The island of Barbados is certainly a remarkable one. The culture, the people, the history, the climate and the way in which Bajans speak and express themselves are all unique aspects of Barbadian culture.
Local terms and phrases used in Barbados are as a result of a break down in the original English Language, somewhat of a short cut to say something without having to use too much effort. (rather lazy you may think) Those on the receiving end are more often than not in tune with this level of speech and can usually interpret what is said or rather, what should have been said.
We don't expect you to get this right so we have compiled a list for you to refer to should there be a need.
A
A pint pot can hold a gill, but a gill can't hold a pint pot
Not all situations are reversible
A eyeful en' a bellyful
Seeing is one thing, having it in your possession is another thing. This has sexual overtones
B
Bucket gine up and down in well evah day, de bottom boun' tuh drop out
Sustained pressure and exertion will eventually lead to a breakdown
Better fish in de sea dan wha' ketch
There is always someone that will make a better lover than the current one
C
Coward dog keep whole bone
Avoiding confrontation can keep you out of trouble
Crow does fly high, but when 'e come down, de ants does still eat out 'e eye
Some people may enjoy great prosperity and be excessively proud of it, but should bad luck surface, they may endure disgrace equal to or greater than the wealth they once possessed
Cut pumpkin can' keep
Used in a sexual context, this means that once virginity is lost it is impossible to abstain thereafter
Crave all, get none at all
A warning against covetousness
Cheap tings nuh good
Beware when things come too easy
Cat luck en' dog luck
What one person may get away with, may cause problems for another
Common dog does bark in church
Uncivilized individuals will conduct themselves in an uncouth manner irrespective of the situation
D
Dead man can't run from he coffin
It is impossible to run from your responsibilities
De tongue dat does buy yuh does sell yuh
The same person who talks nicely to you, will betray you later
De sea ain't got nuh back door
The sea is not that safe a place; take every precaution necessary
Don't tek a six for a nine
Do not misunderstand a person's real intentions
De berry don' drop too far from de tree
Children inherit traits and attitudes from their parents
De dog dat bring a bone will kaah one
The very person who gossips with you about other persons may also gossip with them about you too.
De higher de monkey climb, de more 'e show 'e tail
The more you show off, the more your faults are brought to the open
De las' calf kill de cow
Attempting to repeat the same action too often may result in disaster
Donkey got long ear, but 'e don' like to hear 'e own story
People do not like to hear or accept their own faults
Don' wait till de horse get out de stable to shut de door
Don't wait until the situation gets out of control then to take corrective action
De devil does find work fuh idle hands to do
People with nothing to do, get themselves into mischief
De more yuh peep, de less yuh see
Spying on others is a waste of time, as they will soon devise ways to out maneuver the spy
Dirty water does cool hot iron
Once aroused, almost any woman, whether good or bad, can quench a man's lust
Don't heng yuh hat wih yuh hand can' reach
Don't strive for positions that are beyond your reach
Don' rush de brush and trow 'way de paint
Don't let haste create problems for you
Don' ship all yuh sugar in one vessel
Do not risk all your resources in a single venture
Don' leh nuhbody rub shit in yuh mout and tell yuh it is pudding
Don't let anyone do or say anything harmful or insulting, under the guise that they are being nice
De same mout dat court yuh, don' marry yuh
He who encourages you to do certain things is, never around when you desperately need their help
De tongue dat buy yuh does sell yuh
The one who flatters you now, may deceive you later
Don' court Robin fuh 'e rags
Don't encourage a friendship only for what you can get out of it
De blacker de berry, de sweeter de juice
The darker the woman, the more sexually exciting she is
De closer de bone, de sweeter de meat
Thinner women make better lovers
E
Every fool got he sense
No matter how dull and ignorant, everybody is knowledgeable in one area or the other
Every man yuh see in a shirt and pants en neider man
Do not expect all men to act responsibly
Eat soldier food, tek soldier blows
If you share in the benefits you should be prepared to share in the problems
Egg ain't got no right ay rock-stone dance
You should avoid situations which can be harmful to you
Evah bush is a man
Be careful how you talk about people because you never know who might be eavesdropping
Ef yuh wuking wid paint you got tuh get daub (dirty)
