The following is a quick lesson in Crucian (pronounced Cru-shan). First, you should keep in mind that
Crucian is a dialect and cannot be written. The best I can do is write it phonetically. Because of this my
spelling of a word is as good as the next person. Second, forget all the grammatical rules of English.
Thank God for small favors!! Third, feel free to use double negatives in a sentence. Remember how many times you were corrected for using double negatives? An example would be, "I don't want any", which would become "I don't want none" instead of "I don't want any".

Most words that end in -er are pronounced as -ah, so "water" becomes "wa-tah". Words like "where" and "what" become "weh" and "wat". And don't sweat about pronouncing words that begin with "th". "The book" becomes "de book". "Over there" becomes "ovah deh". "Them" becomes "dem". And then some words actually become homonyms, like "ant" and "aunt" which are both pronounced as "ant". "Thought" and "taught" become "taht". From the context of the sentence, the listener(s) would know which one you mean. "I taht yo wah gon go" means, "I thought you were going", while "She taht me to read" means "She taught me how to read". And then there are a lot of words borrowed from various colonists. "Bateau", a French word that means boat, becomes "bahto". Puerto Ricans use "ñapa" to refer to something free, a sample. As kids, we asked for a "ñapa" from store owners or individuals who sold candies. I have seen the word written as neppe, nepe and/or nyapa. The Gullah (ties to West Africa) "Kumbaya" became "Coom ya" or "Com ya". In English we say, "I don't want any" but in Crucian its "Ah no wahn nun" or "No wahn nun".

I may add the "h" to some words to give emphasis to the "a". Crucian tends to put emphasis on the "a", sort of an accent. "Bahto" becomes "baato". And many words with "o" are pronounced as if an "a", so "pot" becomes "pat", "knot" becomes "nat", etc.

Many names also change. Peter becomes "Peetah", George becomes "Jahj", Charles becomes "Chahls", Herman becomes "Homan" and Wanda becomes "Wahndah", etc.

Now, the word "their" can be tricky. You would automatically things it's "dear" and that's close. "Their house caught on fire" would be "Day house ketch fire".

In the old days, "E" was used to refer to he/she/it/his/hers/him. The context of the statement would tell you who or what was being addressed. "Bill kom by fo e bike." ("Bill came by for his bike.") "De laydi down de street se e gon go away to NY." ("The lady down the street said she was going to NY.") In later years the "h" and "sh" were added to the "e". It continued to be pronounced as "e", though. "E look good on yo." ("It looks good on you.") Here you see "e" for he/she/it, etc.

Some of the words with "w" in English were pronounced as "v" due to the Danish influence. "Vit" was "with" and "ven" was "when". "Vord" meant "word". Over time the dialect began to use the "w" sound. I suppose the American influence changed the "v" sound to "w".

Most Puerto Ricans had the upper hand when it came to conversing. We could speak English, (which was taught in schools), Spanish (which we learned mostly at home) and Crucian (which most Puerto Ricans picked up talking with neighbors, on the street, etc.). We were able to switch back and forth from one to the next faster than you can blink. Sometimes a simple sentence was part Crucian, part Spanish and part English! We also spoke a dialect of Spanish, which visiting relatives from Puerto Rico could not understand. We "Crucianized" Spanish, a sort of SpanCrucian.

Keep in mind that each generation changes the dialect a little. Each generation makes the dialect seem more and more like English (American). Also, because of the influence of residents who migrated from other Caribbean Islands, new words have been added or pronunciation of words have changed. I suppose eventually the dialect will disappear. If the dialect is to disappear, it will be an unfortunate situation. The island will lose it's unique flavor. In trying to "conform" we will loose something special.

As a young boy, I once went into the Poor Yard (now Aldershville Multi-Purpose Center) on Strand Street and talked to a few of the residents. It was entertaining and educational. Some of the residents discussed the dialect and explained that many words currently being used were not the original words. Too bad I didn't take notes. So you can see, it appears the dialect has been evolving for a while.

It should be noted that the other English-speaking islands in the Caribbean have their own dialect. Even the folks on St. Thomas speak a little different than Crucians. They may use other words and their pronunciation may differ. For example, Crucians say "ya" or "here" for "here" but the Thomians say "heh". Jamaica's dialect can be very difficult to understand, if you are not from the island. Also, some islands speak a French Creole, which can be written. The ABC islands have their own language, Papiamento.

