saboy
[of. OED Savoy biscuit thin sugar-coated biscuit, + /b, v/ alternation] n. a kind of coconut tart. (Nassau, San Sal.) ...
Sabye
[cf. Gul. Saba female name, Wolof Saba personal name 'an honest person' (Turner 1949: 152)] n. a woman's name: 1918 This was a woman name ...
safe
[Car.; OED, a receptacle for the safe storage of articles] n. a kitchen cupboard with screens to keep insects off food and dishes: 1918 Dat ...
saffron, sappin
[OED saffron plant species characterized by yellow color] n. a shrub: 1889 Colubrina ...
sage
[OED different sp.] n. a common name for a variety of plants, mainly ...
sago
/seyga/ [OED, starch prepared from various palms or cycads and used chiefly as ...
sail bag
[from use in storing sails] n. a canvas sack: 1966 One ...
sailor button
(Inagua, Mayag.); sailor cap (Nassau, White) n. the periwinkle, Vinca rosea ...
sailor wasp
n. a large wasp (sp?) with a painful sting. = GERMAN WASP ...
salt
[OED idem, obs. as predicative adj. --> 1799] adj. salty: That ...
salt and pepper
[from appearance] n. a style of plaiting narrow strips of light and ...
salt beef
[cf. BEEF] n. a sexually attractive woman married to someone else. (White) ...
salt bush
[from its salt-marsh habitat] n. a tree, Avidennia nitida: 1910 (Northrop 125). ...
salt raking
n. gathering salt from ponds with special rakes: 1888 They heard of ...
salt-water bush
[from its habitat] n. a plant,Rhachicallis americana: 1910 (Northrop 184). = ...
salve bush
/sahv/ (White); sob bush /sab/ (Black); sobby bush /sabi/ (Nassau, Exuma) [from OED salve a healing ointment, from medicinal use; but cf. also SA ...
sassing
[cf. DAE sassto talk impertinently]n. (of women) turning the head upper body ...
satinwood
[OED, W3 different sp.; from the satiny grain of the timber] n. ...
satisfy
[Car.; by passivization] v. to be satisfied: 1966 The man satisfy eat ...
Saturday('s) allowance
[from day on which slave were give it; cf. Scots Saturday's bawbee half-penny ...
sauce: the sauce
phr. the best (in flavour): Crab biter taste the sauce, boy! (Nassau). ...
spacy
[OED, spacious] adj. having gaps, as between teeth: The chairs was spacy—there was plenty room between them (Nassau). (Black) ...
sprizzle
[from SPRY to rain lightly + drizzle] v. to sprinkle (of rain): 1940 I radder fer it t' rain hard twice a munt dan t' ...
snake bark
[W3
different sp.] n. a tree Colubrina arborescens: 1977 (Patterson
31). = SOAP TREE cf. SMOOTH SNAKE BARK (Eleu., San Sal.) ...
snake berry
[W3
various sp.] n. a shrub (sp?) with
black, inedible berries. (Black) ...
snake plum
n. a shrub (sp?) or its fruit: 1974
(Bullard 29). ...
snake root
[W3,
DJE different sp.] n. a tree, Picrarnnia
pentandra: 1835 acrid taste as the seneka or snake root (Journal 31). 1905 Snake-root or bitter wood (Shattuck
206). We ...
snake skin
[from
appearance] n. a style of plaiting straw: 1981 Plait designs may include peas-and-rice, snake skin, and Bahama mama
(Nassau Guardian, July 1). ...
snake wood
[DJE
idem] n. a tree, Colubrina ferruginosa: 1889 (Gardner 373). = SAFFRON (Black) ...
snap
[cf.
Scots snap to eat hastily or greedily
CSD] v. to eat noisily: 1977 (Jones
19). ...
sneaky-man
[cf.
US Black back-door man idem (Major)] n. a married woman's lover. (Black) ...
sniper
[etym?]
n. a stupid, promiscuous girl.