If you are working in a particular situation, at some point you will become affected
Evah pig got a Saturday
Everyone will pay for his deeds at some point
Evah fool got 'e sense
Everybody is knowledgeable in one area or the other, no matter how dull and ignorant they may seem
Evah skin-teet en' a laugh
Not all outward signs of friendliness should be taken as genuine
F
Fire one (usually used at rum shops and casual social settings)
Have a drink
Fus trick en' nuh trick
Having fool somebody once does not mean you can fool that person again
Fisherman nevah say dat 'e fish stink
A person will never give a bad report about himself
Force ripe fruit don' got nuh taste
This is used metaphorically to show disapproval of clever behaviour in children
Force medicine good fuh mad horse
Nothing, even if it is helpful, should be forced upon anyone
G
God don't like ugly
Disapproval of injustice
Give jack he jacket
Give credit where credit is due
Good looks can' kaah tuh de shop
Having physical beauty in itself does not offer any practical benefits
Gold teet don' suit hog mout
Elegant accessories are inappropriate when used or worn by those who are not accustomed to such
H
Hard ears yuh won't hear, by and by you gine feel
If you do not take heed to good advice, you will feel the negative effect of it
Head en' brain
Not everybody is wise
High wind know where ole house live
Advantage is often taken of those who are weak
Hurry-hurry never done
Do not do things in a hurry, you may have to re-do it all
Home drum beat first
Before taking on someone else's problems, you should first look after your family interest
Hungry mek cat eat salt
Necessity often causes people to act contrary to their regular way of life
Halfway en' nuh warning
It's no use warning a person to be careful without telling him what it is he should be careful about
Hold de light fuh de devil tuh sih, and when yuh get a chance, blow it out in 'e face
When you know that somebody has bad intentions but is pretending they mean well, you should play along with them until the opportunity comes when you can foil their plans
Hurry-hurry nevah dun (done)
Anything done in a hurry is never done properly
I
If greedy wait, hot will cool
Your patience in a situation will be rewarded
If you didn't at de christening, yuh shouldn't be at the wedding
Do not get involved in something if you do not know how it started
If black bird fly wid pigeon he will get shoot
If you associate with the wrong people you will get the same treatment that they do
If rain water en' full yuh barrel, dew water can' full it
If you did not successfully convert the opportunities offered in your life, it is unlikely that when there are less or no opportunities available, that you will find success
It en' de gun dat does kill yuh, it is de shot
It is usually the small problems, not the big ones that cause the most difficulty
It don't tek a big axe tuh cut down a big tree
Size, or lack of it, does not limit capabilities
If greedy wait, hot wud (would) cool
Patience will be rewarded
If crab don' walk 'bout 'e won't get fat
You accomplish nothing by staying at home
It en' fuh lack o' tongue dat horse can' talk
You must learn to control what you say
It does tek one hand tuh feel a lice, but two tuh tek it out
Co-operation is essential if anything worthwhile is to be achieved
"If ah did know.." does come too late
It is better to think before taking unwise or rash action, which you will later regret
If yuh can' beat a man yuh got tuh 'gree wid 'e
If you can't beat them, join them
L
Leh we fire one
Let's have a drink
Lime juice can' spoil vinegar
An individual can't be corrupted by another who is less corrupt
Loose goat don't know wha' tie goat sih (see)
One has to be in someone else's shoes in order to understand what he is going through
M
Mek sure better than cock-sure
It is better to make absolutely sure that everything is all right rather than assume that all is well
Monkey sih, monkey do
A mild reprimand for imitating the behaviour of others
N
News don' lack a carrier
There is always someone ready to spread anything newsworthy, especially if it's gossip
Nuh name, nuh blame, nuh lock up
If no names are called, no one can be accused
Never eat and forget
Do not show ingratitude by forgetting the hand that feed you
Night talk and day talk should 'gree wid Christian
Christians or self-respecting persons should show consistent behaviour
Never wuk (work) ground fuh monkey run pon (on)
You should not exert great energy on a venture knowing that some unworthy person will benefit
O
One smart dead at two smart door
There's always someone ahead of you in the game
One hand can't clap
Team-spirit and co-operation is required
One-one blow does kill ole cow
What may seem like a trivial irritation may create a catastrophe if repeated often enough
Only a dog does return to he vomit
Once free of an offensive situation, you should avoid returning to it.
