St. Andrew

From Half Way Tree to the Blue Mountains

Welcome to St. Andrew, di parish weh wrap roun Kingston like a big bredda. I run from di busy street dem a Half Way Tree straight up inna di cool Blue Mountain dem, weh di world-famous coffee grow (home of Blue Mountain coffee). Uptown an downtown, university an maakit — everyting mix up ya so, an di language slide up an dung same way.

Lessons in this parish

5. A the equative + zero copula — Say what things ARE with equative a (X a Y) and describe them with no copula at all (Di mango sweet).
6. A the progressive + motion — Mark ongoing action with a + verb (Mi a go, im a come) and narrate live running commentary.
7. Uptown, downtown — the language slide — Recognize the Patois-to-English continuum and say the same sentence three ways for three audiences (light introduction).

Culture from St. Andrew

George William Gordon: Di Hero from di Hills — National heroes
UWI Mona an di Coffee weh Sweet di World — Work and economy
Half Way Tree an di Dancehall Era — Music

Every Patois word taught in St. Andrew →

Proverbs taught in St. Andrew

Jamaican proverbs travel; most of these are said all over the island. The parish is where the course teaches it, not a claim about where it started.

New broom sweep clean, but ole broom know every corna.New people and things impress, but experience knows the hidden spots.

Di higher monkey climb, di more im expose.The more you rise or show off, the more your flaws are on display.

Licky-licky fly follow coffin go a hole.Appetite followed too far takes you somewhere you never meant to go.

Start St. Andrew in the app →