(Exuma) ...
sausage
/sóhsich/, sorchers /sóhchas/ [cf. US Black /sóhshis/ (Loman 1967:60); probably by devoicing and
metathesis, but cf. Sp., Port. salchicha
idem] n. any
kind of luncheon meat, including pâté, ...
saw brier
[ DAE different sp.] n. a
plant, Smilax havanensis: 1910
(Northrop 145). = CHANEY
VINE, CHINNY BRIAR (Black) ...
saw tapping
n. using
a saw as a musical instrument: 1979 (LaRoda 71). (San Sal., Long) ...
say
/se(y)/ conj. [Car., US Black; cf. Twi sè
idem, converging with say (before quotations) and parallel
use of verbs meaning say' in Ibo, Ewe, Mende etc. (Turner
1949:211) ...
say if
[Car.] phr. to
ask whether: Mama say if you eat? (Nassau). (Black) ...
say what?
[cf. US Black idem 'Is that true?' (Grove)] phr. What did you say? (Black) ...
Sayles Island
/seylz/ [after Captain William Sayle, leader of an early group of settlers] n. an early name for the island of New Providence: 1945 In February ...
scaff, scarf
/ska(h)f/ [cf. Scots scarf to envelop obs. EDD] n. turtle shell. (Long, Andros) ...
scale-fish
[OED, n. fish with scales] v. to go fishing for fish with scales: 1966 (Otterbein 28). (Gen.) ...
scalipee
[from calipee + hypercorrection] n. the fatty substance found inside the lower shell of a turtle. (Black) ...
scank, skank
[cf. DJE II skengay a kind of
Jamaican music; skank idem (Mais
xviii); cf. DIE II ska sound of a guitar which simulates gun shots; cf. Scots, ...
scantling
[cf. W Car. scandlin'
board; OED, technical or nautical only] n. a piece
of wood: I take two piece or three of the little short scantling, put ...
scarlet
/skyáhlit/ [etym?] n.
a kind of
pineapple with large eyes: 1975 Jamaica, Cuba, Florida and Hawaii all went into pineapple growing and some of their large, improved ...
scavillion jack
[cf. DJE cavally
jack idem
+ hypercorrection] n. the
jackfish, Caranx hippos. (White) ...
scheme with a girl
[cf. OED scheme to
effect by intrigue] v. phr. 1. (of young men) to
take too long to become intimate with a girl,
while another steps in (youth ...
school
[cf. OED to be schooled to receive instruction, by depassivization] v. to go to school: She couldn't believe say I school on Ragged Island (Ragged).
(Black) ...
science
[cf. OED scienced learned obs. → 1836; also US dial. ADD] adj. intelligent. (Black)
—n. intelligence: He got science (Eleu.). ...
scissors
[OED
idem rare] n. sing, a pair of scissors: a scissors. (Black) ...
scissors-tail
[cf. W3 scissor-tailed having a deeply forked tail; from shape of coat tail] n. a frock coat. (Black) ...
sconcher knee
[cf. Belize scodgineal idem (Young); cf. W3 cochineal cactus . . . widely cultivated as food for the cochineal insect, which produces red dye] n. ...
scoonchy-loonchy
/skúwnchi lúwnchi/ [etym?] n.
a small, reddish-yellow land crab (sp?). (Berry)
a black crab. (Cat)
...
scope
[OED, a tract (of land); Anglo-Irish?, obs. → 1691] n. a wide expanse of land. (Gen.) ...
scorch
[Caymans
idem (Fuller 68); OED an alteration of score, perhaps after scratch, obs. → 1823] v. 1.
to score; to cut slashes, especially in fish before salting ...
scorch(ed) conch
[cf. scorch
v. 1] n. conch,
made tender by repeated scoring, and eaten raw: 1971 Conch . . . as a salad, as
fritters, cracked, boiled, stewed, or ...
scorchie picker
[etym?] n. a fish, Eucinostomus sp., with dark markings. (Black) ...
score weight
[cf. DAS score to
find a paying customer (prostitute use); to buy or
obtain narcotics; weight an
ounce of marijuana or heroin (drug culture)] phr.
to sell drugs: I ...
scornful
[OED, contemptible obs. 1624] adj. 1. repulsive: Dat creature too scornful
(Nassau). (Gen.)
2.
repulsed: She too scornful to clean up the cascate [vomit]
(Exuma).
