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As many of you know, I was born in Half Way Tree, St. Andrews Parish, Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies in the VERY late 60’s.  But I was raised here in the States since infancy (Chicago, Detroit, Miami, Los Angeles… and the beautiful Inland Empire).  Still, due to the influence of my parents, extended family, and passion for all things Reggae, you may catch me rattling off sayings and phrases from the old country.  Here now to bring you up to speed are some quick definitions of miscellaneous Jamaican ramblings:

“Mi come fi drink milk, nuh fi count cow”.
I came to drink milk, not to count cows.
Conduct business in a straightforward manner.  Get it done.  Don’t waste time when you have something to do.

“Iya deh monkey climb, more ‘im expose.”
The higher the monkey climbs the more he is exposed.
Use caution on the ladder of success as it exposes you.

“Nah cyaan test”.
You can’t test me.

“Gwan an lef me.” - “Lef mi Nuh?”
Go away and leave me alone.  Leave me alone.

“Is bare dog inna deh yard.”
There are only dogs in that yard.
There is nothing worth going there for.

“Cuyah!”
Look at that!

“A who dat?”  “A who seh dat?”
Who’s that?  “Who said that?”

“Yuh dun know.”
Now you know.

“Fling stone a duppy, duppy fling stone back.”
If you throw a stone at a ghost, it will throw it back.

“Yuh too facety”
You are too feisty.

“Galang bout yuh business.”
Go along about you business.

“Pickney” – “Pickney dem.”
Child - Children

“Gan a foreign.”
Gone abroad (from Jamaica).

“Every hoe dem stick a bush.”
To each his own (For every size garden hoe, there is a stick in the bush that same size) or there is someone out there for everyone.

“A peer rumors gwan.”
It’s pure (only) rumors that are going on.

“Did deh deh.” – “Me deh yeh.”
I was there. – I am here.

“Make haste.”
Hurry up.

“Why yu galang so?”
Why must you behave in such a manner?

“Carry go bring come.”
Gossip.

“What sweet nanny goat a run ‘im belly.”
What pleases the nanny goat will ruin his belly.
Things that taste good (or seem good) now may hurt you later.  The grass is always greener on the other side.

“Puppy-show”
Show offs showing off.

“Yu too red eye.”
You’re too envious.

“Sin?”
See it?  You see what I mean?  You know what I mean?  You understand?

“Chicken merry; hawk is near.”
When the chickens are merry, the hawks are near.
Every silver lining has its dark cloud.  Even in the happiest times one must still be watchful.

“Ahs dead an’ cow fat.”
Horse dead and cow fat.
Nonsense.  Irrelevant details.  Miscellaneous ramblings.

“Me trow me corne but me no call no fowl.
I threw the corn, but I called no fowl.
I never said what I was doing was for your benefit.  Don’t call yourself a chicken just because you eat my feed. You are who you show yourself to be, not who you might say you are.  Or making a provocative statement (throw corn) in an indirect manner, thus forestalling any accusations of personal insult.

“Sorry for maga dog, maga dog turn round bite you.”
Extend charity to the scruffy dog, and he’ll turn around and bite you.  Be wary of hasty do-gooding (the dog may bite the hand that feeds it).

“Cock mout’ kill cock.” - “If fish could keep him mout’ shut, him neva get caught.”
Making noise or boasting will get you in trouble.

“Every day di bucket go a well, one day di bucket bottom a go drop out.”
Every day the bucket goes to the well, one day the bottom of the bucket will drop out.
Social chaos.

“Wanti wanti cyann get it, getti getti no want it.”
The have-nots covet what the Haves take for granted.

“Time longer than rope.”
Have patience.

“Walk good.”
See you later!

Tags: Jamaica, jamaican phrases, patois

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008 at 12:18 pm and is filed under Armageddon, The Devil's Workshop. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.