Trending Words on Jamaican Patwah

Okapi knife

A folding pocket knife with a wooden blade and a ratcheting mechanism for locking

Patois: Di police tek weh mi ratchet
English: The Police took away my pocket knife.

Yes / Yeah

Patois: Man1: “Yuh aright breddah?” Man2: “Yah man, mi irie”
English: Man1: “Are you ok brother?” Man2: “Yeah, I’m good”

Slang expression used to describe someone who acts unruly or rebellious

Patois: Eva since Mary meet the pickney dem a skool she bruk out
English: Ever since Mary met the kids at school she got rebellious

midday

the middle of the day; noon.

Patois: Him wake miggle day
English: He awoke at midday

Stay at home

Patois: Yuh need fi tan a yuh yaad
English: Yuh need to stay at home

Slum

Low class society.

Patois: ;Di ghetto gyal dem is from bak a waal
English: Those girls are from an underprivileged society

sure to

something that is sure to happen

Patois: Him did boun fi crash kaaz him eva deh drive faas
English: He was sure to crash because he’s is always driving fast

Unnaturally mature

Expression used to describe young girls, normally in their early or mid-teens; who dress, act or present themselves to look older than they actually are. They’re normally involved in adult activities such as sex, alcohol consumption, smoking and attending adult parties.

Patois: Dem likkle girl deh a just 14, dem force ripe
English: Those little girls there are just 14, they are unnaturally mature

A large tenement

Patois: Di wul a unuh cyaah stay yah, mi nah run nuh big yard
English: The all of you cannot stay here, I’m not running a tenement

Marijuana / Weed

Slang term for marijuana derived from the name given to a special type of marijuana known as “high grade”.

Patois: Mi feel stress, mi a light up di grades
English: I’m feeling stress, I am going to smoke some weed

take by storm

Slang expression for doing something fantastic or to suddenly be very successful in a particular place or with a particular group of people.

Patois: Di DJ shell dung di party
English: The DJ took the party by storm

to go without sleep usually because of excessive partying or any other fun activity

Patois: Mi nah cum a class todeh bekaaz mi did a bleach laas nite
English: I am not coming to class today because I stayed up all night