a never see come see in yuh new car with alarm and stereo. (Baptiste 1993:116)
O
Obzokee - Awkward in appearance, bent or twisted out of shape, misshapen, clumsy.
Ochro - Okra.
Oh gorm man/Oh shimps man - These expressions can denote shock, surprise, indignation and admiration.
Oh geed! - An expression used when an offensive smell is detected.
Ohh gosh! - An expression used to indicate surprise or disgust.
Ole talk - Idle empty chatter, social chit-chat, nonsense.
One set ah - A lot of anything, plentiful.
One han cyaa clap - One hand cant clap. A bribe will grease the wheels, be good to me I'll take cre of you.
Own way - Stubborn person.
Obzocky, obsockie, obzokee, obsukky, obzoky, obzockie, upzuckie - Unbalanced; awkward-looking; of ungraceful line or shape; of a batsman, not flowing or smooth. (Possibly Kikonngo zakazaka ‘shaking’).
- Allyu only eatin’ ah set ah junk food like dem social bakes dey does call Pizza, an’ allyu still want to find out why allyu gettin’ fat an’ obsozky.” (Keens-Douglas 1984:87)
Orisha - An African religion, mostly of Yoruba origin, known also as SHANGO, based on the worship of numerous ORISHA (deities), who also have Catholic counterparts. Worship includes spirit possession, drumming, dancing, chanting, and animal sacrifice. Severely represses at times during the past, it has survived, and is no more openly accepted (Yoruba orisha ‘diety’) = African work, Shango.
- Devotees of the Orisha or the Rada faiths were often imprisoned and even flogged under an 1868 law –Convictions Ordinance 1868 – which made the practice of ‘Obeah’ a criminal offence. (Brereton 1993:50)
- Steelbands as well was tamboo bamboo bands had a deep connection, in terms of musical influence with Orisha centres in East Dry River (Stuempfle 1995:39)
P
Pahtnah/Partner - Homeboy, used by older Trini males to each other.
Pail Closet- An outside latrine; an enclosed toilet consisting of a pail (bucket) underneath a seat with an opening in it.
Pallet - Frozen lolly on stick.
Panmaker - The person who does the sinking, grooving and cutting after the specification (i.e. length, depth, size of notes) of his Tuner.
Panist - Pan player.
Panorama - The Trinbago annual Carnival steelband festival that started in 1963 where steelbands compete for the national title of steelband of the year. The competition is run by the representative pan body Pan Trinbago.
Pan Pusher - In the 1960s people used to push the steel pans on Carnival days (some still do). There were no trucks to pull the instruments. Hence, the word pan pusher to refer to people who pushed the pans.
Pan Trinbago - Organization responsible for the steelband movement. This organization is the fourth pan organization formed to protect the interests of the steelpan and panists of Trinbago. It's current President is Patrick Arnold. Former presidents were Arnim Smith, George Goddard and Owen Serrette.
Panyard - The place that house steelbands in Trinbago. It is so called because the steelbands are placed in a yard, usually the yard of the steelband's leader. There they practice and used the yard as a community center.
Papa Bois - A folklore character, usually depicted as having a man’s head, chest and arms, with goat-horns on the head, and the lower body of a goat or similar animal. He is the protector of animals in the forests and can change himself into animal forms to lead hunters away. Papa ‘father’ + French Bois ‘woods; forest’>
- The African legend of Papa Bois mixing with the European tales of werewolves – our lou‘ gahou‘ the Anansi stories of the Ashanti people of the Gold Coast.
Pa pa yo! - Exclamation of surprise.
Parang - Songs in Spanish accompanied with cuatros, fiddles, violins and chac chac It is derived from the Venezuelan heritage of Trinbago. It was started by members of the Spanish community. It is performed during the Christmas holidays. Today you have many Calypsonians singing parang music among whom the most popular are Scrunter, Baron and Crazy.
Paranging a house - A traditional Venezuelan-derived type of singing, sometimes improvisational, on religious themes, usually entirely in Spanish, performed around Christmas, going house-to-house carolling or singing while visiting friends. (Spanish parranda ‘serenading; going out and singing; having a good time’)
- I myself buy rum for when the neighbours come over, and when the parang pass playing the quatros and signing the seranales for Christmas.
- Pasray, pasare (v) : Spread; stretch, e.g. a sheet; sprawl, sit in a vulgar, exposed way, usually said of a woman. /pasre, pasare/ (Hindi and/or Bhojpuri pasarna ‘spread out; stretch out)
Parang Soca - Parang music done with a Soca beat.