Some Crucians are said to be "yahkin" when they speak. And what is "yahkin"? Speaking like a states-sider or giving the words an American accent. People who have lived on the US continent are said to be "yankin" when they return to St. Croix, whether for a short visit or permanently.

Three examples of what is taking place:

Before: "Foreday ah gon go to de mahket." (Early in the morning, I will go to the market.)

"Now: "In de mahnin a gon go to de mahket." or "In de mahnin a going to de mahket."

Before: "Da mash an go is nice." ("The automatic car is nice.")

Now: "De car nice." "Yo wheels nice." ("The car is nice.")

Before: "Bring me de goose a gah a shut to press."

"Now: "Bring mi de iron a gah a shut to press." (Bring me the iron, I have a shirt to press.")

Finally, the word for the dialect was known as Cruzan but pronounced Cru-shan. (Keep in mind the island was once named Santa Cruz, thus Cruzan). Some place in the evolution of the dialect it became Crucian, still pronounced Cru-shan. A Crucian is also a native of the island. Cruzan refers to the delicious rum made on the island.

The following is a quick reference to words that I remember using as I grew up on St. Croix. The list is NOT all inclusive.

Did you know there is a fish called Crucian Carp? It has nothing to do with St. Croix, though. For more information, you can Google it.


A.

A/Ah - I. Only recently did Crucians start using I. A statement like "I am going to the store" would be said as "A going to da store" (Note: Below, I may interchange A/Ah and I from time to time.

Ahman - Almond

Ah We - Us.

Ah yo - You, plural. "Ah yo betah horyup." ("You better hurry.") Usually when one individual is referred to as "Ah yo" their response is "Ah yo is a house full." Meaning that it refers to more than one person being spoken to. Close to "Y'all" in English

Allawee - All of us.

Anti-mahn - Homosexual. Being an anti-man meant the person was against what men believed in, having sex with women. It does not mean being against men, since gay men like having sex with men. I hope my explanation makes sense.

B.

Babanco - Enlarged testicles. Also bamacoo.

Back-back - To go backwards, reverse. Also can be used to refer to a man who has sex with another man. "Ah tell he to back back the car." ("I told him to reverse the car.") "Yo see he? E like to back-back." ("You see him He likes to have sex with men.")

Bahn/Bawn - Born. "A bahn ya." ("I was born here.") Was used a lot to separate those born on St. Croix, or the US Virgin Islands, from those who came from other islands.

Bahna - Ass, buttocks. Also, bamsie or bumsie

Bahto - Boat, from the French "bateau".

Batam - Bottom/buttocks.

Bax - To box. To hit with a closed fist. Box (container).
Bayside - The beach, seaside.

Beal - Automobile (the pronunciation of the last part of the word , -bile, sounds like beal), car.

Belly hut - Stomach ache. "Ah gah a belly hut." ("I have a stomach ache.")

Ben - Bend, turn. "Ben on (pan) da nex cahnah." ("Turn on the next corner.")

Benye - Fried dough made from flour and banana.

Big foot - Someone with big foot/feet due possibly to disease like Elephantiasis.

Big seed - Enlarged testicle. Also, big tone.

Blak - To ignore, block.

Bowstick - Walking stick or cane.

Brok - Broken, semen. "Da lamp fall ahn brok." ("The lamp fell and broke.") "She geh he so hat he brok on iself.") ("She got him so aroused he ejaculated on himself.")

Bukra - White man.

Buck - To take a green fruit and set it aside to ripen. Fruit can be wrapped in towel(s) and kept in a closet or drawer, an oven, placed in a bag, etc. Different methods were used to ripen the fruit somewhat faster. Some people said the fruit was sweeter when "bucked". Also known as "buck ripe".

Bull bud - Weapon made from a specially prepared bull penis.

Bun - To become tired, exhausted. "Ah geh bun from walking to town." (I got tired walking to town.") Also, to get caught doing something wrong. "Ah geh bun by de woman as me check she out." ("I was caught by the woman staring at her.") If used with "tires", it means to make the tires screech and make skid marks.

Bus - To do something. Also bust or burst. "Bus a cuff" is to hit someone on the head (bust someone a blow on the head), "bus a lime" is to relax (chill in America), "bus off" is telling the person to leave quickly." Bus a piss" would be to urinate. "Bus yo ahs" would be to fall and hurt oneself. "E bus a lie" would translate to "He lied". "De chile bus de baloon" translates to "the child burst the balloon".

