Tringbago Humour: The Alphabet

The complete Trinbago Alphabet

The Creole dialect spoken by Tobagonians is a wonderful cosmopolitan mixture of words and expressions from many parts of the world, resulting from Trinidad's rich ethnic mix.

A

Ah - Substitute for 'I'
Allyuh - All of you people. A group
Ax (pron.Ask) - To ask a question
Aye-yah-yie - An expression of anticipation or pain, etc.

B

Bacchanal - Scandal, heavy quarrelling, big party, confusion
Back chat - Insolent response, especially from a child to an adult
Bad eye (cut-eye) - A look of anger, especially when looking from the corner of the eye
Ba-John - A bully or a really tough customer
Bamsee - The rear end, what you sit on
Bam-se Lambe - Rather attractive bamsee
Bol'face - A pushy person, unreasonably demanding
Broughtupsy - Showing that a person was properly brought up, decorum
Buh wait nah - But wait a minute, now hold on/it

C

Callaloo - A thick soup made from dasheen leaves, ochroes, coconut milk, seasoned to taste, invariably includes crab
Calypso - A musical and lyrical comment on any subject, usually composed for, but not limited to, the Carnival season
Calypsonian - One who sings calypsos
Cheups (Steups) - A noise made by sucking your teeth
Chinkee - Very tiny portions of anything
Chupid - Stupid
Chupidee - A foolish person
Coki-eye - Cross-eyed
Commesse - Confusion associated with arguments, gossip and slander
Cuff - Hitting someone or something with a clenched fist
Cyah - Can't

D

Da is you? - Is that you?
Dan-dan - Any sharp looking outfit
Dat good for yuh - Serves you right
Dat - That
Doh - Don't
Dotish - Silly, stupid, foolish and dumb
Dougla - Mixture of East Indians and African parentage
Drevait (dree-vay) - Wayward person who likes to 'knock about'

E

Eh - What did you say?
Eh-eh - No, no way, oh no
Eh-heh - Oh really? I understand. Yes
En'less - Plenty, endless
Ent? - Is that not so? That's true, isn't it?

F

Fall out - To stop speaking with someone or to terminate a friendship
Faddah - Father
Fed up - The state of being bored
Fete - A party, loud music, lots to eat and drink, dancing to wee hours of the morning
Fig - Banana (ripe fig and green fig)
Flim - Film
Founkie (foong-key) - Foul-smelling, stink odour
Fuh true/troot? - Yes that is true. Is that really so?

G

Goin'orf - Someone who appears to be going out of their mind, acting strangely
Gun talk - Fighting words, to threaten verbally
Gyul - Girl

H

Harden -Disobedient
Hototo (hotoetoe) - A very large amount of anything

I

I eh payin' tax fuh mih mout' - I could say anything I want
In ting - To be involved in current activity
Is so? - Is that so?

J

Jeez-an-ages - Used for any reason where an outburst is appropriate
Jook - To stab at anything
Jumbie - Spirit, ghost
Jus' now - In a little while
Jus' so? - Just like that?
Jus' so - Out of the blue, totally unexpected

K

Ketch - Catch
Klim - Any brand of powdered milk

L

Lef dat - Leave that
Leh - Let, let's
Leh go - Let go
Leh we - Let us
Lick dong - To accidentally hit someone or something
Licks - A beating, physical punishment
Like t'ing - To be somewhat mischievous
Lil'bit - In small meaningless portions
Lime - When a small group of people engage in a sometimes pre-arranged activity
Long eye - A person who is envious of the possessions of others
Look nuh! - An expression of annoyance

M

Maco - A person who minds other people's business for the purpose of gossip.
Macocious - A person having the trait of a maco
Maga - Very thin, skinny
Mamaguy - To make fun of, to ridicule
Mama Yo! - Expression denoting shock and surprise
Matter Fix - Everything is well organized
Mih han' slip - An expression used when too much of an ingredient is used
Mooma - Mother
Mout'er - A boaster
Much up - To pamper, to butter up

N

Nah - No
Nastiness - An expression of disgust applied to a good-for-nothing person
Never see come see - Someone who has recently been exposed to something new and who overdoes it to ridiculous proportions
Ning ning - Tired eyes
Now fuh now - Instantly
Nowherian - A person who does not have any fixed place of abode

O

Obzokee - Awkward in appearance, anything bent or twisted out of shape
Oh geed! - An expression used when an offensive smell arises
OH gosh! - Expression denoting shock, surprise indignation and admiration
Oh gorm man! - as above
Oh shimps man! - as above
Ol' talk - Idle chatter, social chit-chat
One set ah - A lot of anything
Own-way - Stubborn person

P

Pallet - Frozen lolly
Papa yo! - Exclamation of surprise
Pesh - Money
Pissin' tail - A person of no class or importance
Planasse - To hit someone continuously with the flat part of a cutlass
Playin' social - Someone who pretends to be of a higher social strata than they are
Pong - Pound
Po-po - Very small child, baby
Prim-prim - Disgustingly proper and formal

Q

Quenk - An irritating person
Qualey - Withered, dried up

R

Raff - To grab suddenly
Ragadang - Broken down
Ram-cram - Packed to capacity
Rumfle - Ruffled or wrinkled

S

Saga boy/girl - Flashy dresser, dandy
Shades - Sunglasses
Shif' yuh carcass - Move over, get going
Shub - Shove, move or cast aside
Skinnin' yuh teet' - Grinning
Skin up yuh nose - To turn up one's nose at anything
Sometimeish - Moody
Strims - Shrimps
Sweetie - Any confectionary
Swell up yuh face - To look angry, to pout

T

Tabanca - The forlorn feeling one gets when a love affair is over
Tanty - Aunt
Tight - Intoxicated, drunk, stoned
T'ing - Thing
To besides - Besides which
Too-tool-bay - A confused state, in a daze, also head over heels in love
Tot tots - Female breasts

U

Umpteen - Plenty of anything

V

Vampin' - An offensive smell
Vaps - To suddenly behave excitedly or in a strange manner

W

Wajang - A rowdy, uncouth person
Warap - A very weak mixture
Well yes! - An expression of disbelief
Whappen? - What's the matter with you?
Wha-happenin' dey? - What's happening
Whey - Where
Whey yuh say? - What did you say?

Y

Yampee - Mucus, found in the corner of the eye
You an' all? - You too?
You so - People like you
Yuh faddah head - An expression of annoyance
Yuh faddah is a glassmaker? - You are blocking my view
Yuh look fuh dat - It's your own fault
Yuh makin' joke! - You can't be serious!

Z

Zug-up - A rough and uneven cutting of anything
If more than three of these words are not familiar to you
YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT A TRUE TOBAGONIAN!