Bajan Slang

Bajan Slang

Since Bajan dialect has no standardized spelling, the spelling of a number of the words are rough approximations.

A
· above - to be next to; to the right of
· ackee - fruit, hard green skin, orange flesh when ripe
· afta - after
· add-in - put in a little bit more
· aight - alright; okay
· again - now
· all de talk - in any case
· all-two - both
· all-two a wunna - both persons in the group
· all-a-wanna - everyone in the group
· auntieman - an offensive term for an effeminate or homosexual male
· asked out - to invite someone out
· ass - an insult; referring to one's buttocks; or the animal
· at'all / at'tall - no-how, no-way.
· away - overseas; abroad


B
· bad behave - to be poorly behaved
· bad feels - any faint feeling
· bad-bad-bad-bad-  "a real lot"
· back-back - to go backwards
· backyard - enclosed land at the back of a house
· bachannal - commotion, loud partying 
· backchat / backtalk - a disrespectful reply (usually in the case of a child to a parent.)
· back stab - to talk about a friend negatively
· balampalampam - very large buttocks
· bariffle - a whole lot eg. (dah's a bariffle a homwuhk )
· bassa-bassa - a fight or uproar
· bashy - to be intriguing
· bashment - to be intriguing / a party
· bat - small moth
· bawl-like-a-cow - crying, yelling for help
· bawl-out - curse someone
· bazodee - crazy (acting)
· bay rum - a lotion
· below - to the left of... (eg. "The house below there-")
· belly - to have diarrhea
· bare - a lot of...
· before-time - once upon a time; formerly
· behind God's back - a distant rural place way-out in the countryside
· big-up - kudos, accolades, salutation
· big-rock - a stone, just the right size and weight for throwing at someone; or to stand up someone
· birdspeed - to move very fast
· Bim - a nickname for Barbados (short for Bimshire); it was also a soft-drink historically made in Barbados
· biscuit - knee cap
· bite - to itch (eg. "my foot biting me")
· black hat - person behaving unseemly and don't care
· blaklead - a pencil
· blasted - "damn"
· blam - to shut suddenly
· blista - to curse out
· blista bline - to curse out
· block wid - to confront boldly with (eg. don mek me block wid yuh)
· body / bozzi - a person (e.g. not me bozzi)
· boar tru - to push through ("Bore through")
· bonie - very slim body (boney)
· bossman - an admired friend; a salutation ("hey buddy")
· bougeley - real ugly person
· boun - to become constipated
· boxy / botsi - the buttocks
· but - to bounce off or knock into something, or hit someone with your head. (ex. a "head-but")
· brass - trumpets and other horns in a song
· bram - a small dancing party
· bration - a rendezvous with a date
· breeze - go somewhere quickly
· breed-off - to become pregnant
· brekfives - to shake hands
· brek-up - to fall or to feel really tired after a party or exercise
· broughtupsy - proper upbringing, manners or class
· bruggadown / brugga-lax / brax-lax - the sound of a fall, or something hitting something else hard
· bubbi - a breast
· bubble up de gap - drive up the street
· bubble a pot - to cook good tasting food
· buck-pot - a cast iron pot used for cooking
· buckra - a Caucasian [of African origin, mbakara]
· buckra-johnny -  a poor caucasian
· bumpa / bumsi - the buttocks
· bung-navel - protuberant navel
· buttup-pon - to meet by chance; to have met by chance
· bull - to engage (as a male) in sexual intercourse with a fellow male
· bulla - the highest offensive name for a homosexual male
· bullaman - a homosexual male
· burst - to over do, or to hit hard, or to be over crowded
· buse - to use abusive language
· bush-tea - a tea made of plants and herbs
· buss mout - to hit someone on the mouth or to be hit in the mouth
· busylickum - a busy body
· buy-ice, and fry it - a waste of money