Bush - Area with overgrown grass or bush. "Yo see de rat in the bush?" ("Did you see the rat in the grass?)

C.

Caka eye - Crossed eye. I remember it being more like "cak eye". Also referred to as cast eye.

Cahk - To lift one's rear end as in "cahk back".

Cahk (from cork) up - Constipated. "De coco plum dem cahk me up." (The coco plums constipated me.")

Cahk (cock) - The game we played with seed from the locust fruit. Rooster.

Cahn meal pap - A sweet and tasty porridge-lie dish made from corn meal.

Calabash - Pumpkin. Can also refer to Gobi.

Canawar - A trap made to catch birds. The wood used was Tan Tan and the trap had a pyramid-like shape. Rice or some other item was placed in the trap to lure the birds in. Trap stood on a piece of stick that was cut in the middle where a string would be placed. The string was also attached to back corners of the trap. With the food in the back of the trap, the birds would walk in, hit the string, causing the stick to split in half and the trap would fall. There was enough room in the trap as not to hurt the bird. (What did we do with the birds? Also, did we change it from "carawan"?)

Cane piece - Sugarcane field.

Chahly/bud/wood/pilly/willy - Male sex organ. (Plus all the American terms.)

Chap/chop - Laceration, especially when produced by a rock, stone of any other hard object. To cut. "De man tro a rock, hit he an e head an e geh a chap." ("The man threw a rock, hit him on the head and he received a laceration.") "A chap down deh tree." ("I cut down the tree.")

Chat down - To enamor.

Cheese an bread - Give me a break. Used when one is frustrated and nothing seems to be going his/her way. Can be used before or after an expression. "Wah yo want fram me? Cheese an bread, leave me alone." ("What do you want from me? Just leave me alone.") Also used to denote surprise. "Cheese and bread dat is one long line." ("Wow, that is one long line.")

Chincheree or chinchery - Gray kingbird.

Chiren - Children.

Chook - To stick/prick or get stuck/pricked. "Ah gone chook you if yo badah me." ("I will stick you if you bother me.") "Ah chook me foot wih a nail." ("I stuck my foot with a nail.")

Choops - Crucians, and many people from other Caribbean islands, tend to suck their teeth when they are not happy with something or are in disagreement. They emphasize their irritation by sucking their teeth. In a conversation if the person(s) is/are not happy with something, they will suck their teeth. Let's say you are talking politics. The person does not like the politician in question. Before stating that he/she does not like the politician, he/she will "choops" then make a statement. "Wah yo tink about Barny?" "Choops. He no good ("What do you think about Barny?" Teeth will be sucked then, "He is no good.") "Yo well pretty." "Choops. Yo jokin wih me?" Laughter may follow. ("You are pretty." Sucking of teeth, then "Are you teasing me?")

Chupid/shupid - Stupid

Coal pat - A pot with a small opening in the bottom that was used to cook. Hot coals were placed in the opening (compartment) which would cook the ingredients in the pot that is placed on top.

Coco - A bump on the head due to some kind of traumatic incident. "A fall, geh hit an de head now a gah a coco." ("I fell, hit my head, now I have a bump.")

Coco beh - A tern mused to refer to people with leprosy. It is said they were isolated from the rest of the population, in the area that is today WAPA (electrical company, think Con Edison).

Coco plum - Icaco. Fruit we found mostly on the beach. Lots in Sandy Point. Recently planted at the airport. Outside of fruit is pinkish when ripe, inside is white. Can also be other color than pink. The nut is edible. The plant Chrysobalanus icaco.

Cocos bag - Burlap bag. I remember seeing the women take thin strips of left-over material and weaving them between the knit of the burlap to make rugs. They were very colorful.

Comb - Unable to score in a game, adventure or in sex. "He geh comb in de basketball game." ("He did not score in the basketball game.") "We went picking mango boh geh comb." ("We went to pick mangoes but found none.") "E sweet tahk she but e geh comb and went home alone." ("He sweet talked her but did not score and thus went home alone.")

Congo - Eel

Coocoo/Kookoo/Cucu - Feces

Coont - Couldn't.

Coop - To watch closely, to observe closely, spy on. At one time referred to the game of hide and seek.

