oars
/owz/ [from the plural] n. sing, or pl. an oar at the stern of a small boat for sculling. = SCULLING OARS (Black) ...
obeah
obia /ówbiya/ [Pan-Creole; cf. LA Fr. obiah sortilège (Jourdain 1956:297), Cuban Sp. obi brujo (Ortiz 1924:384); cf. Efik ubio a charm, to cause sickness or ...
Obeah
Obeah in the Bahamas is not a religion like voodoo in Haiti, but the two do have elements in common. Both involve a belief in ...
Obeah bush
[from use as an antidote to obeah; cf. similar use of garlic in Europe] n. a plant, Petereria alliacea: 1920 (Britton 135). 1978 Obeah bush. ...
Obeah man
[Car.; cf. OBEAH ] n. a practitioner of witchcraft: 1888 "Obeah-men". . are a species of African magicians, who, for a trifling consider-ation, will bewitch your ...
Obeah People
[from purportedly widespread practice of OBEAH there] n. nickname for people from Cat Island. (Black) ...
Obeah snake
[cf. OBEAH witchcraft] n. 1. any snake put under a magic spell to guard property against intruders and thieves: 1936 I-Jun peepul is sump'n cud ...
Obeah trap
[cf. OBEAH witchcraft] n. a magic charm said to protect property by causing intruders to come to harm: 1936 I out in d' yard Tursday tyin' ...
Obeah woman
[Car.; cf. OBEAH] n. a witch; a female practitioner of obeah: 1978 Some people said she was an obeah woman (Smith 24), (Black) ...
occurrent to
[OED, liable to, exposed to obs. →1566; perhaps influenced by according to] prep. as a result of: If you can't last, occurrent to ya sickness, ...
ocean
[cf. DJE ocean shark found out in deep water; cf. OED ocean the main or great sea] n. deep sea only, not including WHITE WATER or ...
off
n. [from off the island] abroad: 1963 This man come from off and go straight to the well (Cottman 66). cf. AWAY —particle. [W Car.] used ...
off-black
[cf. W3 off-white white tinged with another color] adj. of a somewhat lighter complexion than black: 1971 Starting with black at the bottom, through off-black, ...
offer
[OED, indirect and direct obj., or direct obj. and to] v. to offer (with indirect but no direct object): 1966 Every time the woman offer ...
off side
[0ED, adv. phr. away from one's own side] n. a place out of the way or off to one side: 1918 I was standin' on de ...
oily (nut), early nut
óyli [from their high oil content] n. mature, dried coconuts. (Black) ...
okay, O.K.
/owkéy/ [W Car.; W3 all right: cf. sim-ilar use of ALL RIGHT] intj. a greeting said in passing or parting. (Black) ...
okra, ochra
/ówkra/; ochry /ówkri/ [cf. US dial. South okry okra ADD; cf. Igbo okura (Todd 1975:281)] n. a plant, Hibiscus esculentus, or its pods eaten as ...
old-day, olden-days, olden-time
[elliptical: from the old (en) days] adj. old-fashioned: 1966 The gal going and get. . one of the old-day fan, and start fanning (Crowley 103). ...
old(er) heads
[Car.; probably from a phrase such as "Older heads are wiser"] n. the older generation in a community, generally defined as people with gray hair: ...
old lady
[US Black one's mistress or wife (Major); DHS one's wife or mother] n. one's girlfriend, wife or mother: Da's my old lady—she good beef (Nassau). ...
old lady mangrove
[etym?] n. a tree, Rhizophora mangle: 1978 (Higgs 16). (Inagua) ...
old maid
[OED, West Indian name of a plant, Vinca rosea] n. a plant: 1920 Catharanthus roseus (Britton 336). 1972 Vinca rosea (Durrell 86). cf. CHURCHYARD ROSE, SAILOR ...
old mama
n. the game of tag; the child who is "it" and has to tag the others is called the old mama. (Black) ...
old man
[OED, W3 different sp.] n. ] . a tree, Guettarda krugii: 1977 (Patterson 67). = FROGWOOD(Gen.)
2. a tree, Diospyros crassinervis. = FEATHERBED BOARWOOD (Adelaide) ...
old man('s) beard
[Car.; cf. Brit. dial. idem W3 and Scots auld-man's-beard CSD, both different sp.; from the plant's "thin, curly greyish stems... hanging from trees, electric wires, ...
old man('s) plum
[cf. DEVIL('s) PLUM idem and DJE old man the Devil] n. a plant, Solanum havenense; its berry is said to be poisonous: 1905 (Shattuck ...
old sour
[cf. old aged + SOUR lime] n. fermented lime juice, used as a condiment: 1978 Bahamian old sour: two cups lime juice, one tablespoon salt. . ...
old-story
/ówl stòwri,-stùri/ [cf. US Black ol’-timey story idem (Parsons 1917a:169)] n. a folk tale, often with animal characters referred to as B', brother: 1918 The ...
old wife
[Atlantic; cf. Brit. dial. North ale wife different sp. EDD] n. 1. a fish: 1731 (Catesby 22). 1788 Old wife (Balistes vetula)(Schoepf 277).
