Learn the Lingo

Love Caribbean food? Why not take a minute to learn the lingo “Mon”…

A
Ah - Means a range of things such as, a, to, is, it etc
Anansi - A mythical character, originated from Ghana
All fruits ripe - Everything is great
A lie - No way, that can’t be true
Afi - It’s for



B
Braata – Little extra of anything
Blue drause– Cornmeal wrapped in a banana leaf and then boiled
Bulla – Small or medium round brown, sweet flour snack
Bad like yaz – “Expression” something’s really cool
Big up - “Expression” Gesture of tribute



C
Coil - Money
Cooyah – Look here
Chuck – A big truck
Cerace – A vine bush grown in Jamaica, and used to cure various aliments
chaka chaka – Messy, disorganized



D
Di - The (don’t use the seeds)
Dawta - D aughter or reference to a woman
Dead lef- Inheritance
Deh ‘bout – Close or near by
Duppy – A ghost

E
Easy nuh – Relax, chill out
Ends – The area in which you live
Escovitch– Spanish and Portuguese method of preparing seafood
Eaz haad - Stubborn
Everyting cook & curry – Everything is well/ok


F
Falla Fashin – To copy others
Fi dem – theirs (it’s their house)
Flex – Chill, relax and hang out
Gallawasp – A Moth which many Jamaicans believe to be poisonous
Force ripe – A young person usually female trying to grow up too quick

G
G alang - Go on, go away
Gravalicious - Greedy
Don gorgon – A respected person
Gates - Home
Guava – A Caribbean fruit which can be eaten raw or used to make jelly

H
Hard Food- Green bananas, dumplings, yam, dasheen, plantain all boiled together (until cooked) in one pot Higglers – To haggle or bargain
Haffi  - Have to
Hitey -titey - Upper class, snobby
Hackle– To hassle or bother



I
Ital – N atural, organic
I-dren - Friend
Irie – Nice, Cool everything is good
I-dren - Male Rastafarian
I an I - Me

J
Jammin- Dancing
Jamdung - Jamaica
Jook – To pierce or prod
Jah - Lord
Jelly - The meat (inside) of a young coconut



K
Kinpuppalick – Somersault
Kyaan done - Can’t finish
kiss mi neckback– “Expression” meaning disbelief
Kin teet– Meaning to laugh at another or give a false smile
Kreng-kreng – Old fashion meat rack


L
Leggo Beas – Wild, out of control
Labba labba- Gossip
Labrish – Gossip
Liad - Liar
Likkle more – Good bye, see you later


M
Maama man - An effeminate man
Maga - Thin
Mampi - Fat
More time - Good-bye
Maca – Prickle, thorns


N
Nunu - Mint (pronounced noo-noo)
Neegle - Needle
Natty congo - Dreadlocks
Nuh true - isn't it so
Niyabingi - Rastafarian gathering

O
obeah - Witchcraft
Ooman- Woman
Onoe love – A parting phrase i.e goodbye
Ovastan - Understand
Ortanique – Across between a tangerine and an orange


P
Patty – A Jamaican baked pastry (Yellow in colour) containing a spicy meat filling
Pickney - Child, children, kids
Payaka – Someone who want’s it all
Pon - On
Putto putto - Very soft


Q
Quattie - Of no value
Quips - A tiny piece or little amount


R
Ragga – Edgy reggae that uses RnB, garage and digital rhythms
Ranking - Highly respected
Roots Drink –Drinks made of natural food, herbs and spices
Ray Ray - Someone who talks too much
Run a boat - A saying where many people cook and eat a big dinner together


S
Skellian - Spring onion (pronounced skel-lian)
Screw - To be angry
Saltfish – Cod fish
Sanfi - A manipulator
Sidung - Sit down


T
Tan - Stand
Toto – A Jamaican coconut cake
Tack – Bullet
Ticky ticky - Fish
Ting - Thing


U
Uno or unno- You
Uptown - Upper class


V
Vex – Angry, frustration


W
Wheels - Vehicle
Wh'appen – What’s happening
Whole heap - Large quantities
Wanga gut - Fat stomach
Wi- We, us, our, ours X
X amount - Countless, lots of


Y
Yard - Home
Youth– A young person
Yeyewata – To cry
Yuh - You, are you ready?


Z
Zutopeck - Low class
Zeen – You understand me, you get it, you know
Zion - Ethiopia, Africa

Now you’re down with the lingo, SHOP NOW and unleash those inner Caribbean cooking skills!