Pelau - A one-pot mixture of pigeon peas and rice, cooked with meat and flavoured with coconut and pepper.
Peong - Someone who seems to be addicted or obsessed with something.
Pesh - Money.
Phagwa - An Indian Hindu festival brought to Trinbago by Hindu members of the Indian community who came as indentured servants of the British colonials who ruled India at the time.
Phantom - A folklore character; a very tall, misty white figure who stands at crossroads, and traps those who pass between his legs.
- Then there were phantom – the headless spectre with extremely long legs that grip his victims in a death squeeze (Ahye 1983:45).
- Even our mighty phantoms have found themselves confused with the old mas character from the comic strips (Araujo 1984:43).
Pholouri - Fritters made with split peas.
Piarco - The international airport in Trinidad.
Picong - Doing jokes on a person in song. Most famous was the Melody / Sparrow picongs during the 50s.
Pierott granade - Local clown-like carnival character.
Pickers - Thorns.
Ping Pong - The name first used for the steelpan. It derived its name from the sound that was made on the pans.
Pissin tail - A person of no class or importance.
Planasse - To hit someone with the flat side of a cutlass.
Playin social - Someone who pretends to be of a higher social strata than they are.
Plummer, Denyse - Trinidadian calypso sensation, also called "The Queen of Calypso". Two of her favered songs we took for our web site, "Catharsis" and "Nah leaving". We can recommend to buy her CDs. It's great music!
Po po - Very small child, a baby.
Pommerac - A bright red fruit with velvety white interior; could have come from the patois for Maracas apple.
Pomme cythere - The fruit golden apple.
Pong - Pound.
Port of Spain - Capital city of The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, located in NW Trinidad.
Pressure / Preshah - Intense circumstances, rough times.
Prim prim - Disgustingly proper and formal.
Pull hand - In SUSU, to collect the entire amount of all members contributions in your turn
Q
Quadrophone - Midrange instrument, as the name indicates a four pan set.
Queen's Park Savannah - A large field in Port of Spain. The land was willed to the people of Trinbago by an English expatriate to be used for horse racing and other local events. During the colonial period it was used by the English colonial gentry of Trinbago. It is said that it was agreed in the will that nothing permanent should be built on the land. Its title 'Queen' is so named after the then reigning Queen of England.
Qualey - Withered, dried up.
Quenk - An irritating person.
Quelbe, quelba, quilbay - A kind of African dance possibly of Congo origin, comprising songs, drumming and dances performed by women.
- As late as 1940 on the hills in Charlotteville at nights one could hear the music of Congo women playing what villagers called Congo-drum (marli doun-doun) and tambour-bamboo…and dancing quelbe reputed to be a very wild erotic dance for females only.
Quito-Quito – A distant place in the countryside. Very far away from town
life or from any important or well-known place.
R
Raff - To grab suddenly, to take away something from someone.
Ragadang - Broken down, derelict.
Ram cram - Packed to capacity.
Rapso - A new type of music that merges Soca with American Hip Hop rap music.
Rat toungue does sell e head - Disclosing too much will get you into trouble.
Road march - Name of the tune of choice that is played the most times on the road for Carnival. Up until the 1970s the steelbands decided the winning road march.
Road March King - A Calypso composer whose tune has been adjugded the most popular (played) for that particular year's Carnival.
Roti - A thin flat baked dough resembling a tortilla filled with curried beef, chicken, goat, shrimp or vegetables.
Rude - Nasty, sexually explicit.
Rudder, David Michael - A Calypsonian who won three competitions in the same year: the Calypso Monarch, the road march and the young kings competition. Most notably is the fact that he never entered another competition after that spectacle feat. He now resides in Canada. His CDs are sold world wide. Great music!
Rumfle - Ruffled or wrinkled.
Rumshop - A local term for the shops that sold rum. The most famous rum shop was Vasco Da Gama that was situated at St. Joseph Road in Port of Spain.
Rachifee, ratcheefi, ratchifi, rachify - Somethings done in a makeshift, careless, or slightly devious way; or as a result of cheating, corruptions, or trickery. (Possibly French rafistolé ‘mended; patched up; English retrofit ‘force something to fit; use something not originally designed for the task’
- The amount of ‘bobboll’ and rachifee going one with we money in that project.
- Excuse me, but when you speak of ‘culture’ in our society, you mean culture as including rachifee ?” (Alleyne -Forte 1994:99
Ram Goat Can’t Pee -Phrase indicating that you do not believe someone’s story. He cleaned up the whole house? That ram goat can’t pee!