2. a ...
old woman
[DJE, EDD different sp.] n. a tree, Tabebuia bahamensis: 1977 Some of the natural trees are. . .old man and old woman (Albury 25). = ...
oleander moth
[from its attraction to the shrub] n. a moth of the family Ctenuchidae resembling a wasp: 1978 (Campbell 14). ...
olive bark
[W Car.; "from olive, probably alluding to the fruit, + bark. . .alluding to the use of the bark in tanning" DJE] n. the black ...
olive plum
[W3 different sp.] n. a tree, the satin-leaf starapple (Chrysophyllurn oliviforme) or its fruit: 1946 (Morton 89). = DAMSON PLUM , WILD STAR-APPLE (Eleu., Mayag.) ...
olivewood
[OED different sp.] n. a tree, Cassine xylocarpa: 1977 (Patterson 27). (Gen.) ...
on (1)
[cf. Scots on in, about, regarding, of, for, to, at CSD; cf. also similar use of earlier general locative prep. DA] prep. 1. at, in: ...
on (2)
prep. in various idioms: on catch [cf. OED catch fire become ignited]
phr. on fire: 1918 When de fire was on ketch, put de piece ...
on the coast
[referring to the west coast of Africa] phr., Obs. in the slave trade (euphemism): 1888 He was then for a time "on the coast" as ...
on the hill
[cf. crazy hill, the old Bahamas General Hospital compound for psychiatric patients on a ridge overlooking Nassau, in use until the 1950's] phr. in or ...
ona
/óhna/ [cf. Atlantic unu you pl. (Hancock 1969:62) from lbo unu idem (Turner 1949:203); cf. óna/ idem on Roatán, Bay Islands, Honduras (J. Ryan p.c.)] ...
onaself
[cf. DNA -self] reflex. pron. yourselves: I say, "Ah well, now, don't worry onase'f (San Sal.). cf. YINNASELF, YOIJNAYSELVES ...
on-dying
[cf. OED on formerly frequent in connexions in which a- is now usual.. on loud etc.; cf.a with be: engaged in arch. or dial. ..a-raising] ...
one
[Atlantic] indefinite article a, an (unemphatic): 1918 B'o' Boukee run t'rough de bush, gone, hidin' one hole (Parsons 84). 1936 He hop in one dinghy ...
one day more 'an all
[Gul. idem (Work 1919:441); cf. also Krio wan de ya idem KED, Cam. some day been de idem (Todd 1979), Haitian you jou idem (Gaujean ...
one-minded
adj. 1.[W Car.; by contrast to a phrase such as of two minds] decisive; clear-headed. (Black)
2. unanimous. (Eleu., Nassau) ...
one mind tell me
[Gul. idem (Writers' Program 1940:62); cf. MY MIND TELL ME and US colloq. "I had a mind to, . ."] n. phr. I had a vague, ...
one time
[Pan-Creole; "abbreviation of at one time" DJE, cf. also Pap. un bez (Hoyer 98) and Fr. Cr. yon fwe both (lit. one time) immediately (Loftman ...
one time ago
adv. phr. 1. a while ago: One time ago she didn't used to speak to people (Nassau). (Black)
2. a long time ago; back in ...
one two-three
[cf. Sra. wan toe WST, Krio tu-tri KED, Trin. two tree (Winer), Gul. two-t'ree (Gon-zales 1922:336), all several'; cf. also ONE a, and Scots twa-three two ...
onions
[cf. hernia /(h) óynya/] n. hernia. (Abaco, Inagua) ...
onliest
/ównlis/ [Car., US Black; also dial. in Brit. North, West EDD and US South ADD] adj. only: 1940 Dat's de onliest thing we can do ...
ooman
úmam/ [Atlantic; "a preservation of a former pronunciation which was good upper-class usage from the 17th into the 19th century in England" DJE; also dial. ...
operate
[Atlantic; OED, of drugs and medicines, as cathartics etc.: to act] v. to loosen the bowels as a cure for constipation or a cause of ...
orange apple
[OED idem obs. 1561 only] n. the common or sweet orange, Citrus aurantium: 1889 (Gardner 370). = GOLDEN APPLE, FORBIDDEN FRUIT, OREENGE (Inagua) ...
orchard
[OED, a garden for herbs and fruit trees obs. →1388] n. 1. a pineapple field: 1880 In the "orchard" we crossed, the coconut had been ...
orchid tree
[from its large, lavender flowers resembling orchids] n. a tree, Bauhinia sp.: 1971 (Rabley 51). = BUTTERFLY FLOWER (Gen.) ...
oreenge
/aríynj/ [W Car.; cf. OED orenge to 1700's, Scots oreynzel n. the orange_ = FORBIDDEN FRUIT, GOLDEN APPLE, ORANGE APPLE (Black) ...
other
/óda/ [cf. NEXTother, plus hypercorrection; cf. Haitian lót idem HCEFD] adj. (in a series) next: One is gumelemi bark, the other one is five-finger, the ...
otherwise
[cf. OED no other wise 1597 (standard US usage does not permit no, any, etc. before otherwise); cf. also "Otherwise than that, as the Bermudians ...
oughta coulda
[from ought to + could have) v, phr. ought to have been able (permitted sequence). (Eleu.) ...
