Bajan Sayings

behind God's back - a distant rural place way-out in the countryside

Bim - a nickname for Barbados - short for Bimshire

broughtupsy - proper upbringing, manners or class

cheese-on-bread - an expression or exclamation similar to oh my gosh or oh jeeze

crappo  - crapaud, frog, toad

crappo smoke yuh pipe - you are out of luck

cud-dear - an exclamation of sympathy

dah-fuh-lick-yuh - a sarcastic expression used to tell someone you are unwilling to answer his or her nosy questions; keep wondering; also means serve you right

do-fuh-do - do unto others as you will have them do to you, also used to mean tit-for-tat or an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth

duncey - unintelligent

every sense  - ever since

fuh true? - Are you telling the truth?

gittima - an item given to someone or a hand-me-down

get in good - get home safely; travel safely

hard-ears - you don't listen

keep good/keep well - stay safe and healthy

licks - lashes

lick yuh mout – to talk a lot

lickrish - to be greedy for food

lime / liming - to hang-out, chill, or relax somewhere with others

new brand - brand new

nyam - to eat ravenously

obeah - witchcraft

ope-it-in - open it

orite - alright, okay

plug-it-out - unplug it

poohsharking - behaving foolish

poor-great - to act snooty-rich when you are poor

pot starver - a skinny dog with ribs showing

salmon-tot-retriever - a dog with no pedigree

schuupse / scrhuspe / stupse - to suck or kiss one's teeth often in annoyance

skin yuh teet / skin yuh mout  -  to laugh or smile with a wide-open mouth showing all of your teeth

sky-lark - to play the fool

standpipe - a public water faucet 

Standpipe High - where you said someone that didn’t go to secondary school or someone behaving unintelligent went

un-it-do - undo it

warri - a strategy game brought from Africa in the days of slavery

we is we - we are like family

wukup - a dance with roots in Africa done by gyrating one's waistline

wunna - you all, everyone

yampi - the mucous in the corner of  the eyes

yuh lie! - you are kidding!

yuh shooting - when your long pants are too short

Also see Bajan Proverbs