Cow itch - A vine that grows wild that has stinging hairs on the pods. If the hairs get on your skin, you will itch till you wash them off.

Crapo - Bull frog, from the French "crapaud".

Cribishi - Fresh water shrimps. These could be found in streams created after heavy rains.

Crompo - Afraid of water, afraid of getting wet (rain), reluctant to bathe. There was even a Calypso about "Crompo Boy"!!

Crucian - Native of St. Croix. The dialect of St. Croix. Pronounced Cru- shan. If I am not mistaken atone time it was Cruzan, still pronounced Cru-shan. I suppose to distinguish the dialect and the rum made on the island, the dialect became Crucian and the liquor stayed as Cruzan.

Cual/Qual - To quarrel, argue.

Cum - Come. "Cum ya." ("Come here.")

Cumpado/Cumado - Godfather, godmother. From Spanish Compadre/Comadre. (Puerto Ricans may say "Comai or Compai". Used by a child's godparents to the parents.

Cuno Muno/Mono - A fool, an indiot, someone stupid. "E alwes acting like a cuno mono." ("He always acting like a fool.")

Current - Electricity. Can also use "power". "Current gahn. We gah no power." ("There is no electricity.")

Cush - Money. "Yo ha ene cush an yo?" ("Do you have any money with you?")

D.

Dag dedo - Your dog is dead, literal translation. Bad news. When something happens, this phrase is used. Examples: "Ah went drivin an de car stap. E dag dedo." ("I went for a drive and the car stopped. The car is no good.") "De keetch de thief now e d in jail. E dag dedo." ("The thief was caught and now he's in jail. His thieving days are over.")

Dare/Dear - Expensive. "Y deh food so dare in dis store?" ("Why is the food so expensive in this store?")

Day - Their. "Day house an fire." ("Their house is on fire.")

De - The, there. "De buay sick." ("The boy is sick.")

Dress to kill - Dressed elegantly, fashionable, dressed to the 9's. Also see "Sharp".

Dundersla/Dundosla - A round sweet candy with peanuts. Kind of a peanut brittle. Miss Delita made the best ones.

E.

E - He, it, she his, hers, him. "E gawn to ton." ("He went to town.") "Dis e bike." ("This is his bike.") "E belang to she." ("It belongs to her.")

F.

Fahward - Forward. Beyond rude. Disrespectful. Can also be used as "Fresh and Fahward" to emphasize
how rude the person is. Also see Fresh.

Fayvah - Favor. To look like someone or something plus the English definition. "E fayvah e fahdah. "("He looks like his father.") "Dat mahn fayvah a rabbit." ("That man looks like a rabbit.")

Feg - A segment, a slice. Someone seeing another eating a tangerine would say, "Please gimme a feg no?"("Please give me a segment [or piece].")

Fig - Banana. Also used to refer to the fig fruit.

Fillipine - Finding a "fillipine" was a thrill. The word was used mainly to refer to genips that had two (twin) seeds in the same pod. The "fillipine" genip would be bigger than the others in the bunch.
Fish trap - A trap used to catch fish, etc. The traps when I was growing up on the island were made of wire (chicken coop wire, I think it was called) over sticks. Was it tan-tan sticks, or something else, that were used? It was easy for fish to get in but very had to get out!!

Flap - Flop. "De pahtee was a flap!" ("The party was a flop!")

Flim - Film

Flit - Spray to kill insects. In the early days it was a pump rather than a spray. The "flit" truck drove around the area releasing a whitish cloud in the air to kill mosquitoes. Would you believe we ran behind the truck as it sprayed? (West Nile disease from mosquitoes brought a similar spraying to NYC. People are told to close windows, turn off air conditioners and stay indoors during the spraying.)

Florry/flurry - One of the stages in the growth of a tamarind, just before it matures and ripens.

Fo Troo - Right, true. To add emphasis to it, some people roll their eyes.

Foreday - Early morning, dawn, sunrise.

Foop - To have sex.

Frahg - Frog.

Frak/Frok - A dress. Frock.

Frayco - Snow cone.

Fresh - Rude. See Fahward.

Frig - Bother, mess with. "If he frig wih me, a gohn nock he don." ("If he messes with me, I will hit him.") "Leave de guy alone, doan frig with e." ("Leave the guy alone, don't bother him.")

Full - A fruit that can be picked but not quite ripe.

Full-up - Pregnant.

