A + verb (no gerund)

Jamaican dialect usage

Origin

Old English pronoun + verb.

Eg.

We a-walking to school. Reminiscent of Shakespeare's stylistic poetry.

(Extract from an Appalachian English song)

On the Seventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me. Seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying.

(Extract from a nursery rhyme ca. 1905)
I saw the ship a-sailing, a-sailing on the sea, and oh!It was all laden, with pretty things for thee!

Influenced modern day Patois slang.

This usage fell into disuse in modern English and is now regional or dialectal. A similarity in usage can be noted in the European Portuguese language structure.

A + verb (no gerund)

We a walk to school.

She a talk to all of them.

When you a leave let me know.

6👍 1👎

Hot patty/soup

Jamaican

Hot patty or hot soup

Usually shouted out so that people can make way for you to past through a congested space or crowd.

A very hot patty or a cup of soup will leave a terrible scorch if it is spilt on someone.

Hot patty/soup! Hot patty! Free up the walk way!

Hot soup! Hot soup! Coming through.

Mix up and blender

In the Jamaican dialect, mix up refers to a mélange or mixture of rumours that's usually defamatory or based on gossip. A blender is often used in the Caribbean to make blended drinks or home-made beverages by mixing stuff together. The expression alludes to rumours blending together in a mess as if a blender were at work.

Bare mix up and blender we talk 'bout over yah.

Skin out

Jamaican

Separating of a fleshy part of the body usually the legs, lips of the vagina etc when exertion of force is applied; opening up of something

Also skin - to smile, bearing your teeth

Skin out my pum pum.

Skin out your legs.

You skin your teeth too much for a young woman.

Spinners

Spinners are popular Jamaican flour dumplings consisting of a few basic ingredients ( flour, salt, and water) . The dumplings are traditionally prepared in a long cylindrical shape, resembling a cigarette and spin as they cook from the heat.

Darling, when you make me dinner, drop some spinners in the soup.

22👍 5👎

Patois

Jamaican Patois English-based Creole English or broken English used throughout different strata of the Caribbean islands ranging from Standard English to a non-standard version with different speech vocalization and no fixed orthography.

Origin From French patois 'rough speech'.

A regional dialect of a language (especially French); usually considered substandard.
Jamaican Patois, Trinidad Patois, Swiss Patois.

When me home with me friends dem me chat patois but when I am work or at school we talk the Queen's English.

4👍 3👎

Suck yah mother

Vulgar - very strong curse term in Caribbean cultures.

Go suck yah mother!

Ah fool you take badman for?