Trini slang - A basic guide before you visit

Whether you're visiting home after a while, or just need to know what the yout and dem saying here's a quick guide. Now I want to make it clear, Trini slang is different from other Caribbean regions' slang. A lot of tourists compare our dialect to Jamaican but don't say that to either country before you get a cut eye. However, since the country is a mix of all ethnicities, races and people there will be some cross twang but this post will feature general words utilised throughout the nation.

1. Lime / liming - Not only a fruit but this also means 'hanging out' or 'going out' usually with friends. A lime may or may not include alcohol. Sentences include: I feeling to lime. When last you lime with her? When we liming? I having a lime by me tonight.

2. Wine/wining - Similar to 'grinding' not necessarily sexual but definitely flirtatious. Lots of hip movement, common in every lime or fete. Sentences include: She could real wine. Watch how them wining.

3. Dawg/Hoss/Padna/Brejin -All friendly gestures for pal, buddy 'my dawg, horse, partner,brethren' truthfully I didn't understand how 'hoss' came to be but it is part of the norm now.

4. Wam/waiz the scene?/waiz the vibes? - 'what's happened?' Be careful with this one, it can be interpreted in two ways. One in a rough manner akin to 'what's your problem?' or contrastingly in a friendly manner of 'what's up.' Can be used before any of the words in #3.

5. Wey/Weys- Exclamation of shock or disbelief. Kind of like 'no way'. Can be for both good and bad news.

6. Bacchanal - mostly related to drama or gossip currently happening or when there is too many activities happening at once. Sentence include: You like bacchanal eh you only talking about people's business. 

7. Maco/macoing/maccocious - to eavesdrop on issues not pertaining to you. Can be a noun or verb. Sentences include: I was macoing Shenice phone call and she said she's staying home from work to go to the beach tomorrow. Don't talk too loudly, it have plenty maco in this place. She real maccocious.

8. Allyuh - all of you people. Sentences include: Alyuh ready to lime?

9. Cut eye - angry expression usually from one side of the eye. Sentences include: I can't lime tonight my wife giving me cut eye.

10. Buh wait nah/buh a a - but wait a minute/ hold on. Used in confusion.

11. Tabanca - emotional period after a breakup '

12. Steups - a sound made from sucking your teeth usually in express of disgust, anger or disappointment.



Do you use these in every day life? Do you think you will use these if you decide to take a trip to Trinidad? Let me know in the comments.

Here's a video on the pronunciation of some of these words

Comments

  1. Unknown21 June 2017 at 18:13

    Me likey..

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thomas24 July 2017 at 19:27

    Maco and Tabanca are the two strangest words to me. What a great list, I'd be mixing with the locals in no time

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown24 July 2017 at 19:30

      Haha of course! You'd be liming with some padnas in no time ;)

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Throwback: Trini Snacks

Image
Ting a ling a ling, school a bell ring! Popularized by dancehall artist Shabba Ranks in 1993 was a common song to hear during recess at primary school. (Mind you, if my mother only know I was listening to these kinds of songs when I was a a child, I woulda get a cut tail!) Most of these snacks still remain in tuck shops and school parlours and many have been discontinued and re-introduced throughout the years. Now we're not talking about local handmade snacks like Tamarind ball, Coconut fudge, Bene Ball (Tobago) and sugar cake, even though those were available in parlours as well. This post will focus on the sugary, chocolate covered, salted, preserves and ice cream that I remember saving my allowance to buy on a weekly basis. Let's start with my favourite:  Chocolate Digestive- a delicious wheatmeal biscuit covered in milk chocolate. If you all remember well the original packaging used to be white and brown before they switched to purple and only costed 50 cent...
Read more

Food Festivals - Hyatt Waterfront Restaurant - Mexican Night

Image
As soon as I got the WhatsApp notification from a friend that this was happening, I knew I had to be there. It ran for three days (May 24-27) presented by Hyatt in conjunction with United Airlines and Copa Airlines. Naturally, we ended up getting there on the last day in true Trini fashion. Now I'm no expert on Mexican food and culture (I putting my disclaimer up front, I shame but I still up in the people and dem event) but based on a quick Google search the menu looked tantalizing, incorporating various traditional and authentic dishes. According to a UNESCO article in 2010 , Mexico's food is a huge part of its culture. The staples include corn, tomatoes, avocados, beans, chilis, cocoa in addition to European influences; mainly with meats, herbs and spices and some fruit.  Needless to say, my appetite was piqued. As we got there, the ambience was warm and inviting with instrumental mariachi playing faintly on the speakers. The staff were putting the fini...
Read more