A guide to Jamaican rasta and patois speak vol. 9

R

RAAS/RASS:  Refers to women’s menstrual blood, which is considered unclean.    RAAS CLAAT:  A used or soiled santiary napkin.  See RAAS/RASS.
RAATID!/RAHTID!/RHAATID!: a common mild expletive of surprise or vexation, as in “to raatid!”. From Biblical “wrothed”, it is likely a polite permutation of “ras”, just as “heck” is used in place of Eng. “hell”.
RADDA: Rather.
RAGGA: A popular reggae music relying heavily on digital equipment.
RAGGAMUFFIN: Jamaican ghetto dweller. “Naa mess wit no raggamuffin” (Don’t mess with a ghetto person)
RAKSTONE: Rocks, stones. “Rakstone inna mi shoe” (I have rocks in my shoes)
RAM: filled to capacity. See CORK UP 
RAM GOAT: slang for someone who deals with NUFF ladies. See CHAMPION, MR. MENTION
RANKING: highly respected 
RAS: Title used by Rastafarians meaning “lord” or “head”  
(TO) RAAS: “really?”, “damn!” 
RASTA, RASTAFARIAN: a follower of Marcus Garvey who worships the Almighty in the person of haile Selassie 
RAT-BAT: bat, the night-flying rodent. 
RATCHET: a switchblade knife popular in Jamaica 
RAY RAY: This is a term used when someone is talking too much or telling a story. Similar to saying blah blah.
READY: A person, usually a woman, who is sexually attractive.
RED: 1. very high on HERB or intoxicated on liquor 2. mulatto color 
RED EYE/RED YEYE: to want another persons belonging, envious. “You too red eye” (you’re too envious)
REESPEK: Respect. A very popular Rasta greeting that shows courtesy. 
RENK: 1. foul-smelling, raw-smelling; 2. out of order, impudent, as in “Yu too renk!”. 
RESPONSE:  Responsible. “Response fi ooo?” (Responsible for whom?)
REST: To relax and settle down. “Rest mon!” (Calm down!)
RHYGIN: adj. spirited, vigorous, lively, passionate with great vitality and force; also sexually provocative and aggressive. Var. of Eng. “raging” 
RIGHTED: Correct and with sense. “Dat nuh righted” (That was with out sense).
RIZZLA: brand of rolling paper. 
ROCKERS: a variant of reggae music. Also means the act of enjoying such. 
ROMP: To mess with or play. Yu wanna romp wit me? (Do you want to mess with me?)
ROOTS: 1. derived from the experience of the common people, natural indigenous; 2. a greeting; 3. name for a fellow Rasta 
ROPE EEN: To join in or come in on an activity going on.
ROTI: flat pan breads of Indian (Hindi) origin. 
ROYAL/RIAL: offspring of some other race and black, as in “Chiney-Rial,” “coolie-rial”; humorous as in “monkey-rial” 
RUDEBOY: a criminal or tough guy. Also an affectation among male friends. “Wa’ppun rude bwoy?” (What’s up man?) “‘Im run di rude bwoy bizness” (He runs the criminal business). See BAD BWOY/BADMAN.
RUN A BOAT: Refers to a feast where many people will cook and eat a big dinner. Similar to American Eng. “potluck”
RUN-DUNG: food cooked in coconut juice, obtained after grating the dry coconut meat and squeezing it in water, thus extracting the coconut cream. (from Malay rendang?)
RUNNING BELLY:  diarrhoea 
 