(Gen.) ...
scorn-the-ground
[W Car.;
"because it never touches the
ground" DJE] n, a parasitic plant with long leaves and yellow flowers which lives off trees;
probably mistletoe. (Mayag.) ...
scorpion tail
[cf. DJE scorpion weed (H. indicum); from shape of flower] n. a plant, Heliotropium parviflorum: 1920 (Britton 363). = HORSE BUSH 2, ROOSTER COMB, SORE
BUSH. ...
scow
(Exuma, White); scouch (Eleu., Andros)
[cf. W3
scow
flat-bottomed
boat with square ends; OED scow a small boat made of willows covered with skins] n. a floating cage
six to ...
scramble
[OED
idem rare] v. to throw (coins etc.) to a crowd: [children to teacher with candy] Scramble them! (Exuma). ...
scrap: go scrapping
[cf. SCRAP GANG or BAND] phr. to participate in a scrap gang or band. (Black) ...
scrap gang or band
[from costumes made from scraps of paper
left over from making regular costumes] n. an informal group in the JUNKANOO parade: Last Junkanoo we
make up our ...
scratch
[OED to write hurriedly and
carelessly] v. to write (not necessarily
illegibly): I
can't scratch like yinna, 'cause
yinna de to school now (Crooked).
—n. an example of
handwriting. (Nassau) ...
scratch boom
n. the gooseneck or iron hook joining the boom to the mast of a sailboat. (Andros) ...
scratch broom, scratchy broom
[OED scratch to scrape lightly + broom] n. a lawn rake, usually made of branches. (Black) ...
scratch my neck
[cf. KISS MY HIP] phr. an exclamation of surprise. (Black)
...
scraunch
/skrohnch/ [cf. OED scrunch to produce a sound of being crushed;
cf. US dial. scraunch to
crunch ADD] v. to squeak, as new leather, doors, etc. (White) ...
scrawled sole
[from scrawl scribble,
referring to dark lines marking upper side + sole] n.
a fish, Trinectes inscriptus: 1968
(Böhlke 220). (San Sal.) ...
scream wire
[W Car.; from screen wire with faulty reconstruction
of nasal consonant from nasalized vowel] n. wire mesh screen, especially for windows. (Black) ...
screw
[cf. Scots screw to move like a screw
CSD] v. 1. (of worms) to twist. (Eleu., Exuma)
2.
(of the stomach) to rumble, said to be the ...
screw conch
[in reference to more pronounced spiral
at the tip of the shell] n. a variety of conch (Strombus sp.): 1928 The screw conch is used by
fishermen ...
screw the glass
[cf. OED screw to
wind spirally] phr. to roll the window (of a car) up or down: Screw
the glass down fore we all get sick! (Nassau). ...
scrubber
n. a piece of wire mesh or TURBOT skin folded and held with a
cloth to scrub floors: We couldn't find
the scrubber so we borry Con ...
scrubby, scrubby black
[OED scrubby
rough, of poor appearance] adj. (of persons) having an
uneven or mottled dark complexion: She liking one scrubby-black
fellow (Nassau). (Black) ...
scruff
v. [OED, to seize (a
person) by the nape of the neck] to escort roughly (by the scruff of the neck):
1936 P'leecemun . . scruff all ...
scruff
n. [etym?] meaning unclear: She is
[sexually] hot like scruff (Mayag.).
...
scrumbs
[W
Car.; by
hypercorrection of initial consonant cluster of crumbs, or OED crumble
crumb dial. or obs. 1820;
also US dial. North ADD] n. sing. or pl. crumb. (Black)
◊ ...
scuttle
[OED, altered form of cut
tie, rare; by hypercorrection of initial consonant] n. the
cuttlefish, often thought to be young
ocotopus: Some people does eat
scuttle and shark and ...
sea bush
[W3
different sp.] n. a shrub,
Borrichia
arborescens: 1920
(Britton 450). = BAY
MARIGOLD. (Inagua,
Sari Sal.) ...
sea cock
[cf. OED cock
penis, from shape] n. a variety of dark eel (sp?). (Black) ...
sea crawler
n. a gray, half-inch long marine animal (sp?) with
tiny legs, often used for bait. (Black) ...
sea-grass eel
n. an eel, Chilorhinus suensoni: 1968
(Böhlke 74). (Black) ...
sea gulf
(lieu.,
Mayag.); sea gully (Andros) [cf. W Car, sea
gulf idem (by hypercorrection of gull)] n. sea gull. = ...
