Patwa (Jamaican Patois) Play audio Translation Edit link
CARD
to fool someone
Cat
(n.) cigarette. Said to have derived from the black cat on the back of Craven 'A' packages.
Catty
(n.) female as described by a male to another male
Cawk
(adj.) "cork", very crowded.
CEASE & SEKKLE!
stop everything and relax!
CEPES (n.) - beard
CERACE
a ubiquitous vine used for boiling medicinal tea, and for bathing. It is proverbial for its bitterness.
CHA! or CHO!
a disdainful expletive pshaw! (2) very common, mild explanation expressing impatience, vexation or disappointment. (5)
(exclamation) Damn!, Shit! Oh well.
very common, mild explanation expressing impatience, vexation or disappointment.
CHAKA-CHAKA
messy, disorderly, untidy.
CHALICE, CHALEWA, CHILLUM
a pipe for smoking herb, usually made from coconut shell
CHAMPION
female of sexual prowess
CHANT
(v.) - to sing, especially cultural or spiritual songs
CHEAP
just as cheap, just as well.
Chi Chi
(n.) unsavoury
CHI CHI MAN
a gay man
CHIMMY
chamber pot.
CLAP
hit, break, stride
CLOT
1. cloth, an essential part of most Jamaican bad words, such as bumbo clot, rass clot, blood clot, etc. The essence of Jamaican cursing seems to be nastiness, rather than the blashemy or sexuality which is characteristic of the metropolitan countries.
COCO
a potato-like edible root, known elsewhere as the taro or the eddo. It was brought to Jamaica from the South Pacific. This is completely distinct from cocoa, usually called chocolate.
COIL
money
COLD I UP
humiliate or be-little
COLLIE
n. (urban slang) ganja
COME DUNG
come down, get ready (as to prepare to play a tune)
COME EEN LIKE
to seem as if; to resemble.
COME YAH (cumyu)
come here.
CONTROL
to be in charge of, responsible for, to own; to take
COO 'PON
v. (origin unclear) Look upon!
COO YAH v. (origin unclear) Look here! pay attention
COOL RUNNINGS
usually used at a time of departure on a long journey meaning have a safe trip
COOLIE
the traditional Jamaican epithet for East Indians. It is never used It is never used for Chinese Jamaicans. Usually in the form coolie-man or coolie-oman. It is not considered polite today anymore than the term nega, but it is still used widely in rural areas.
CORK UP
jammed, filled, crowded
CORN
1. marijuana 2. money 3. a bullet
COTCH
verb (cotch up), to support something else, as with a forked stick; to balance something or place it temporarily; to beg someone a cotch, can be a place on a crowded bus seat or bench; or it may mean to cotch a while, to stay somewhere temporarily.
COTTA
a roll of cloth or vegetation placed on top of the head to cushion the skull from the weight of a head load.
Country
1. rustic 2. unsophisticated or uncivilized person 3. Location(s) in Jamaica other than Kingston.
CRAB
aside from it's usual meaning, it is a verb meaning to scratch or claw.
CRAVEN
greedy
CRAVEN CHOKE PUPPY
someone who wants everything but when they get it , they can't manage it.
CREATION STEPPER
means you step it in and throughout Babylon without fear - cuttin' edge, livin' on the edge, fear no foe. Lookin justice in the eye and saying, What are you doin ?"!!
Creb
see butu
CRIS or criss
crisp; popularly used for anything brand-new, slick-looking.
(adj.) cool, great, fine; "Every'ting cris!"
CRISSARS
crisp, brand-new
CROCUS BAG
a very large sack made of coarse cloth, like burlap
CROMANTY
adj. from Corromantee, Blacks from the Gold Coast believed to be rebellious
CROSSES
problems, vexations, trials; bad luck, misfortunes.
CRUCIAL
serious, great, "hard,", "dread"
CU
(verb) look!
CU DEH! look there!
CU PAN look at.
CU YA! look here!
CU YU To say "Look at you." To the person you are refering to.
CUBBITCH
covetous.
CUDJO
n. name of famous Maroon warrior; mn born on Monday, from Fante, Twi kudwo
CULTURE
reflecting or pertaining to the roots values and traditions highly respected by the Rastas
CUSS-CUSS
a quarrel or fracas, with lots of cursing.
Cut
to leave, depart
CUT YAI
to cut your eye at somebody is a very common means of expressing scorn or contempt, for example; one catches the other person's eye, then deliberately turns one's own eyes as an insult.
CUTCHIE, KOUCHIE
pipe for communal smoking
bowl of a chalice or chillum pipe
CYA, CYAA
1. to care; "donkya", don't care, careless; "no kya" means no matter, as in "no kya weh im tun", no matter where he turns.
Cyaad, card
(n.) insulting remark or action. (v.) to insult; "that guy is so annoying, girls nuh stop cyaad him."
CYAAN
can't
CYAI to carry.
CYAN (v) can
cyar car