S

SA: Sir.
SAL’TING: 1. dishes cooked with saltfish or meat; 2. that part of the meal which is served with the “food” (starchy food, ground food); 3. the female sex organ, often refered to as “sal”. 
SALT: adjective, broke, empty-handed, low on funds or food, as in “tings salt”, “i’ salt” or “mi get salt” (I was unlucky)
SAMBO: offspring of a mullatto (brown) and a black. See ROYAL/RIAL
SAMFI/SANFI MAN: trickster, conman. 
SANKEY: n. religious song of a paticularly lugubrious tone, sung in the long or common meter. From Ira David Sankey, evangelist and hymnalist 
Sapps- A man who is controlled by a woman.
SATA: to rejoice, to meditate, to give thanks and praise. 
Satday, Satnight- Saturday and Saturday night.
SATTA: sit, rest, meditate relax 
(GO) SATTA:  claim how spiritual you are 
Scenty (sent-tee)- Smelling good; a good scent. Mi put mi turn on perfume an mi scenty. (I put on my “Turn on” perfume [turns on the woman] and I smell good.)
SCIENCE: obeah or African witchcraft.  “She a scientist becaa she follow di Science people dem” (She is an Obeah practitioner because she follows people of that cult.)
SCIENTIST: Practitioner of Obeah 
SCOUT: denoting inferior status 
SCREECHIE: to sneak by 
SCREW: to scowl, to be angry. “Screw face” (An angry face)
SEEN: I understand, I agree 
SEEN?/SEE IT?/SIGHT?: Do you understand? 
SELECTER/SELECTA: Soundsystem or radio DJ
SHAG: home-cured tobacco, straight from the field. 
SHAKE OUT: leave without haste, casually 
SHAMPATA: n. sandal of wood or tire rubber. From Sp. “zapato” (shoe) 
SHEG (UP): to bother, as in “all sheg up” (all hot and bothered) or spoil up (as in work). SHEG-UP: to be messed up, ruined 
SHEPHERD: n. leader of revivalist cult; also proprietor of balmyard, healer and prophet 
SHOOB: to shove. 
SHORTY: Slang expression refering to women. As in African-American
SHOT: To shoot, shot, to have been shot. “Dem shot ‘im dead” (They shot him dead.)
SIDUNG: sit down 
SINKL-BIBLE: the aloevera plant. 
SINSEMILLA, SENSIE: popular, potent, seedless, unpollinated female strain of marijuana 
SINTING/SI’TING: something.  “Mi a go get dat sinting” (I am going to get that thing)
SIPPLE: slippery; slimy. 
SISTER, SISTREN: a woman, a friend, woman Rastafarians 
SITTIN’: something. 
SKANK: to dance to reggae music to move with cunning, ulterior motives 
SKETTLE/SKET: A “ho” or slut; also means anything really cheap. “A skettle name brand dat” (Those are cheap brand clothes) Also a cheap boxed drink.
SKIL: kiln, as in “limeskil”. 
SKIN: rolling paper 
SKIN (YOUR) TEETH: smile  (Check yu’self befo yu skin ya teet” (Check yourself before you smile)
SLABBA-SLABBA: big and fat, slobby, droopy. 
SLACKNESS: lewd, vulgar lyrics popular in DJ singing 
SLAM/SLAP: Slang words for sex.
SLUMP: The slums or ghetto. “Dis a di slump” (This is the slum)
SMADI: somebody. 
SO: Like that; such as that, like such, etc. This is just a common expression used to describe anything. Almost always comes at the end of the sentence. “Wa mek yu galaan so?” (Why are you behaving like such?) “Wa mek yu sweet so?” (Why are you so sweet?)
SO-SO: only, solely, unaccompanied. weak, pallid 
SOFT: not well done, amateurish; unable to cope broke, no money. See SALT
SOON COME: Term used for general replies in saying that one will be back. However, it does not mean necessarily that one will actually come promptly. “Mi a soon come” (I’ll come soon)
SOUNDBWOY: usually a derogatory way to refer to the selecter or other personality in another sound system. This term is most often employed in clashes, on dub plates built for clashes, and so on. Sometimes it is not used in such a negative manner, but most of the time one refers to the someone in the crew as a soundman, not a boy. 
SPEAKY-SPOKEY: This is when a Jamaican tries to speak like an American or Englishman. Usually when a Jamaican returns from a vacation overseas he or she will carry over an accent and a friend will say, Wa mek you so speaky spokey? (Why are you trying to speak like an foreigner?
SPLIFF: large, cone-shaped marijuana cigarette 
SPRING: to sprout, as of yams or cocos, making them inedible. 
STAMINA: Sexual endurance. “Di ooman dem wanna stamina daddy, ya hear” (Women want a man with plenty of sexual endurance)
STAR: common term of affection, camaraderie. Also means to sport something or an event in style. “Yu mus star dem threads” (You have to sport and wear those clothes like you are the king). “Wha’ppun, star?” (What’s up, man?)
STAY: To leave alone or let be; to wait; the way someone is. Mek it stay. (Let it be.) Jus stay deh. (Just you wait.) See ‘ow yu stay? (Do you see how you are?)
STEP: to leave, to depart briskly, quickly.  “Mi step out yah” (I am leaving now.)
STOOSH/STOSHUS: upper class, high tone, HITEY-TITEY. Mi live inna stoosh place. (I live in a rich place.)
STRING UP: a muscial rehearsal 
STRONG MONEY: Denotes the superiority of the US dollar. Is a strong money dat a come fram foreign. (It is strong money that comes from the U.S.)
STRUCTURE: body, health 
SU-SU: gossip, the sound of whispering.  “Nuh su-su pon mi back” (Don’t gossip behind my back.)
SUFFERATION: Major suffering, poverty, and trials. “A pyur sufferation inna gwaan inna di ghetto” (There is pure suffering going on in the ghetto)
SUFFERER: a poor person stuggling to survive 
SUM’ADY: Somebody.
SUPM, SINTING: something 
SWAATY: Fatty

 Phrase of the Day:

You shake man’s hand, you no shake his heart.
(taken from World of Quotes:  http://www.worldofquotes.com/proverb/Jamaican/1 )

Concordances: Mike Pawka
http://niceup.com/patois.txt
http://www.ddg.com/LIS/InfoDesignF97/malyce/dict.htm
http://www.ddg.com/LIS/InfoDesignF97/malyce/phrases.htm
http://www.earthcultureroots.com/index.html
http://www.speakjamaican.com/glossary.html 

Next up: T-U