Reds – A formal form of address for a RED-SKIN person usually friendly. Hey reds, leh we take a drive up Maracas nuh?
Red-Skin - Light-coloured in complexion, brown, light brown, reddish-brown or reddish-white; usually a mixture of European (White) and Africans (Black).Anyway, buxom, brown-skinned Cecilia and her red-skinned daughter, Barbara, were in trouble today.
Rings - In PITCH, a small circle, usually about 18 inches in diameter, in which the marbles are placed; the object is to now opponents’ marbles out of this ring with your TAW.
Rings & Taws (Right Through) - In PITCH, shouted before pitching in RINGS, when you intend to roll your marble through the field of play and keep anything you hit out of the ring, including your opponents TAW, and in addition claim points for any opponent’s marbles which have been indirectly hit.
- I going to pitch, rings and taws!
Rum Jumbie – Habitual drunkard; alcoholic.
Rum Talk – Saying or promising things when drunk that you would not do if sober.
S
Saga boy / girl - A male / female who is boastful of his or her physical attributes, flashy dresser, dandy.
Sailor band - A mas that was
played by steelbands in the 60s where it was very popular. Famous sailor bands
were USS Detroit played by City Syncopators steel orchestra, USS Fleets played
by Trinidad All Stars steel orchestra, USS Skip Jack played by Tokyo
steel orchestra.
Sampat - An unfair attack, out-numbered ambush.
Sancoch, sancoche, sancoach, sancocho, san kootch - A thick soup made with meat, GROUND PROVISIONS, and vegetables. (Latin American Spanish sancocho ‘a stew’; Spanish sancochar ‘paraboil’)
- “San Kootch for supper,”she announced grandly. (Pollack 1943:25)
Sandimanitay, sans humanité, sandemanetay, santimanitay - A traditional Kalinda and Calypso challenge refrain. (French sans humanité ‘without mercy’).
- None of the bands sang any properly composed songs, most of t the songs having a jingle of words uttered with lightning-like rapidity and ending with the monotonous sans humanité.
Savannah - Short for Queen's Park Savannah.
Say Prunes - Used often with a negative to describe someone who seems to be quite but turns out to be quite the opposite. – mash ants
- Is my neighbours I talkin’ ’bout. Whole year them people does want to pass you straight like a full maxi. All the time they nose up in the air like they can’t say prunes and jus’ becauses is Christmas, they want to much-up and expect drinks. They mus’ be think I born big! (EX 18 Dec 1994:11)
Schupid, Chupid, Schupidness - Stupid.
Schupidee, Chupidee - A stupid person.
Screw pan - An angry or determined look on a persons face, usually humorous and ugly.
Seeef - See If, or A personal request.
· “Seeef it ha beers in the fridge nuh? (Sprangalang)
Shades - Sunglasses.
Shadow beni - Cilantro, a herb known for its distinctive seasoning flavour, used in cooking meats.
Shango - A religion (Yoruba) that is practiced by African descendants. It is a mixture of African religion and Catholism. During slavery the European slave masters forbade the enslaved Africans from practicing their religion so the enslaved Africans hid the practice of their religion from the Slave masters by disguising it and using Catholic symbols and language. Shango drummers also heat and burn the skins of their drums.
Sharpe, Lennox "Boogsie" - He is the founding arranger of Phase II Pan Groove Steel Orchestra. He was formerly a member of Starlift Steel Orchestra but left because he could express his arranging abilities since the resident arranger was Ray Holman. Boogsie left and form his own steelband, Phase II. He is a prolific arranger who uses jazz melodies in his music more than any other pan arranger. He has a dedicated following and is known for composing and arranging the winning tune of choice for the Skiffle Bunch Steel Orchestra at the 2000 World Steelband Music Festival, and the WSMF 2005 pieces for Skiffle Bunch Steel Orchestra who placed second in the competition.
Shif yuh carcass - Move over, get going.
Shrims - Shrimps.
Shub/Shove - Move or cast aside.
Skin up yuh nose - To turn up ones nose at anything.
Skinnin yuh teet - Grinning.
Sky-lark - To idle, waste time.
Soca - A modern version of the Calypso. Most people agree that the late Ras Shorti I created Soca. Its beat is different than Calypso in that its beat is on the bass rather than the drum unlike Calypso. Over the years it has taken many turns as singers innovate with the sound.
