Goodman 1 Caribbean Words

Aloo (Guyn, Tbgo,Trin) n. A term used to describe a starchy plant tuber that has brown, yellow or red skin with a white or yellow flesh. It is a popular staple food and is cooked and eaten as a vegetable. Aloo is an allonym of the widely used term potato. It is also Hindi apport used by the Indian and other ethnic populations of territories such as Trinidad to name potato based dishes. Aloo pie is a dish made of spicy mashed potatoes, wrapped in dough and deep fried.

Boar-stag (Baha) n. A term used to denote either partner in a barren union. It literally means a castrated male pig. It is used as a term of ridicule when used to describe either partner in a childless union. Look de ole boar-stag Gertrude ova dey looking jealous jus cuz Nancy breed.

Breadfruit swapper (Bdos) n. A person of very low social status in Barbados. It is used as an insult to verbally attack or describe anyone with whom one has any kind of contention. Possibly derived from a person with little means who resorts to stealing breadfruits to sustain him/herself. Yuh old big head breadfruit swapper, I tell you doan lemme find you in my yard again!

Goodman 2 Bruggadown (CarA) n. An echoic exclamatory word which describes the noise produced in an accident or collision. It has many variations which are used with free variation throughout the Caribbean e.g. bragadang, boodoo, badaps, bodow brukadown bruggadown briggadum brugadum. Just so de vase hit de floor, bruggadown! And mash-up into pieces!

Caraho (Gren) n. An exclamation of anger. It is equivalent in meaning to the use of the swear words hell, damn, shoot, fuck, shit in an utterance. It is a loan word from the Spanish expletive term carajo which has similar derogatory meaning. Oh gosh, why you so interfering? Caraho!

Coolie (CarA) n. A person of East Indian ethnicity or descent. May be deemed as a derogatory, racial slur in some cases but in most cases it is viewed as a term of endearment or simply a term of identification. De coolie man coming, you got de money fuh he yet?

Goodman 3 Dougla ( Guyn, Tbgo, Trin) n. A person of mixed African and East Indian ancestry. Used more often to describe an individual who has one parent who is of African descent and the another parent of East Indian ethnicity. Dem douglas got some sweet hair.

Juck (CarA) v. To poke, prick or pierce. A West African apport of jukka meaning to poke. A nail juck me unda my foot this morning!

*Kiskadee (Gren, Guyn, Tbgo, Trin) n. A large, bright yellow-chested bird of 19 centimeters in length that is a species of the Tyrannidae family. The term is believed to come about through misplaced juncture of the French question Quest-ce quil dit meaning What is it saying . Quick! A kiskadee outside by de pond!

Nyam (CarA) v. To eat. A pure West African apport of nyam meaning eat. This word has undergone aphaeresis losing the word initial nasal sound /n/ to produce yam. Most speakers use yam however some older and rural speakers still say nyam. I gon nyam dis plate of food so.

*Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage was consulted.

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Panya-fall-down (Guyn) n. An emaciated, undernourished individual. This is used to describe a person who looks like an almost broken pannier. A pannier is a 18th Century item of female undergarments made of a frame which was used to extend the breadth of the skirt of a dress while leaving the front and the back of the skirt. A broken pannier would give a dress a disheveled appearance. Why you dont eat something? You wan tuh look like a panya-fall-down?

Pholourie (Guyn, Tbgo, Trin) n. A fritter made from seasoned split pea flour. This savoury deep-fried treat is traditionally served with a sweet chutney. Eh-eh, all the pholourie gone already?

Piece-a-idiot (Bdos) n. A person with a very short fuse and with violent tendencies. It can be used to refer to a stupid or foolish person as well. Its literal translation into English is a piece of an idiot. It is similar in meaning to another Barbadian term half-a-idiot. You gun go an curse de magistrate? You is a bare piece-a-idiot!

Slamming tar (Bdos) v phr. To walk. Possibly derived from the action of one walking on a paved asphalt road which is commonly known in Barbados as a tar road. Ron car brek down so he slamming tar til he get it fix.

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Surrasy (Jmca) n. A bothersome, bitter, old woman who meddles in other peoples business. This term is derived from the plant cerasee which is known to be a bitter herb which makes a bitter tea. Watch dat surrasy nah learn unna business.

*Tabanca (Gren, Tbgo, Trin) n. A feeling of loss, rejection and overall sorrowful feelings associated with unrequited love. It is used to describe the feeling one gets when separated from ones lover or separation from anything held in high importance. Trinis at Cavehill suffering serious tabanca for pholourie and doubles.

Tanta (Bdos) adj. A lot of or so much. A loan word possibly transferred from Spanish tanto meaning so much or a lot. It is also possibly derived from the word tantamount (which means equivalent to in effect or value) going under apocope (lost of one or more sounds at the end of a word) and semantic shift. He get tanta licks from he mudda last night.

Tout bagay (FrCa Dmca, St.Lu, Gren) n. A term meaning everything. It is a French Creole word and also an etymon of the French word tous which means everything. Mwe manje tout bagay! (FrCr) Ill eat everything!(Eng)

*Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage was consulted.

Goodman 6 Caribbean Proverbs

*Me lickle but me tallawa (Jam) prov. A saying meaning, Dont underestimate me, I may be small but Im dangerous. Tallawah means to be strong or tough. It also goes beyond physical strength to mean dangerous. It can also mean an immoral, unethical individual, especially a woman. This saying is used to exert ones confidence in oneself by expounding on characteristic strengths rather than physical attributes. She tink she fi get Robert cuz she big and got money, but she nah know me. Me lickle but me tallawa!

Mouth open, torie jump out (Antg) prov. A proverb which means Once you start saying a little, the entire secret will be revealed. It is usually used to describe a liar who accidentally confesses his/her falsehoods. This proverb has many variations which are used in Trinidad, St.Kitts &Nevis, Grenada and Suriname. So den talk bout bananas start up, and up comp Peter and jump in and start talking bout some red buffats that claim he buy from de market. But he ain know that I know he steal dem from my yard, mouth open, torie jump out!

*Jamaican Talk: 300 years of English Language in Jamaica was consulted.