C
· cah / caa - to carry eg. "Cah da long fuh ma"
· carry 'way - take / taking
· catsprattle - to destroy; to fall very harshly
· caw - wow! [shortened version to the vulgar]
· caw blen - wow! [vulgar]
· cat-boil - a sty on the eyelid
· cha! - wow! / yes! (from Jamaica)
· chat-up - to flatter
· cheese-on-bread - an expression or exclamation
· chip - slowly marching down the street in-time- to the rhythm of the music playing.
· choke-off - to shut off.
· chop-lass - see collins
· choppa - a machete
· choppy - to be bumpy
· chossel - girlfriend / boyfriend
· chune - a song
· cock - referring to a male's penis
· cock-rat - a whore
· cock-back - shaking ones' buttocks while dancing
· cock-up - to relax with one's limbs spread
· collins - see cutlass
· colours-fighting - the colour clothes someone is wearing either clash, are ugly, or don't go together.
· cook-up - mix everything together.
· cool-out - to relax
· coolie - door-to-door salesman of East-Indian decent
· come forward - to come back (eg. I gine and come forward)
· come'a - come here to me!
· come back - to return [to return home]
· come-ya - someone who is new to the area [offensive]
· common - to be low class
· crab-mash - to iron ones clothes like they don't know what they're doing.
· crappo - frog/toad
· cross over - to become pregnant
· cuh-dear - an exclamation (e.g cuh dear, you ent know no better than that)
· cunna-mah-nou - a fool
· cunt - noun [Vulgar] e.g. "You, ya cunt!"
· cuff - to punch; a punch
· cuffin - a somersault
· cus - to insult, swear or use bad words
· cutter -  a sandwich
· cutlass - a machete


D
· da - that
· daa fuh yuh - that's what you get
· daa gon' do fuh yuh - that will bring about serious consequences
· de-belly - diarrhea
· dead house - mortuary
· dearheart - sweetheart
· dem - them
· dicky - male genital
· dispatch - to serve a customer in a shop
· dingolay - dance
· disgusting - person having their own way
· do-fa-do - A saying ("What goes around, comes around" / tit-for-tat)
· do-fa-do, ain't no obeah - ("Doing bad things to others, and then having it happen to you is not necessarily witchcraft")
· dooflicky - a celebration
· doggerts - the male genitals .
· dog dead - an expression of finality (eg "Ef he find out you lying boy, de dog dead)
· dottish - (pronounced: "doh'tish") stupid / foolish
· down de bottom - over on the other end ("down de' bottom of Saint Michael.")
· down de line - straight down the road
· drawing-up - Sit close next to... ("drawing-up along side")
· dress-up - wearing your best clothes
· drop-down - to faint; pass out; or flop down onto something
· dropsy - getting tired
· dumpsy / duncey - to be stupid
· duppy - a ghost or spirit
· dust bin - waste bin


E
· eat-off - consume a lot of food, or the food is gone.
· ecky-becky - a poor Caucasian [a *very* offensive term]
· effin - a variant of "if"
· enuff - to have had enough of something
· eat - to perform oral sex
· evah - every
· evahsince - a long time ago (from five minutes to five years ago)


F
· fa / fah / fuh - for
· fall away - lose weight rapidly
· fall out - stop being friends
· faddah - father
· faddah-head - (an insult)
· fah real - to agree with something said
· fah right now - The point is
· fart friten - Afraid of everything, easily scared
· fambli - a family
· face-basin - sink
· fack - fuck -vulgar
· farepika - a prostitute
· fete - a party
· fingasmit - a thief
· finny - handicapped; physically challenged
· firegalash - disorderly woman always ''cussing out ''
· fizzy - any kind of soda-tonic
· flam  - a girl that one flirts with; to flirt
· flim - film / a movie
· fling dah chune - play that song
· flipping - f*cking
· flounce-up - usually means to stamp one's foot in a display; showing a readiness to fight.
· follow-pattern / follow-fashion - a copycat
· foop - to engage in sexual intercourse [vulgar]
· foofooloo - one who is love sick
· fortyleg - centipede
· fowl-cock - a chicken
· fret - to bother
· frig-em-up - to mess up someone
· friggin - adverb (similar to f*cking) [Vulgar]
· from-starving, to lavin - a long time
· front-house - the living room.
· frowsy - to be smelly or musty
· fuh - "for" as in for life!
· fuh-lie?- "you are telling a lie
· fuh-true? - "for truth?"; for real; absolutely no exaggeration.
· funny-up - weird looking
· fuzz-out- to be exhausted from strenuous activity
· fussy - very particular


G
· gaa / gah - have to ... eg. "Leh we gah dey" (Let us go over there)
· gap - a street or road
· gate-door - the entrance to the house
· gettin-on - misbehaving, treat bad.
· gear - used to describe expensive name brand clothing
· georgy-bundle - a bundle made up of various oddments
· gohblainyuh - To curse someone (an exclamation)
· gift hamper - collection of goodies
· gipsy - overly inquisitive
· gimme - to give something
· gine - to be going / going to..
· gittima - an item given to someone
· go-across - go over by / go over to... (ex. "I gine go across by JBs)
· godhorse - a stick insect
· go-so / guh so - move that way...
· go-round - "move over".
· gorillafunt - big and ugly
· government juice - water
· goathead - an idiot
· golliwog:- an insulting term, given to a loud un mannerly person
· gone-cross - to become pregnant
· great-kind-kubba - a bigshot
· gree - to speak on friendly terms
· gree-back - to re-speak on friendly terms
· groun - a garden / a field ex: she in de groun
· gully-boar - one who has no class
· gussypa - a homosexual male
· gutaperk - a sling shot.


