42 words and phrases · grouped by the lesson that teaches them
| Patois | Cassidy-JLU | English |
|---|---|---|
| fool-fool | fuul-fuul | silly, foolish |
| chati-chati | chati-chati | talks too much |
| licky-licky | liki-liki | greedy — grabby, always wanting more |
| picky-picky | piki-piki | choosy, finicky |
| fraidi-fraidi | friedi-friedi | timid |
| chaka-chaka | chaka-chaka | messy, disorderly |
| so-so | so-so | only, nothing but |
| one-one | wan-wan | one at a time |
| dege-dege | dege-dege | measly, tiny |
| boonoonoonous | buunuunuunos | wonderful, delightful |
| well | wel | very (well hungry = very hungry) |
| ...yu see! | ...yu si! | emphatic tag: so!, really! |
| ...gaan a bed | ...gaan a bed | to the utmost, superlatively |
| ...cyaan done | ...kyaahn don | endlessly, no end to it |
| self | self | even, at all (intensive) |
| Patois | Cassidy-JLU | English |
|---|---|---|
| braps! | braps! | suddenly; sound of an abrupt happening |
| buff! | bof! | thud of something heavy falling |
| wiish! | wiish! | whoosh of swift movement |
| blam! | blam! | slam, bang |
| chups | chops | the kiss-teeth sound written down |
| cho! | cho! | mild impatience or disgust (safe) |
| aiee! | aii! | ouch!; cry of pain or surprise |
| kiss mi neck! | kis mi nek! | exclamation of surprise (folksy, safe) |
| blouse an skirt! | blouz an skort! | exclamation of surprise (safe) |
| Lawd a mercy! | Laad a maasi! | goodness! |
| wat a crosses! | wat a kraasiz! | what a trial! |
| (to) raatid! | (tu) raatid! | wow!, mild expletive |
| backfoot! | bakfut! | mild expletive, steam-valve |
| tarra-warra | tara-wara | polite stand-in for omitted bad words |
| Patois | Cassidy-JLU | English |
|---|---|---|
| riddle mi dis, riddle mi dat | ridl mi dis, ridl mi dat | riddle me this, riddle me that (game opening) |
| an perhaps not! | an praps nat! | formula close: and perhaps you will not (guess it) |
| mi faada have... | mi faada av... | my father has... (classic riddle frame) |
| a wa dat? | a wa dat? | what is it? |
| fling one | fling wan | pose a riddle |
| mi gi up | mi gi op | I give up |
| cock | kak | rooster |
| crow | kruo | to crow (rooster's call) |
| pepper tree | pepa chrii | pepper plant |
| bunch a banana | bonch a banaana | bunch of bananas |
| cyaan come out | kyaahn kom out | cannot come out |
| sidung a evening time | sidong a iivnin taim | sit down in the evening |
| Anancy | Anansi | Anansi, the trickster spider of folk tales |