Our Father Prays (Praise, Prayer)
[from the first line of the prayer, "Our Father, who art in heaven"; cf.PRAYS,PRAISE prayer, and note that dialect speakers can interpret Our Father as possessive ...
out
v 1. [Car.; OED idem obs. →1621; aiso dial. in Brit. EDD, US South ADD] to put out (a light, etc.), to extinguish: 1918 My ...
outdoors
[OED in the open air] adv, outside the home, as in an office: If a woman thinks she is capable of going outdoors and being ...
outen
prep. [also Scots CSD, US dial. South WSCII out of: 1895 'E taken out 'is han'ke'chief outen 'is pocket (Edwards 91). (Black)
—v. 1. [also ...
out island
[OED, applied esp. to the Shetlands, Orkneys, Hebrides, and other smaller islands at a distance from the mainland of Britain; W3 an island other than ...
out-islander
[cf. OUT ISLAND ] n. a native of any island of the Bahamas except New Providence: 1888 She lives in great comfort for an out-islander ...
out out
v. 1. [E Car. (CoLlymore 83, Yansen 40); cf. OUT v. 1. + out particle] to extinguish: Out out the light (Exuma). He outing it out ...
out rider
[Brit. motorcycle escort for dignitaries (Pye p.c.)] n. motorcycle policeman: In the Bahamas Police Force there are now women outriders. I remember when only men ...
outside
[cf. OUTSIDE CHILD] adj. illegitimate: outside brother (Nassau).
—adv. out of wedlock: I got two brother inside but I got—let me see—how much outside? (Andros). ...
outside child
[Pan-Creole; cf. Haitian āfā-dɚhç (en-fant dehors) idem (HanCock:1969:56, 70); cf. lbo onye warnunilo (lit, person outside) idem (Okolo p.c.)] n. a child born out of ...
outside closet
[cf. OED closet short for water closet] n. privy; outside toilet: 1978 D' only paper we had was d' Tribune an' Montgomery Ward catalog all ...
outside relative
[i.e. outside the immediate family] n. a remotely related member of the family, such as a second or third cousin. (Nassau) ...
out somebody's light
[DAE, DHS cf. OUT v. 1. extinguish, and DHE out to kill] phr. to kill someone (underworld term?). (Black) ...
out something off
[cf. OED out to blot out obs. →1653] v. to erase something (from a blackboard): He outin' it off (San Sal.). cf. OUTEN V. 2, ...
out the way
[cf. OED out of the way seldom met with, peculiar, devious; cf. OUT out of] adj, t. unusual: 19361 didn' tink it wuz out o' ...
out toilet
[cf. US outhouse idem + toilet] n. a privy or outside toilet. (Inagua, Mayag.) ...
out town
[cf. go out; also downtown, uptown] phr. into town: I goin' out town (Nassau).
out-town people n. people who live just outside of town. (Black) ...
oven
/ówvin/ [Atlantic pronunciation (Hancock 1969:54); cf, similar vowel correspondence in HONGRY, OGLY; cf. Scots oven a shallow pan or metal pot with lid, in which ...
over
[OED, at an end] v. to be finished: 1940 D' fire done over (Dupuch 59). The fair starts at 12 a.m. and overs at 12 ...
over back
n. 1. area from the harbour toward the ocean: 1977 (Albury 157). (White)
2. a plot of land used for farming. (Abaco)
3. an area ...
overcast
/ówvalcyas/ [OED, overspread with clouds] n. an all-day drizzle. (Gen.) ...
overnight food
[ from leaving over night] n. leftover food. Her husband say he won't eat no overnight food (Nassau). (Black) ...
oversleep yourself
[also US dial. South DARE] v. to oversleep: 1966 He oversleep himself(Crowley 54). (Gen) ...
over the hill
[the US, Brit. slang meaning 'past one's prime' seems unfamiliar to Bah.; the term appears to be purely topographical, referring to the ridge separating the ...
own
/own/, oon /uwn, un /on/ [Atlantic; cf. OED, 1743 "Two swords of the Captain's own"; also US dial. South ADD] particle forming poss. pron. (after ...
own personal self
[W Car.; also US dial. South (Green)] n. phr. (for) one's own benefit: He buy that piece of land for his own personal self (Rag-ged). ...
own something to somebody
[cf. OED own to acknowledge something in its relation to oneself ...to confess to be valid (with simple obj. or reflexive obj. and complement)] v. ...