Yute
- Informal
- slang
Youth / Young person
- Meaning
- A young person, usually a young man. Used as a casual address for a younger peer.
- Origin
- Patois pronunciation of 'youth'.
- Example
Patois: "Wha gwaan, yute?"
English: "What's up, youth?"
Patwa lexicon
Jamaican Patois Slang & Swear Words — Meanings Explained
Slang and swear words are a real part of Jamaican Patois (Patwa). This page explains a selection of headwords that are already in the Jamaican Patois dictionary: the meaning, an origin note when the entry has one, and a usage example from that same entry.
It is here so the words can be understood. It is not an endorsement of the vulgar ones, and it does not add meanings the dictionary does not already give.
Common Slang
Informal Patwa from the dictionary: street talk, dancehall, and everyday slang. A few milder exclamations are included here because speakers use them in place of a curse.
Bashment
- Dancehall culture
- slang
Party / Excellent
- Meaning
- A large, exciting party or dance. As an adjective, it means stylish or excellent.
- Origin
- From 'bash' (party) + 'ment' suffix.
- Example
Patois: "We a go a bashment tonight."
English: "We are going to a party tonight."
Gyalis
- Informal
- slang
Ladies' man / Player
- Meaning
- A man who has many female partners or is very skilled at wooing women.
- Origin
- From 'gyal' + 'ist' suffix.
- Example
Patois: "Him a real gyalis."
English: "He is a real ladies' man."
Badman
- Urban slang
- street
Gangster / Tough guy
- Meaning
- A tough, dangerous street guy, gangster, or enforcer.
- Origin
- Compound of 'bad' and 'man'.
- Example
Patois: "Di badman dem a run di street."
Shotta
- Urban slang
- street
Gangster / Shooter
- Meaning
- A gangster, gunman, or someone heavily involved in street violence.
- Origin
- Patois pronunciation of 'shooter'.
- Example
Patois: "Di shotta dem run di area."
Bandulu
- Informal
- street slang
Fake / Counterfeit
- Meaning
- Something that is fake, counterfeit, or obtained through illegal/shady means.
- Origin
- Origin uncertain; possibly West African.
- Example
Patois: "Dat a bandulu passport."
English: "That is a fake passport."
Bun
- Everyday
- slang
Burn / Betrayal
- Meaning
- To burn. Also slang for cheating on a romantic partner (giving them 'bun').
- Origin
- Patois pronunciation of 'burn'.
- Example
Patois: "She gi him bun."
English: "She cheated on him."
Boops
- Slang
- derogatory
Sugar daddy
- Meaning
- An older, usually wealthy man who financially supports a younger woman in exchange for companionship or sex.
- Origin
- Origin uncertain; highly popularized in 1980s dancehall.
- Example
Patois: "She find a rich boops fi buy her car."
Duns
- Informal
- street slang
Money
- Meaning
- Slang for money or cash.
- Example
Patois: "Mi need some duns fi buy food."
English: "I need some money to buy food."
Bimma
- Modern slang
BMW vehicle
- Meaning
- Slang for a BMW car, popularized heavily by Beenie Man's song 'Who Am I (Sim Simma)'.
- Origin
- Slang for BMW.
- Example
Patois: "Him buy a brand new bimma."
Dawg
- Informal
- slang
Dog / Close friend
- Meaning
- A dog. Also widely used as a term of address for a close male friend.
- Origin
- Patois pronunciation of 'dog'.
- Example
Patois: "Yes, dawg, mi a come."
English: "Yes, my friend, I am coming."
Star
- Casual
- street slang
Friend / Bro
- Meaning
- A term of address for a male peer, showing respect.
- Origin
- Derived from English 'star'.
- Example
Patois: "Wha gwaan, star?"
English: "What's up, man?"
Yardie
- Cultural
- slang
Jamaican
- Meaning
- A colloquial term for a Jamaican person, particularly used by the diaspora in the UK and USA.
- Origin
- Derived from 'yard' (home/Jamaica).
- Example
Patois: "Mi a true yardie born and raised."
Hot-stepper
- Cultural
- street slang
Fugitive / Smooth criminal
- Meaning
- A fugitive on the run from the law, or a very smooth, dangerous street figure.
- Origin
- Popularized by Ini Kamoze's song.
- Example
Patois: "Here comes the hot-stepper."
Tun up
- Modern slang
Excellent / Turn up
- Meaning
- Used to describe a party or situation that is very exciting, loud, or top-tier.
- Origin
- Patois pronunciation of 'turn up'.
- Example
Patois: "Di party tun up loud!"
Don-dada
- Street slang
- respectful
Top boss / Leader
- Meaning
- The absolute highest-ranking respected figure or boss; the 'don of dons.'
- Origin
- Compound of 'Don' and 'Dada' (father).
- Example
Patois: "Him a di don-dada of di community."
Choppa
- Modern slang
- street culture
Scammer / Hustler
- Meaning
- Someone who engages in fraudulent activities or scams to make money.
- Origin
- Derived from 'chop'.
- Example
Patois: "Him buy a Benz, must be a choppa."
English: "He bought a Benz, he must be a scammer."
Spliff
- Street slang
Marijuana cigarette
- Meaning
- A joint or marijuana cigarette.
- Example
Patois: "Roll a spliff for the road."
Bad
- Informal
- slang
Excellent / Very good
- Meaning
- Slang used to mean something is exceptionally good, impressive, or tough.
