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")