Soca Warriors - Footballteam. Not just a team, but the heroes of T&T, as they qualified for the World Cup 2006. Accompanied by a 150-piece cultural team (Soca Caravan) they brought a taste of Trinidad Carnival to Germany. They did not win the World Cup though, they won thousands of new friends, fans, and hearts the world over!
Sometimeish - Moody.
Soucouyant, Sucuyant - Usually an old female vampire that sheds its human skin and flies at night as a ball of fire, sucking the blood of its victims. A person, usually an old woman, who sheds her skin, travels as a ball of fire and sucks people’s blood, leaving a blue mark. Soucouyans, have an unnatural and indelicate propensity for casting off their skin, which they usually conceal in or under a chocolate mortar. There are two plans: one is to sprinkle salt upon the cast off skin, should you meet it (there’s the rub); or when you are expecting a visit from the ‘thing,’ strew the floor around your bed with rice. This the Soucouyan, by some mysterious law, will be compelled to pick up grain by grain, thereby affording you an opportunity for slaying or otherwise disposing of the monstrosity.
Souse - Boiled pork or other meats served cold in a tasty, seasoned sauce with lime, cucumber, pepper and onion.
Sparrow, Mighty - Mighty Sparrow is the greatest Calypsonian in the world. He hit the stage in 1956 with his Calypso Jean and Dinah to win the Calypso Monarch. He has won the Calypso Monarch more than any other Calypsonian to date. He was originally born in Grenada but moved with his parents to Trinbago when he was five or six years old. He is responsible for giving Calypso its artistic character. From 1963 to the 70s he had a Calypso rivalry with Kitchener, the Road March King. For many years the road march titles were divided between them.
Spit in de air it goh fall in yu face - The evil you do will come back to haunt you.
Sprawl Off - Sprawl; lie around in a relaxed manner with limbs spread out. (< English sprawl ‘stretch out on the ground, etc. in an awkward manner’) = loll off, spread off.
- After Sunday lunch, real man does be sprawl off in a hammock under the coconut tree.
Steeldrum - A barrel for shipping/storage different kind of chemicals and food, available in different measurements. The 55 gallon drum that stores oil was used to create the first steelpans in Trinidad & Tobago.
Steelpan - A definite-pitch, acoustic, percussion instrument. It consists of a circular playing surface made from steel stretched into a concave shape and attached to a hollow, cylindrical resonator called a skirt. This surface is optimised into a number of isolated convex sections called notes. The instrument is usually played with hand-held, rubber-tipped, non-sonorous mallets called sticks (mallets). The steelpan is such a unique instrument that it cannot be definitively classified as either a membranophone or an idiophone. It is the only hybrid percussion instrument in existence today.
Stollmeyer’s Castle - One of the Magnificient Seven buildings on the Queens Park Savannah, was modelled after the Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Build in 1904, or brick and limestone, with towers, it was owned by the Stollmeyer family until purchased by the [Trinidad and Tobago] government in 1979.
- A Scottish firm designed Killarney also known as Stollmeyer’s Castle [sic] Castle in 1902. The design employs several elements from Balmoral Castle in Scotland, such as the tower and the pepperpot turret this is corbeled from its wall. The diagonal wing projecting the corner has a steep roof with a crowstep gable. A combination of pale yellow brick and blue-grey dressed stone.
Suck eye - Too easy for words to describe.
SUSU - A cooperative savings systems in which each person contributes the same fixed amount each week, and the whole amount, the HAND is taken by a different member each time.
Sweat Rice - Rice into which a woman, given to a man to make him remain faithful. Steam rice. “Sweat rice” was supposed to be one of the more potent aphrodisiacs employed to “tie” men. Sweat rice: A meal of rice, which a woman prepares when she wants to trap a man. The woman prepares this by squatting over steaming rice, and allowing her vaginal juices to “sweat into the rice.”
Sweetie - Any confectionary, an attractive female.
Swell up yuh face - To look angry, to pout.
T
Taanon - It has none, The reply to the beers in the fridge question.
· “Seeef it ha beers in the fridge nuh?” Taanon!! (Sprangalang)
Tabanca - The forlorn feeling one gets when a romantic relationship ends.
Tamboo Bamboo - Tamboo bamboo bands were the first mas bands for Carnival days. They are bamboos cut to different lengths to get different sounds. This was a before the steelband.
Tantie, Tante - Aunt.