Fungi/Foongee - Boiled cornmeal, usually rolled into a ball and served with kallaloo. Also served with stewed or boiled fish.

G.

Gah/Gaw - To have. "I gah a bike if yo want it." ("I have a bike if you want it.") "A gah belly hut." ("I have a stomachache.")

Gahlin - Egret but also used to refer to a very skinny person.

Gahlavanting - Out and about with no real agenda in mind. Roaming the streets.

Gahn Bush - To leave, to disappear. "Mi book gahn bush." ("My book has disappeared.")

Gahrot/Garrot - On St. Croix it was originally meant to refer to Antiguans but later it was used to refer to immigrants from other Caribbean islands. It was a derogatory term and to me very insulting. The other term used was "Alian" (Alien). I hated the terms. Because I befriended many, I was called "gahrot lover". It did not bother me.

Geh - To get. "A gon geh money tomora." ("I am gettitng money tomorrow."

Gobi - Calabash, gourd. Many Gobi trees could be found in the area we called Pan Bush, where the Legislature is now located, Lagoon Street.

Gongolo - A millipede, regardless of type. We had red ones, striped, black, etc.

Goose - Iron, goose, and the original seaplane. The iron was made from cast iron and had a hole (in the front) to supply coals with oxygen thus keep them from extinguishing too quickly. The shape of the iron looked like a bird. The seaplane looked like a big white bird, thus goose.

Guahn/Gwan - Go, could be a contraction from go on. "Gwan bout yo bisnes." ("Go about your business.") "Go, leave me alone" becomes "Guahn, leh me alone".

Gundy/Gondy - Claw, cheliped (crusher claw). Found on Maine lobster, hermit crab, land/sea crabs, etc. Claw used to pick up food, crush food, etc.

H.

Hat pepah - A sassy female, hot pepper.

Hag - Pig.
Hag Plum - A yellow (when ripe) plum found throughout St. Croix. Tree is Spondias mombin. (Do the still exist? There were a few trees in what we called James's pasture, not far from St. Pat's.)

Highti mighti - High and mighty. Some who thinks (s)he is better than others. Snobbish.
Hole ahn - Hold on.

Holeh, Jahj - Holeh is Crucian pronunciation for Jorge, while Jahj is that for George.

Huff - To embarrass someone by responding rudely or cynically. "Ah aks she how old she be and she huff me."("I asked her how old she is, and she embarrassed me.")

Hut - Hurt.

Hux - To break a coconut apart by using one's hands. The coconut would be hit a few times on a hard surface and then the fibers would be pulled apart until one got to the nut.

I.

Inkberry Tree - Crucian Christmas tree. (Do they still exist?)

J.

Jackspana - Wasp.

Jam pak - Crowded, packed

Jaw Bone - A candy, jaw.

Jeez an bred - Jeez, Damn, darn, you have to be kidding, etc. Can be used as an exclamation, to express disgust or disbelief, etc. John says, "A tek yo las soda." Tony replies, "Jeez and bred, you coont leave mehaf a de battle?" (John, "I took your last soda." And Tony said, "Damn, couldn't you leave me half of the bottle?") Jim said, "A buy one ticket fo de show tonight." John says, "Jeez an bred, yo coont leh me know so a cop go wih yo?" (Jim said, "I bought a ticket for tonight's show." John said, "Jeez, couldn't you let me know so I could go with you?")

Joog - Poke, prod, prick. "Ah wah using a needle an geh joog." ("I was using a needle and got pricked.") "If you don leave me alone a gon jook yo." ("If you don't lave me alone, I will poke you.")"We gah a go, joog e so we can wake up!" ("We have to leave, poke him so he can wake up!")

Jumbie/jumbee - Spirit, ghost, zombie. (However, Moko Jumbie, the performers on stilts we see in parades, and other festivities, are said to have acted as the spiritual seers and protectors of African Villages. It was believed that the height of a Moko Jumbie allowed him to see evil before it arrived and thus warn others.)

Jumbee (jumbie) umbrella - Wild mushrooms.

K.

Kallaloo - A specialty on St. Croix. A "soup" made from greens (originally Papalulu, now Spinach) with pork, fish, conch, and land crab. Served with fungi (fungee). When a situation has become very confusing and complex, it would be referred to as a Kallaloo. ("After the mother died, the family affair was nothing but a Kallaloo.") Seen it spelled kalalloo and Callaloo.