Ole coachman nevah forget de snap o' de whip
You rarely forget a skill which you have learnt and practised for a long time
Ole stick a fire don' tek long tuh ketch back up
Once two people have been lovers, it takes very little for them to become lovers again
P
Pretty things does fool little children
Only naive people are impressed by mere show
Play wid puppy an' 'e lick yuh mout
To be overly familiar with those of a lower status creates an atmosphere for them to treat you with scant respect
R
Rat mout does sell he head
Careless talk can be dangerous
Respect due to a dog
Respect others regardless of their race, gender, religion or status
Rat mout does sell 'e head
A loose tongue can be dangerous
S
Slam uh dom
Play dominoes
Small pitcher got wide ear hole
Be careful what is said in front of children who might understand far more than you think
T
Tekking time en' laziness
By taking your time, you can achieve a lot
Tongue and teet does got words
The most loving couples may quarrel on occasions, so don't be overly upset by a little spat
Two poor cow does mek good dung
A couple can overcome their poverty by pooling their resources together
Two smart rat can' live in de same hole
Two tricksters can't get along with each other
Talk does mek talk
When somebody tries to pick a quarrel, it is best to remain silent
W
Who de cap fit, leh he draw de string
The person who knows he is guilty about something will react accordingly
When a bird fly too fast he does fly pas he nest
It is never wise to be overly ambitious
Wuhever pun de ground is fuh de cat and de dog
Finders keepers
Whoever got clothes hang out does look for rain
When people get defensive, it usually means that they have something to hide
Water does run, but blood does clot
Relatives should take care of each other
When yuh en' got horse, ride cow
Utilize whatever resources you have available
When yuh keep company wid fowls and dey shit pon yuh table, it is hell to get out de stain
Associating with undesirable people can bring you trouble which could prove difficult to resolve
White mout fowl does eat and den wipe 'e mout in de grass
Some people don't show gratitude
Wait til yuh trough put an' bubble in it
This is a veritable insult meaning mind your own business
Wha' yuh do in de dark does come out in de light
It is impossible to hide all of your actions
Wha' yuh eye en' sih, yuh stomach will tek
What you don't know won't hurt you
When yuh pick corn pon more dan one row, yuh don' know wih yuh get yuh bag full up
If a woman has relations with several men, she will not be sure which one got her pregnant
Wha' hurt turkey don' hurt duck
What may pose a problem for one person may not have that effect on another
Wha' sweeten goat mout does bun 'e tail
A source of great pleasure may turn out to be a problem later on
When a dog does suck egg, 'e does get blame fuh evah ting
Once a person has committed an offensive act, they are automatically blamed when that offence has been committed again
Who help yuh buy a big guts mule don' help yuh feed it
The person who leads you into trouble is never around to help you get back out
Wha' mout she, han' can' do
It is not always easy to back up your boast with the appropriate action
When yuh see a man fishing in a dry pond, don't call he a fool
Do not scoff at someone's actions if you do not know what he is doing
Y
Yuh can' plant yam and reap eddoe
You are rewarded or punished for your actions
Yuh can' stop yuh ear from hearing but yuh can stop yuh mout from talking
A warning against repeating what one has heard
Yuh got more tricks dan a monkey
You are very clever
Yuh got plaster fuh evah sore
You have an answer for everything
Yuh don' buy cow when yuh can get free milk
Why bother to get married when you are already enjoying the privileges of married life
Yuh got tuh christen yuh own child before yuh can len' out de christening clothes
You must solve your own problems before trying to solve someone else's
Yuh can' be in de church an' de chapel too
You can't be in more than one place at the same time, so you can't know everything. It usually implies that you should mind your own business
Yuh can' want it in de glass and de bottle too
You can't have it both ways
Yuh can' put mangoose tuh watch chicken
Never trust people with things which will be a great temptation to them
Yuh head ain't mek fuh hat alone
You should always used your common sense
Yuh can't want it in de glass and in de bottle too
You just can't have it both ways
Yuh does rust out before yuh wuck out
Hard work can't kill you
Yuh could hide and buy ground but yuh can't hide and wuk it
It is impossible to hide your actions all the time