- Origin
- Semantic inversion common in Caribbean and African American slang.
- Example
Patois: "Dat song deh bad!"
English: "That song is excellent!"
Bumpa
- Informal
- slang
Buttocks
- Meaning
- A woman's buttocks, often referred to in dancehall music.
- Origin
- Derived from 'bumper' (car part).
- Example
Patois: "Shake yuh bumpa to di riddim."
Batty
- Informal
- everyday
Buttocks
- Meaning
- The buttocks or bottom.
- Origin
- Derived from English 'bottom'.
- Example
Patois: "Sit down pon yuh batty."
Slackness
- Dancehall culture
- descriptive
Vulgarity / Immorality
- Meaning
- Lewd, vulgar, or sexually explicit behavior or lyrics.
- Origin
- Derived from English 'slack'.
- Example
Patois: "Di DJ only play slackness."
English: "The DJ only plays vulgar music."
Cris
- Informal
- slang
Crisp / Excellent
- Meaning
- Clean, brand new, stylish, or in very good condition.
- Origin
- Patois abbreviation of 'crisp'.
- Example
Patois: "Yuh sneakers look cris."
English: "Your sneakers look brand new."
Video-light
- Slang
Camera light / Spotlight
- Meaning
- The light from a video camera in a dancehall; being in the spotlight.
- Origin
- Dancehall culture.
- Example
Patois: "Everybody want catch di video-light."
Skettel
- Informal
- derogatory
Promiscuous woman
- Meaning
- A derogatory term for a promiscuous or low-class woman.
- Origin
- Slang popularized in dancehall.
- Example
Patois: "Nuh mix up wid dem skettel deh."
English: "Don't get involved with those promiscuous women."
Wutless
- Derogatory
Worthless
- Meaning
- Irresponsible, lacking value, or useless.
- Origin
- Patois of 'worthless'.
- Example
Patois: "Him is a wutless father."
Raatid
- Everyday
- conversational
Wow / Gosh
- Meaning
- An expression of strong surprise or anger.
- Origin
- Euphemism for a stronger expletive.
- Example
Patois: "To raatid! Di house burn down."
English: "Wow! The house burned down."
Blouse and skirt
- Everyday
- conversational
Wow / Gosh
- Meaning
- An exclamation of surprise, shock, or amazement.
- Origin
- Euphemism used to avoid swearing.
- Example
Patois: "Blouse and skirt, yuh see dat lightning?"
English: "Wow, did you see that lightning?"
Swear Words / Curse Words
Vulgar headwords from the same dictionary, including the cloth curses and a few sexual slang terms tagged vulgar. The notes explain them. They are not phrases to copy into conversation.
Bumboclaat
- Vulgar
- everyday slang
Expletive
- Meaning
- One of the most common and versatile Jamaican curse words, used for shock, anger, or extreme emphasis.
- Origin
- Derived from 'bottom cloth'.
- Example
Patois: "Bumboclaat, mi forget mi keys!"
Bloodclaat
- Vulgar
- aggressive
Dammit / Expletive
- Meaning
- A strong curse word used to express intense anger, surprise, or emphasis.
- Origin
- Derived from 'blood cloth' (sanitary napkin).
- Example
Patois: "What a bloodclaat mess!"
Raasclaat
- Vulgar
Expletive
- Meaning
- A strong curse word used to express intense anger or shock.
- Origin
- Compound of raas and cloth.
- Example
Patois: "Move yuh raasclaat from here!"
Raas
- Vulgar
Buttocks / Expletive
- Meaning
- A common curse word, originally meaning buttocks.
- Origin
- Derived from 'arse'.
- Example
Patois: "What the raas is going on?"
To-rasclaat
- Vulgar
Exclamation
- Meaning
- An amplified exclamation of shock or anger.
- Origin
- Compound expletive.
- Example
Patois: "To-rasclaat! Wha happen deh?"
Claat
- Informal
- aggressive
Strike / Hit
- Meaning
- To hit or strike something hard. Also forms the root of many strong Jamaican expletives (derived from 'cloth').
- Origin
- Derived from English 'cloth'.
- Example
Patois: "Mi will claat yuh inna yuh face."
To-ras
- Everyday
- slang
Exclamation of surprise
- Meaning
- An exclamation of shock, anger, or amazement (mildly vulgar).
- Origin
- Derived from Rastafarian 'ras' (head/king).
- Example
Patois: "To-ras! Look at dat car crash."
Kaka
- Vulgar
Feces
- Meaning
- Feces or something of very poor quality.
- Origin
- African/Spanish.
- Example
Patois: "Dat is pure kaka."
Fassy
- Insult
- vulgar
Sore / Insult
- Meaning
- A weeping sore or ulcer; commonly used as a strong insult for a despicable person.
- Origin
- Origin uncertain, possible African.
- Example
Patois: "Get away from mi, yuh fassy hole."
Pum-pum
- Slang
- vulgar
Female genitalia
- Meaning
- Slang for female genitalia; frequently used in dancehall music.
- Example
Patois: "Wine yuh pum-pum."
Punanny
- Slang
- vulgar
Female genitalia
- Meaning
- Slang for female genitalia.
- Example
Patois: "Him a look fi punanny."
Frequently Asked Questions
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Use the translator for a full sentence. Use the dictionary index for every published headword.