QUASHIE: n. peasant, country bumpkin, coarse and stupid person; racial pejorative generic term for blacks; originally Twi name of a boy born on a Sunday QUIPS: 1. nouns (from squips) a tiny piece or amount, 2. verb, the Jamaican art of washing clothes making a “squips-squips” sound RAATID!: a common mild expletive of surprise or vexation, as in “to raatid!”. It is likely a polite permutation of “ras”, a la “gosh” or “heck” RAGGA: A style of reggae that uses digital rhythms exclusively. A term sometimes used interchangably with dancehall, since the latter music has become heavily digitized as well RAGGAMUFFIN: jamaican ghetto dweller RAM: full up RAM GOAT: someone who deals with nuff ladies RANKING: highly respected RAS or RASS: backside, rump; a common curse is to rass! or rass clot! a title used by Rastafarians meaning “lord” or “head” (TO) RAAS: “really?”, “damn!” RAST TAFARI: the pre-coronation name of Emperor Haile Selassie I RASTA, RASTAFARIAN: a follower of Marcus Garvey who worships the Almighty in the person of Haile Selassie RAT-BAT: bat, the night-flying rodent RATCHET: a switchblade knife popular in Jamaica RED: 1. very high on herb, 2. mulatto color RED EYE: to want another persons belonging, envious. “You too red eye”, meaning, you’re too envious REGGAE: Sometimes called “the King’s music” or “roots music” RAHTID: expression of surprise, or to be enraged. From biblical”wrothed” RENK: 1. foul-smelling, raw-smelling, 2. out of order, impudent, as in a rank-imposter. “Yu too renk!”, fiesty
RHAATID: a curse-exclamation, similar to “what the hell”, To rahtid —> Exclamination!!, i.e Wow! a milder form to Rass…excitement!! RHYGIN: adj. spirited, vigorous, lively, passionate with great vitality and force; also sexually provocative and aggressive. Probably a form of English raging RIZZLA: brand of rolling paper ROCKERS: reggae music reggae music as it is played today, the latest sound ROOTS: 1. derived from the experience of the common people, natural indigenous, 2. a greeting, 3. name for a fellow Rasta ROTI: flat Indian pan breads ROYAL, (RIAL): n. offspring of some other race and black, ass in “Chiney-Rial,” “coolie-rial”; humorous as in “monkey-rial” RUDE BOY: a criminal, a hard hearted person, a tough guy RUN-DUNG: food cooked in coconut juice, obtained after grating the dry coconut meat and squeezing it in water, thus extracting the coconut cream RUNNING BELLY: diarrhea RYAL: royal SAL’TING: 1. dishes cooked with saltfish or meat, 2. that part of the meal which is served with the “food” (starchy food, ground food), 3. by some strange extension, the female organ, often simply called “sal”. the food that goes with the rice, potatoes or starchy food; like calalloo, fish and sauce, sauces or gravy SALT: adjective, broke, empty-handed, low on funds or food, as in “tings salt” or “i’ salt” SAMBO: the colour between brown and black; someone who is a cross between a mullatto (brown) and a black SAMFAI MAN: trickster, conman SHAMPATA: n. sandal of wood or tire rubber. Span. zapato
SANFI: A manipulator – dishonest person. A person that will sweet talk you out of love and money. “Dam Sanfi Bitch” SANKEY: n. religious song of a paticularly lugubrious tone, sung in the long or common meter. From Ira David Sankey, evangelist and hymnalist SATA: to rejoice, to meditate, to give thanks and praise SATTA: sit, rest, meditate (1) relax (GO) SATTA: claim how spiritual you are SCIENCE: obeah, witchcraft SCIENTIST: occult practitioner SCOUT: denoting inferior status SCREECHIE: to sneak by SCREW: to scowl, to be angry SEEN: I understand, I agree SEEN?: Do you understand? SHAG: home-cured tobacco, straight from the field SHAKE OUT: leave without haste, casually SHEG (UP): verb, to bother, as in “all sheg up”, all hot and bothered, or or spoiled up (as of work) SHEG-UP: to be messed up, ruined SHEPHERD: n. leader of revivalist cult; also proprietor of balmyard, healer and prophet SHOOB: to shove SIDUNG: sit down SIGHT?: do you understand? SINKL-BIBLE: the aloevera plant SINSEMILLA, SENSIE: popular, potent, seedless, unpollinated female strain of marijuana SINTING: something SIPPLE: slippery; slimy SISTER, SISTREN: a woman, a friend, woman Rastafarians
SITTIN’: something SKANK: to dance to reggae music (1) to move with cunning, ulterior motives SKIL: kiln, as in “limeskil” SKIN: rolling paper SKIN YOUR TEETH: smile, plastic smile SLABBA-SLABBA: big and fat, slobby, droopy SLACKNESS: lewd, vulgar lyrics popular in DJ singing SLACKY TIDY: unkept or messy SMADI: somebody SO-SO: only, solely, unaccompanied, weak, pallid SOFT: not well done, amateurish; unable to cope. broke, no money SOUNDBWOY: usually a derogatory way to refer to the selecter or other personality in another sound system. This term is most often employed in clashes, on dub plates built for clashes, and so on. Sometimes it is not used in such a negative manner, but most of the time one refers to the someone in the crew as a soundman, not a boy SOUND SYSTEM: Huge mobile stereo setups manned by DJs, who became celebrities as they traveled Jamaica to host open-air dances SPLIFF: large, cone-shaped marijuana cigarette SPRING: to sprout, as of yams or cocos, making them inedible STAR: common term of affection, camaraderie STEP: to leave, to depart (1) briskly, quickly STOOSH/STOSHUS: upper class, high tone, “hitey-titey” STRING UP: a muscial rehearsal STRUCTURE: body, health SU-SU: gossip, the sound of wispering SUFFERER: a poor person stuggling to survive SUPM, SINTING: something
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