Tassa Drum - A traditional east indian instrument. In order to raise the tone to an optimal pitch and to tighten the skin a tassa drum needs to be heated before one can play it. And then it's played with two sticks. Also a tassa group consists of the lead, the supporting and the bass drums as well as a pair of cymbals named Jhanji.
Teef - Thief.
Tent, Kaiso tent - A calypso or soca concert featuring several singers, music bands and comedians.
Tick, Thick - Overweight as in 'She not real fat, he slim-tick'.
Tight - Intoxicated, drunk, stoned.
Ting - Thing.
Titty-vay, Titivate - To waste time or stir up trouble.
TNT - Trinidad and Tobago.
To besides - Besides which.
To throw watar on duck back - To waste your time, to make futile attempts.
Toh-ty, Toti, ToTo - The Male genitalia, penis.
Too tool bay / Toutoulday - A confused state, in a daze, also head over heels in love, a gullible person, a fool.
Too-bay-go - Tobago.
Too-nee, poom-poom, scizzors - Female genitalia, vagina.
Toolum - A candy made with molasses and grated coconut.
Tot Tots - Female breasts.
Trinbago - Short name for Trinidad and Tobago. In the 1970s some people believed that the name was too long. It was shortened to Trinbago. Today it is used by many people and even the local newspapers.
Trinity Hills - The three hills in Trinidad.
TUCO - Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organization. They aim to present, produce, manage, conduct, represent, enhance, research and, in all aspects advance the art of Calypso to the world through all available media and entertainment forms.
Tumba - Conga. The tumba man is the conga player; el conguero.
Tuner - The person who does the pre-tuning, tempering / burning and the final tuning of the steel pan. We don't pick up HOW to make a pan in this ABC, since you can find that on hundred other websites. Anyway, best bet is to visit a tuner at work, we are quite sure that he will gladly show and explain you the procedere of his art work.
Two tounged - Deceitful.
Tabanca, tabanka, tabankca, tobanca - (Grenada, Guyana, Trinidad): A painful feeling of unrequited love, from loving someone who does not love in return, especially someone who was once a lover or spouse. (No reliable derivation has been found for this word, though some possibilities have been proposed, e.g. (Kikongo tabaka ‘sell out or buy up completely’). It’s the same behaviour, Horn like fire, I can’t take it no longer, You know I nearly dead with Tabanca. (Sparrow “A Sailor Man” 1957, in Rodman 1971:217)
· Very infatuated; passionately in love. She got you tabanka boy!
TAW - A large, lucky, or choice marble used to shoot at other marbles, rarely parted with or betted Partner, we doh play with no doggle, Dat is not real marble, Dat is balls-bearing…Yu want to mash up people taw!
Take in Front or take front - Act or say something in your own interest or defence before someone else can use the same point against you; anticipate and avoid and accusation or argument by starting oneself, i.e. take front
Tanka Lanka – Expression meaning “you’re going to get in trouble”, used by schoolchildren, usually accompanied by shaking of one hand.
Tobago ice-water - A humorous reference to sucking a dinner mint and drinking pipe water afterwards to give a cold water effect when ice is not available. From denigration of living conditions from the view of a less sophisticated Tobago.
· Yuh have to take Tobago ice-water, to wash down that doubles boi.
Tobago love - Said of a relationship characterized by lack of demonstration of affection, or by fighting.
· Is only weetie he sending she by de post – like is Tobago love or what? (Baptiste 1993:157).
Tonnere, tonnay, tonnier - Exclamation of suprise, vexations, annoyance. (tonnere ‘thunder’, an expression of anger)
· Tonnerre! It have plenty people in this fete. (Baptiste 1993:157)
Tout Bagai, toot bagai, tout bagaille - Everything; all sorts of things. /tut bagai/ (tout ‘all’ + bagai ‘thing’).
Tringlish - A humorous name for the local vernacular, considered as a variety or dialect of English, or as an English-related creole language.
· Yuh see, we in dis country deos talka a t’ing we call “Tringlish” – Is a kinda secon‘ language to true, true English and to beside we does talk it fas’, fas’ and put een plenty ah we own local words like: obzokee, mamaguy, mehrazmee, tootoolbay, tobiaxee an’ t’ing. (Elcock 1997)
Turtle Botheration - A preparation of a turtle penis in rum, of which small sips are taken as a male aphrodisiac.
U
Umpteen - Plenty of anything, very often.
Under Bamboo - A Trinidad Hindu nuptials ceremony conducted according to Hindu religious rites. Such services were not recognized as legal [marriage] unions until 1946 in Trinidad. English under ‘subject to the authority or control’ + bamboo the usual building material for the wedding reception area which is under Hindu rites, under fig tree.