H
· hag - to bother
· hagga-maid - over worked in cleaning
· haffi - have to
· ham - a homosexual male
· hard-ears - you don't listen
· hard-head / hard'n - you don't learn anything
· hard mout cow - old (stupid) woman
· hard mout goat - old (stupid) man
· has-in - contains
· hay - here
· hell'em - to over work something
· highfalutant - person who thinks they are better than you
· hobby class - to be free of cost
· hold-down - stoop down low
· hold 'em joe - stay in control; wait a minute
· horn / horning - cheat on a lover
· horsestylish - arrogant, unmannerly behavior
· humbug - to bother or annoy
· humfree - to be free of cost
· hurting up my head - forced to think about something confusing far too much.


I
· in-true / in-troot - "in truth?" for real; no exaggeration
· in-a-short-short - just a moment, in a little while.
· in-two-twos - it happend really-- fast.
· irie - all right, everything is cool (from Jamaica)
· igrant - ignorant


J
· Jah - God
· jackspaniard - a wild bee
· jar - to stare at, notice, realise, vise (see 'vise') or to ponder while looking,
· Jauntin - to be going fast ; to be in a hurry
· jenkins - mental hospital
· jill - one pint of something
· jilt - to treat (esp. a woman) unfavorably
· jipsy - to be inquisitive
· jobby - faeces / to stool
· joe'heath mare - ran / running very fast
· johnny - an idiot
· Ju-C - ("Juicey") a soft-drink historically made in Barbados
· juck - to poke, stab or push
· jump-up - to dance (Usually stated "Take a Jump-up")
· just-now - a few moments ago


K
· katspraddle - to fall hard/make fall hard
· kafuffle - to confuse; commotion
· kawblema! - oh my goodness! / God blind me if it ent true
· keep quiet - be silent, stop moving around and sit still, or stop whatever you're doing because it's annoying.
· kernel - an enlarged gland in the groin [also waxing kernal]
· kimboes - hips
· koshflicket - damn!
· kunou-monou  - a so-called bewitching powder dropped into soups or stews.

L
· leff - leave / the direction known as left.
· landship - a friendly society who frequently holds parades, with its members dressed in naval uniform
· lemme - let me
· leff he - to leave someone alone / do not trouble him
· less-noise - be silent.
· let loan - to leave alone
· liard - a liar
· lick - hit
· lick-down / lick-dung - hit by a car...
· lick-mout - "Talk too much"
· lickrish - to be greedy for food
· lime / liming - to hang-out, chill, or relax somewhere with others.
· like peas-  lots of something / being together [like peas in a pod]
· lil bit - for a little while
· lillit tongue - the clitoris
· line - a clothes line
· lining cold - a cold caught by a mother just after child birth
· long-side - next to
· lose out - some scheme did not work out as planed
· load - denotes a great deal of something
· lookuh - look
· lower-down that - to turn down, usually the volume or the fire on the stove.


M
· mamaguy -  to fool someone
· merr / murr - mother
· yuh murr / yuh mahda- (An insult) like saying "your mother!" 
· mashup - to break, deconstruct or destroy.
· malicious - mischievous
· main guard - central police station
· make out - to fare (eg how do you make out in the test)
· marl hole - a quarry
· maulsprigging - a severe lashing
· mek sport- to joke/kid around / (you) mekin' sport
· melts - a delicacy, the roe or spawn of the male fish
· mawfrie - a person who has both female and male parts, a hermaphrodite
· mek - make
· mile tree - a casuarina tree
· mobba-ton - a really excessive amount
· mock stick - a figure of ridicule
· moses - a small row boat / dinghy
· muh - me
· malicious - to be inquisitive/nosy
· mofuhme - Need more for myself
· monkey -  a clay jug, used to keep water cool, before refrigerators
· moss - sea weed
· mout - mouth
· mugen - foolish person
· muster - to save (usually money)
· mussie/mussy - maybe, perhaps or probably

N
· nain - nothing
· Nelson Street - a popular place to pick-up prostitutes
· Nepsha and Kiah - Tom, Dick and Harry
· never-see, come-see - over-exaggeration
· new brand - never been used (eg This shirt new brand, boy!)
· nimbles - fowl lice
· nincanpoop - foolish person
· ning-ning - tired/sleepy eyes.
· nint - to anoint
· nosey - always want to know others business
· nucka - little penis
· nuff / nough - a lot of...
· nuk nuk/nu nu - the vagina
· nuse - to use
· nyam - to eat

