BATTYBWOY: a homosexual person BEAST: a policeman BEENIE: little BEX: vex (verb), or vexed (adjective) BHUTTU (BUHTUH): an uncouth, out of fashion, uncultured person Use: Wey yu a go inna dem deh cloze? Yu fayva buttu BIG BOUT YAH: Large and in charge. Superlative indicating status (power, fame, money, talent, etc) within some social group BISCUIT: a particularly attractive woman BISSY: cola nut BOOPS/BOOPSIE: Boops is a man, often older, who supports a young woman; boopsie refers to a kept woman BLACK UP: To smoke weed. Like someone would ask “You Black up: today?” Meaning did you smoke today? BLACKHEART MAN: a rascal, a hooligan BLOUSE AND SKIRT: common exclamation of surprise BLY: chance, “must get a bly”, “must get a chance” BOASIE: adj. proud, conceited, ostentatious. Combination of English boastful and Yoruba bosi-proud and ostentatious BOASIN TONE: Swollen penis or testicles BOBO: fool BOBO DREAD: a rastafarian sect based on the teachings of Prince Emanuel Edwards distinguished by turbin-like headdresses, flowing white robes and communal living BODERATION: Boderation comes from the word bother and that’s basically what it means. If something is a boderation then it’s a bother BONG BELLY PICKNEY: a greedy child who ate too much BOONOONOONOUS: Meaning wonderful BOX: To smack or to hit in the face BRAA: from BREDDA; brother BRAATA: a little extra; like the 13th cookie in a baker’s dozen; or an extra helping of food. In musical shows it has come to be the encore BREDREN: one’s fellow male Rastas BRINDLE: to be angry BRINKS: title given to a man who is supplying a woman with money BUBU: fool BUCKY: home-made gun , slave BUCKY MASSA: master over the slaves BUD: bird BUFU-BUFU: fat, swollen, blubbery; too big; clumsy or lumbering BUGUYAGA: a sloppy, dirty person, like a bum or tramp BULL BUCKA: a bully BULLA: a comon sugar and flour cookie or small round cake, sold everywhere in Jamaica BUMBA CLOT, (TO GET) BUN: to have one’s spouse or girl/boy-friend cheat on oneself, to be cheated out of something BLOOD CLOT, RAS CLOT: curse words BUCK UP: meet BUMBO: bottom; backside. A common curse word, especially in combination with CLOT (cloth), a reference to the days before toilet paper BUN: burn BUNGO: n. racially pejorative. Crude, black, ignorant, boorish person. From Hausa bunga-bumpkin, nincompoop BUNKS: to knock or bump against, from “to bounce”, BUNKS MI RES, catch my rest, take a nap BWOY: Boy CATTY: when used as a person’s name, it usually ends up being Cathy mispronounced. it more generally means a girl or woman CEMETERY: a girl whose had many abortion CHARLENE: a girl who has ‘pretty car eyes’ meaning: she’ll go after a man who has a nice car eg. Benz
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Acknowledgement
Thanks to some of the sources of this glossary…Reggae International, Stephen Davis, Peter Simon, R&B, 1982 – KSBR 88.5 FM, Laguna Beach, CA. Handout. – posted on rec.music.reggae – Mike Pawka, Jammin Reggae Archives Cybrarian – Understanding Jamaican Patois, L. Emilie Adams, Kingston – Richard Dennison/Michio Ogata – Glossary from “The Harder They Come” (Bo Peterson) – Norman Redington – The Beat – Allen Kaatz – Jah Bill (William Just) – Arlene Laing – Jennifer G. Graham – Norma Brown/Zoe Una Vella Veda – Richard V. Helmbrecht – Norman Stolzoff – Christopher Edmonds – Lisa Watson – Dr. Carolyn Cooper – Ras Adam – Chip Platt – Michael Turner from an article in “The Beat” – Nicky “Dread” Taylor – Simrete McLean – The Unofficial Web Site on Jamaica – Paul Mowatt – Carlos Culture – Liner Notes – Blood & Fire release: Jah Stitch:”Original Ragga Muffin”, presumably Steve Barrow – Clinton Fearon -Original member of the Gladiators/ – Barbara Kennedy – Itations of Jamaica and i Rastafari – Phil “Bassy” Ajaj – Karlene Rogers – Dean Holland – Scottie Lake – Roger Steffen’s Supersite – Sara Gurgen – Kevin Robison – Christopher Durning – Ronald E. Lam – Trainer Adams – Editor of Dub Missive magazine. – Karlene Rogers – Howard Henry – Messian Dread – Roger Steffens – Bunny Wailer (related to Roger Steffens) – Jahworks.org – Jamaican Handbook of Proverbs – www.jamaicans.com-The Reggae Box – Hip-O Records
A Great big thanks to Mike Pawka http://niceup.com/patois.txt