V
Vampin - Producing a veryn offensive smell.
Vaps - A suddenly behave excitedly or in a strange manner.
Vex - Angry, vexed.
Vikiey vi - Evasive, unreliable,
indecisive.
Vai-ki-vai, vikey–vy, vy-kee-vy, vy-ki-vy (adj): - Lackadaisical; disorderly; unplanned;chaotic; irresponsible; without care or thought. French Creole vai ki vai; French vaille que vaille ‘for better or worse’
- I live the carefree now-for-now, Worship the nine-day- wonder, I have no future plans or hopes, No scruples to live under. (Wilkes 1994)
W
Wais - Waist.
Wajang - A roudy, uncouth person.
Warap - A very weak mixture.
Washikong, wachekong, washeekong, watchekong, watchi-kong - Rubber-soled canvas shoes; sneakers; plimsolls; running shoes. Origin unknown but two widely held theories: caoutchouc ‘rubber’, and Chinese perhaps Mandarin, kong hua xie ‘flower sandal’>
- She haven’t really nothing really to eat, Only knocking bout in washikong bout the street.
Waving Gallery - An area of the former airport building at Piarco Trinidad, where people waiting for arriving passengers could see and wave to them as they came in.
- We stand up in the waving gallery and watch you pulling your bag, I could imagine how your hand feeling. (Doh Say Dat, TG, 15 Sept 1991:13)
Well yes! - An expression of disbelief.
West Indian - A misnomer. Christopher Columbus believed he had discovered India and named the region West Indies but he was wrong. Hence, the term West Indian is used to describe someone from the West Indies. But, progressive people use Caribbean People.
Wet fowl - Sickly looking.
Wha happenin dey? - What's happening?
Whappen? - What's the matter with you? or How are things?
Whayousayday? – What did you say?
What sweet in goat mout does sour in he bam bam - Fun today will cause problems in the future.
When cock geh teet - It will never happen; an impossible situation.
Whey - Where.
Whey yuh say? - What did you say?
Whey de arse - An expression of disgust, disapproval.
- Bu’ wey de arse is dat? Sinc when you become church defender?
Whe-whe, we-we, whay-whay, whey whey – A gambling game of Chinese origin, in which the organizer or Banker chooses one number or Mark from a set of numbers and seals it in an envelope. Players then bet on what number it is, traditionally according to dreams experienced by the player.
Wild Meat - Game; meat from animals killed by hunting, most commonly DEER, QUENK, MANICOU, TATU,[GOUTI], and LAP.
· I stay home on Christmas for most of the day and I do a lot of cooking – wild meat and plenty of pork. (Express 23 Dec 1990:15)
Wine, Winin - A sexually suggestive dance using rthymic hip gyrations that can make the hula look tame, best done to calypso music. Wining is a gyrating motion made by Trinbago women. Its movements had erotic and sensual connotations but it is very innocent dancing. Foreign sometimes mistake wining for lose behavior. It is not. Men also wine.
X
Xylopan - With around 50 notes it may be the largest instrument in the pan family. Its creator is Jomo Wahtuse (1995), it is a soprano pan surrounded by eight satellite pans and meant to suit the Pan virtuoso.
Xamboula (n) obs. A type of African dance.
·
Xamboula
dance is known by only a few persons. It is such an obscene dance that it is
only [performed] by moonlings in the bush. It comes from Trinidad. (Uh
1883:252)
Y
Yampee - Mucus found in the corner of the eyes, especially after a long nights sleep.
You an all? - You too?
You so - People like you.
Yuh makin joke! - You can't be serious.
Yuh faddah head - An expression indicating disgust.
Yuh faddah is a glassmaker? - You are blocking my view.
Yuh look fuh dat - It is your own fault.
Z
Zaboca - Avocado, a salad fruit.
Zug up - A rough and uneven cutting of anything.
Trinidad and Tobago Dictionary: Back to Top
The next time in Trinidad learn a couple of Trinidad phrases.
Source:
Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago by Lise Winer
https://archives.newsday.co.tt/2010/09/18/the-baddest-bad/ date September 18, 2010 sourced September 9, 2018.
https://triniinxisle.com/2018/06/30/trinidad-dictionary/
https://cguillaumme.caribsurf.net/dictionary.html
David Michael Rudder: https://www.facebook.com/david.rudder.16
Featured Image: The Red, White and Black by JP-Talma
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