 
O
· obeah - Witchcraft/Black Magic/sorcery of West African origin similar to 'voodoo'
· obzocky - to be weird looking or misshapen; unshapely woman
· offa - off of
· officious -  too rude
· odd cents - loose coins (money)
· oh lordie - my goodness, gracious me
· Ol' haag - an old woman.
· onliest -  the only one
· onneat - to be underneath
· onstan - to understand
· opiten - to open
· opnumin - to open
· opunit - to open
· own way - stubborn
· out-it-out - turn off the light.
· ovadayso / outdayso - over there


P

· pakalaka - female genitalia
· pailing - the zinc-metal galvanize used for walls of the yard, or roof of the house.
· palisade - an wooden fence in front of a house
· pan - steel pan
· pancart - wheelbarrow
· parro - a crack-head, someone so addicted to drugs
· pasture - any patch of grass bigger than 3sq.ft.
· pass-over - an apoplectic stroke
· pelttin-waist - to dance
· pelt -  throw
· peck - pick-axe
· peggers - baby teeth
· pickney - a child
· pick-pick - the penis
· picture - TV show / programme
· piece a' iron - rhythmic metal beating. (usually using the metal part of a car's break disc.)
· pipe - faucet
· piss - to urinate
· pivvy -  used to denote the tiniest degree of measurement
· plaster for every sore - excuse for every situation
· playing de' fool - acting annoying
· play-play -  make believe
· poe -  a chamber pot- also see topsy
· pokey - the vagina
· pocket-pistol -  (roast-corn [bajan]); roasted corn on the cob
· pompasetting - showing off new clothes
· pon - on top / place 'upon
· pon'-top-of - more, after the first set
· pooch / puche - the buttocks
· pop - any kind of soda tonic
· poppit - an idiot
· poor-great - To act as if you are rich and a snob when in fact you are poor snob
· pot-starver - a skinny dog (with ribs showing)
· propping-sorrow -  sitting, stirring into space, with chin cupped in hand
· press -  to iron clothes; usually a large shelved cupboard or wardrobe
· puhp - faeces / to stool
· pumps - sneakers
· pull-up! / pull-up-dat! - That song is nice! Play it from the beginning again.
· punarka - the vagina
· plug-it-out - to unplug from a socket
· poochlicka - someone who is yes person
· punch that one - play that song, or turn up that song more.
· pussy - an idiot [Vulgar] or referring to a female's vagina
· poop - to fart


R
· raise up - to increase the volume on the radio or TV
· race -  commonly used to mean chase
· ram / ramoff - to be full or crowded
· rangate- [Vulgar]   "raaaaan--gate") e.g. "Wa de Raaangate!"
· rasshole - (noun) idiot; (verb) to do foolishness. [Vulgar]  "raaaahhhs-sole!"
· rather - prefer - 'I rather dis one'
· reckon -  to count change (coin money)
· redman - a brown or light-skinned negro
· red-leg - a poor white (white person)
· red-skin ting - description or to get the attention of a good looking female.
· regulars -  small, harmless black ants
· reverend -   a pastor; a preacher
· reverse back - to drive backwards
· roach -  cockroach
· roundabout - a traffic rotary
· rock-stone -  a stone of any size
· rockinengine - steam roller
· rubbatail -  a homosexual male
· rucka-tuk - awful noise, sound, or commotion
· rumshop - a small shop where rum and some other alcoholic drinks are sold.
· rummie -  a rum drinker; drunkard
· rumfle-up / ramful-up  - to wrinkled ; to mess-up a hairdo (girls)
· run de route - let us go
· runt - a small pig