Katipol - A sling shot made from a Y shaped piece of branch from the cedar tree plus rubber from an inner tube (to give the sling shot elasticity) and a piece of leather or inner tube to hold the rock or other projectile. The pieces of rubber usually placed into a slot in each side of the leather/inner tube and then the ends of the rubber were tied together with string to the Y shaped wood. The center piece was also tied with string.

Kenep - Genip, ginep, guinip. Melicoccus bijugatus is a fruit-bearing tree in the soapberry family. For a photo of this fruit, click here.

Killy Killy - An American Kestrel falcon. Also called Sparrow Hawk. Fallco sparverius.

L.

Lala - Talking nonsense.

Lasinja - A local candy. If I remember correctly, it was made from sugar, with mint then twisted and was about 6 inches long. Again, the best was from Ms. Delita.

Latta - A skin ailment that causes blotches on face, neck or body.

Len - To lend. "Len e de bal fo de day." ("Lend him the ball for the day.")

Lickrish - Greedy (also see Raybin).

Licks - To beat, spank. "De chile do somting bad an geh licks." ("The child did something wrong and got a beating.") "De man dem geh licks in deh basketball game." ("The men got beaten in the basketball game.")

Lil Bit - Small amount. At times you may hear it as "lin bit". "Yo wan food? Ye boh gimme a lil bit." ("Do you want food? Yes, but give me a small amount.")

M.

Mahga - Extremely skinny/thin to the point of being sick.

Mahmah/Mama - A Hispanic female. See "Papah/Papa" for more information.

Mampi - Sandfly.

Mangy - Mange. Used mostly to refer to dogs that are infested/infected.

Manteka - Prostitute, loos woman. Individuals who like sex, whether for money or not. A gay man can also be a "manteka" since he's having sex with men. Could have come from "man taker" and sounds like the Spanish "manteca" (lard).

Masah/Massa - The boss, master, the white man. Also used by children when saying goodbye. One child would hit the other and say, "Masah" then run. The child that avoided being touched became the "master", I suppose.

Mash - To step on plus all the other definitions. "E mash me toe." (He stepped on my toe.") "Mash de gas mahn, we need to go fastah." ("Step on the gas (accelerator) man, we need to go faster.")

Mash and go - An automatic car. You turn on the car, step ("mash") on the gas and it goes.
Mash up - Ruin, wreck. "She geh in a accident and mash up she car." ("She got in an accident and wrecked her car.")

Maubi/Mauby/Mahbi - A drink made from a bark. It is made with sugar and the bark and/or fruite of certain species in the Columbrina genus including Columbina elliptica (also called behuco indio) and Columbina arborescens, a small tree native to the northern Caribbean and south Florida. Recipes usually include other spices as well. It's a taste one must acquire.

Mek - Make

Membah - Member, remember. "Yo membah we do dat yestadeh?" ("Do you remember we did that yesterday?") "E is a membah a de legislaycha." ("He is a member of the legislature.")

Mehson - My son but can be used when talking to a man, woman, and/or child. It is used to make a point, like using "boy" or "man". "Mehson e rain hard las night." ("Boy did it rain hard last night.") "Mehson de mehleh geh e in hat watah." ("Man the melee got her in trouble.")

Mehleh - Gossip, melee.

Moko - A fool, an idiot. ("Moco" in Spanish means mucus, buggers, snot.)

Mout run watah - The thought of a particular item, like sour tamarind, is said to cause the mouth to "run water" (salivate). But can also refer to something tasty, too. "Wahchin dem taman mek me mouth run watah." ("Looking at those tamarinds are making me salivate.")

N.

Nebah - Never.

Nen/Nennie - Godmother.

Nice Nasty - Finicky, picky, fussy. If such a person is in a place not well kept, (s)he may not enter or eat in the location. S(he) would be said to be "nice nasty".

No ras - To give emphasis, very. "E can lie no ras." ("He surely can lie." or "He lies a lot.") "E ugly no ras." ("He's very ugly.") "E cheep no ras." ("He's very cheap.")

Nosah - No sir, no.

Nosey - Inquisitive beyond the norm.

Nox/nocks - Sex act or penalty after game of marbles. "Ah wanna nox yo." ("I would like to have sex with you.") After a game of marbles, the loser(s) had to play his/her fist on the ground and the winner would hit his/her knuckles a predetermined number of times with a marble.