S
· safe - cool, ok, good
· sail - To throw at something/someone (ex. "I gon' let this sail right cross da' wicket.")
· samon tot retriever - dog with no breed / no pedigree
· schuupse / scrhuspe / stupse - to suck ones teeth in exclamation (also done by Nigerians)
· sawarrria - always having heated arguments with others
· scotch-it - wedge/place something in a tight area
· scotch-round - move, give me space
· sea-bath - swim in the sea
· sea cat - squid
· sea eggs - sea urchins
· shake-hand - to wave at someone
· she-she - a homosexual male / a transsexual
· shed-roof -
· shite - shit
· shrims - shrimp
· shunna' foot - Someone with bad ankles / flat feet.
· site-ok, to agree with something said
· size roun' - to go around
· skank - a low classed female
· sket / skettel - a very promiscuous female
· skinning your teeth - grinning, smiling or laughing.
· sky-larke - to play the fool
· shun - to avoid
· sieve / sive - a food strainer
· sliders - long underwear
· snot - mucous
· spend - to pass time; "how did you spend your day"
· spar -  friend or pal
· spry open - to force or pull open
· spraddle - sprawl; straddle
· soft - to be shy or afraid
· solid - term 'bar solid' - well stocked bar; strong drink will be served
· soldier crab - hermit crab
· soft stone - limestone blocks, quarried locally
· sno-cone - made of finely crushed ice, and flavoured with brightly coloured syrup
· staunched girl - a man's main girlfriend apart from the other women he may be involved with
· stan' pipe - a public water-faucet that used to be in every community of Barbados.
· stop - "stay" or "is located" (ex. "It's down by where da' house stop.")
· stop-cock - faucet
· stock -  live stock; any animal commonly found on a
· steupse/stupse - a sound made with the mouth expressing more than words. [sucking your teeth]
· stew-dumplings -  another word for conkies
· stick - at parties, you always refer to the cake getting stick! not cut.
· stick-licking -  the art of fencing with sticks
· suck-a-bubbi - noun - a cool-aid sold by a vendor [usually an old woman]
· sugar foot - when someone is driving too fast
· su-su - see meeting turn.
· swank -  a drink made of only sugar and water
· sweety - candy
· sweet-drinks - any kind of soda
· sweet-fuh-days - it is, or will be really, really good fun
· swipe - pilfer; steal


T
· tapered / tehpuhrd - a homosexual male
· take-in -  to have suddenly fallen ill
· tantalise -  very commonly used word, often in its correct meaning
· tea -  referred to any warm beverage
· thingumajig / thingummy-bob - gadget
· tip -  a small portion
· too-nuff - very much
· too sweet - real nice.
· tot -  very small drinking vessel made of tin
· topsy - a chamber pot
· to-besides - I agree and in addition to that...
· trouble - To interfere, bother, harass, pickup, take, disturb
· trunck - to perform anal sex on a female
· trust -  to give a person credit for goods supplied
· tacklings - your belongings
· toot-moon kyah - any, and everybody
· tukalacka - vagina
· turning bewitch - becoming crazy
· turning foolish - becoming forgetful
· turn-over - a sweet roll filled with coconut
· turrofare - a promiscuous female
· tings - things
· trildren - obscure word for children
· two by four - facetious term for a smallish house

U
· uh? - pardon?
· umpteenth - a whole lot
· unnit'do - to undo
· unfair - to treat unfairly
· upstairs-downstairs - a two story house
· upsided-down - this is preferred to upside-down


V
· veranda - a special porch for showing off.
· vex - angry
· vise - to understand


W
· walking-bout - running errands, going about ones' business.
· wall-house - a house predominantly made of cement
· way - where
· warri - a game brought from Africa in the days of slavery.
· wares - kitchen utensils, cutlery and crockery (kitchen ware)
· wee-wee - very small; tiny; to urinate
· watch it from dey - look-out; be careful
· whax-palax - a hard hit.
· whax-palax-bruggadown-brax - a hard hit and fall
· when you hear the shout - you've just got to hear what happens next.
· wha gine on -  what's going on with you; what's new!
· w'happening - what's happening!
· wick - to engage in sexual intercourse with a fellow female
· wicka - a lesbian
· wizzy-wizzy - whispering
· who-so, don't like-so - A hypocrite never likes when another person does the same thing
· wine - a dance done by gyrating one's waistline around
· woi! - (an exclamation) "WOW!" / "OH MY GOODNESS!"
· worm -  pimple (acne)
· wood-slave - white lizard. Also known as 'poison' lizard
· wood-ant - termite
· writing-hand - this inversion is preferred to hand-writing
· wuck / wok - work
· wulloss -  used to express disappointment
· wufless - worthless, terrible, no good
· wuh - what
· wuh-law / wuh-loss - (an exclamation)
· wuk-up - a dance done by gyrating one's waistline, with heavy emphasis on the forward and backward motions.
· wunna - you all


Y
· yuh - you
· ya - you
· yard-boy - a boy employed to do odd jobs around the house
· yam / yahm - to eat ravenously[from Twi Nnyam]
· yampi - the mucous in the corner of ones eye.
· yonder - over there
· you all-right, where you is - you have some false-sense of comfort, you think you don't have to worry about anything? Just wait...
· you wait! - listen, I'm going to deal with you harshly in a minute.
· Yuh-right! - "How observant!"
· Yuh-shooting - your high-water pants are too short.
· yute - a youth/ child/ offspring


Z
· ZR - "Zed-R" - a private-owned route taxi (So named because of the license plates beginning with "ZR")