Nyapa - To taste, to sample. Also "napa". Could have come from the Spanish word "ñapa". (Also see "Yam" below.)

O.

Obiah/Obeah - Witchcraft

Oh me gawd/Oh gawd - Oh my God! Used in a sentence to give emphasis to what is being said. Can also be used to question what is being said. "Oh me gawd. Yo do dat foh tru?" ("Oh my God, you really do that?")

P.

Pahpah/Papa - A Hispanic male. "Pahpah dem" refers to a group of Hispanics. "Papa" is dad/father in Spanish. Was used as a term of endearment but over the years it became derogatory.

Pam Pam - To spank. "Yo gon geh pam pam fo breakin de vase." ("You are going to be spanked for breaking the vase.")

Pan/Pon - On. Pond. Also cooking utensil and steel drum. "Weh pa yo de? I de pan de roof." ("Where are you? I am on the roof.") "St. Patrick's school de by Pan Bush." ("St. Patrick's school is by Pond (Pan) Bush.") When it rained heavily to the north of St. Pat's got flooded as the water headed for the sea. The area became a "pond". Thus the name.

Papalulu or Papalolo (Corchoros siliquosos ?) - The leaves of this plant were used to make Kallaloo, Due to over development on St. Croix, the plant is hard to find, and may even be close to extinction if not already extinct. Today, Spinach is used instead. A few years ago, I found a plant on King Street.
Papi show - A performance on the verge of ridiculousness, making a fool of oneself.

Para-ass - A fool. "Yo a perfec para-ass." ("You are a fool.")

Payasin - I suppose this is from the Spanish "payaso", clown, and means kidding around, acting the fool, etc.

Pear - Avocado but also refers to the fruit.

Peetah - Peter

Pepe/Peps - Godfather.

Pinchy Nanny - Dragonfly. Also "Antinanny".

Plat - Braid

Poj - Purge, quarantine. Many animals that roamed freely and were known to eat anything and everything in sight (land crabs, ducks, chickens, etc.), were kept in pens for a week or two before being slaughtered. They were fed natural foods so their system would get rid of all the junk eaten to that point. It was a way to clean the animal's system before it was eaten.

Press - To iron. "A gah a shut to press." ("I have a shirt that needs ironing.")

Pum-pum/pokey/connie/tun-tun - Female sex organ. (Plus all the American terms.)

Q.

Quaht/cuaht - A 25 cents piece, quarter.

R.

Ras - Ass also used to refer to someone foolish/stupid. "Yo ras hole o wah?" ("Are you stupid or what?" or "Are you an asshole or what?")

Raven - (pronounced more lik Raybin) - Greedy (also see Lickrish).

Renk - Bad smell. "Dis food smell renk." ("The food smells bad.")

Robahs - Sneakers. Soles of sneakers made from rubber, thus the name. Also used to refer to condoms.

S.

Scrawny - Thin, bony person.

Scunt - Cunt

Sea Egg - Sea urchin.

Shanty - A bus stop, where one waits for taxi, a broken down home or building.

Shap - Store, to shop

Shahp - Sharp. Dressed elegantly. Also see Dress to Kill).

Shek-shek/Mother-in-law's tongue/woman's tongue - The tibet tree, Albizia lebbec. When the wind moves the dry pods, the seeds begin to rattle. May also be called shak-shak.

Shut/shirt - Child born to a man who is not husband husband will be made to believe child is his.

Sin-sin - The Yellow Breast or Banaquit. [The sparrow that has a greenish cold with black head (the Grassquit) is also known as Sinbird.]

Skylahkin - Playin around, kidding around.

Snat - Nasal secretions, snot.

States/States sider/Continental - The 48 States, someone from the 48 States, someone from the continental US.

Stay de - Skepticism, action needed, don't be foolish. When there is doubt in what is being said when one should do more. Jane said, "Me teeth hut." Juliana responded, "Yo stay de, if it wa mi, a would go geh mi teeth check." (Literal translation: Jane, "My teeth hurt." Juliana replied, "You can continue to feel teh pain. If I were you, I'd go get my teeth examined.") Juan said, "A don't no wah to do bout dese WAPA bills." (WAPA is the company on St. Croix that supplies electricity to the residents.) James said, "Yo stay de, if me was yo a would go talk to sombady in WAPA." (Literal translation: Juan, "I don't know what I am going to do about these WAPA bills." James responded, "You can worry about the bills but if I were you, I would go talk with someone at WAPA.")

Stingah nettle - Stinging nettle.

Swatsy - Flabby but in a seductive way, mostly used to describe women.

T.

Tail part - Rear end, behind (reference to the coccyx).

Tahman/Tambran - Tamarind.

Tek - Take in all forms (past, present and future). "Ah tek e book." ("I took his book.") "Ah gon tek a ride to de country." ("I will ake a ride to the countryside.") "Yo wan tek one?" ("Would you like to take one?") Strangely enough, it can also mean "to have". "She likes to tek man." ("She likes having sex with men.") In this sentence the literal translation would be "She likes taking men."

Tie Tong - Tied Tongue. Unpleasant taste in mouth. Could be from bitter/sour fruit like green tamarind. The sour/bitter taste "ties" the tongue. Could also refer to a person. "Yo se yo wah going to tell me somting. Now you tie tong?" ("You said you were going to tell me something. Now your tongue tied?")

Tomara/Tomaro - Tomorrow.

Tomp - Thump, to hit with fist.

Touch de pose - A game we played. First, we would set up a "post" to be the goal. Could be a light post or some other object. One of two participant would protect the "pole" and not allow anyone from the other team to touch it. There were two teams, usually with the same number of participants in each group. We'd flip a coin to see who which group would hide first. One group would hide, the other group would search for the members of the opposing team, touching the person as (s)he was found. If all the members of the team hiding were touched, then the team guarding the post would hide. If the post was touched, then the team would hide again. The team with the most members touching the post would win. (Does this make sense?) Sometimes he game would end abruptly when all members of the opposing team could not be found. Once, while they were searching for me, I climbed to out back terrace, showered and went to bed. When they realized I could not be found, the game ended. The next day, I told them what I had done.

Trus - Buying things on credit. The person giving the credit was confident the person would keep his/her word and pay in due time, so "trust" existed between those involved. In other words, the store owner would trust in the customer would be able to pay. "Trus me a pong a sugah no?" ("Can you sell me a pound of sugar on credit?") Most businesses kept a notebook listing the date, name of person(s), item(s) bought and cost.

U.

Ambrela - Umbrella

V.

Vex - Upset, mad, angry. Also "wex".

W.

Wah - What. "Wah yo want?" ("What do you want?") Can also mean "why". "Wah mek yo cahnt come wih me?" ("Why can't you come with me?")

Wahbin - Prostitute.

Wah fah - What for.

Weh pah - Where.

Whitey pehe (or Spanish peje) - White man or someone with skin tone close to white. (Peje in Spanish is fish.)

Woop - Spank. To beat. "A ko woop yo in a game a basketball." ("I can beat you in a game of basketball.")

Wife - Sex. "He like wife." ("He likes sex.")

Wine/whine/wyne - Move one's hips in a seductive wat, gyrate.

Wiss - A vine.

Wok - Work. "Weh yo dad be? E wok?" ("Where is your day? He is at work?")

Wok up - Move seductively against another person or just to the beat of a tune.

Y.

Ya - Here. "Cum ya." ("Come here.")

Yam/Yet/Nyam - Eat. "A yet peas an rice. What yo ah yet?" ("I ate peas and rice. What did you eat?") The pronunciation of "Nyam" is like the "ñ" in Spanish or similar to the "n" in onion. [Update, 01/18/2012 - It is said the vegetable Yan come from Africa. The Wolof word is "nyam" meaning "to sample" or "taste". In other African languages it means "to eat" or "to chew". Other African words for Yam are "njam", "nyami" or "djambi", meaning "to eat". Did the Spanish borrow "ñapa" and "ñame" from the Africans? Also see "Nyapa" above.)

Yampi - The crusty mucous secretion that forms in the corner of the eyes. Usually noticed when one wakes up in the morning. Some call it "sleep".

Yankin - Speaking with a stateside accent. Reference to Yankee or Yank. "Eh gan to States for a mont an e cum back yankin like e no no Crucian." ("He went to the States for a month and comes back speaking like a states sider as if he does not know Crucian."

Yessah - Yes, Yes Sir.

Yoh - You, your.






[Feel free to let me know if you have any comments. Did I omit anything? Are my explanations wrong? Etc.] Thanks!!