sea hawk
[OED different sp.] n. the osprey, Pandion haliaetus: 1972 (Paterson 47). (Black) ...
sea needle
sea needle n. 1. [cf. OED sea nettle jellyfish] a small
variety of jellyfish (Acalephae sp.) with a painful sting. cf. NETTLE,
SEA WASP (Andros, Adelaide)
2. ...
sea nit
[etym?] n. the white-nosed pipefish, Corythoichthys
albirostris. (Andros) ...
sea-pie
[OED different sp.] n.
a bird, the royal tern (Thalasseus maximus). (Acklins) ...
sea pippie
[cf. SEA COCK idem, and PIPPIE penis] n. a variety of dark eel (sp?).
(Inagua, Mayag.) ...
sea pussy
[cf.
DHS pussy female pudend, from appearance] n. a marine animal,
probably the sea anemone (Actinia sp.). It is reddish-yellow
to purple with a round, flat, rubbery body
which ...
searching light
(Black); search light (Eleu.,
San Sal.) [OED search
light a powerful arc lamp] n. a torch; flashlight: If you got lantern [you can] carry that. . . ...
searching needle
[in reference to needle-like seedcases which adhere to clothing in search of a place to grow] n.
a plant, Bidens pilosa. = DUPPY NEEDLE, SHEPHERD'S NEEDLE ...
sea rut
[etym?] n.
marl or chalky mud on the sea floor. = WHITE MALT (Andros) ...
seasick
[cf. SICK to become sick] v. to become seasick: All the
passengers begun to seasick (COB). (San Sal.) ...
seaside bean
[ DJE idem] n. a plant, Canavalia obtusifolia
or bahamensis, with prostrate stem, purple
flowers and an edible bean. = BAY
BEAN, RED SEASIDE BEAN. (Black) ...
season someone's ass
[cf. OED season to discipline, train obs. → 1658]
phr. to give someone a beating: Daddy
season up he ass well and good (Nassau). (Black) ...
sea star
[Belize idem (Dayley); OED idem] n. a
starfish. (Nassau) ...
sea tinnicky
[etym?,
but cf. Guy. tengaleh pincers of a crab (Yansen 27)] n. a blue sea crab. (White,
Cat) ...
sea wasp
[DJE idem] n. a small, stinging
jellyfish (sp?).
cf. SEA
NEEDLE, NETTLE (Black) ...
sea-weed
[OED
different sp.; from habitat near rather than in the sea] n. a land plant, Rhachicallis
rupestris: 1889 Called by the fishermen "seaweed", . . usually confined ...
sea whips
[from its
long, flexible stems] n. a sea plant, Cirrepathes sp.: 1978 (Campbell 145). ...
S.E.C.'s
/es iy siyz/ [etym? but cf. Fr. sec dry, possibly from Haitian goods] n. dry goods, as blankets, clothing, furniture, sent from abroad. (Eleu., Cat.) ...
secure
[0ED, protect from danger] v. to put away, store: Please secure your garbage (sign in Nassau). Pick in your clothes and secure for ironing the ...
seed
n. 1. [W Car.; cf. Haitian grenn bwa idem HCEFD] fruit: 1976 In this [almond] seed is a kernel (Eneas 12). (Black)
2. [Car.; cf. ...
seedy
adj. 1. [cf. SEED 3] (of hair) very short, tightly curled, and difficult to brush out: Tha's the seediest head I ever see if I ...
seeking
[cf. OED seek to try to find out rare] adj. 1. inquisitive: You're too seeking—you come around poking and seeking (Eleu.). (Black)
2. [also Gul. ...
see-me-no-more
n. 1. the popular name of a Nassau cemetery. (Gen.)
2. a game of tag around a boat, played by swimmers (Mayag., Cat) ...
seen, scene
[cf. Jamaican Rastafarian talk "Seen for assent or seen? for question are commonplace in any youth talk" (Pollard 1979:9); from see plus nasalization] intj. Do ...
seersucker
[W3 cloth with stripes alternately flat and puckered; from dark and light green venation of leaves] n. a shrub, Pseudocarpidium wrightii: 1977 (Patterson 65). (Exuma, ...
self, se'f
[Atlantic; cf. OED "the Poete selfe" obs. → 1579; cf. Réunion Cr, Fr. mèm idem (Chaudenson 1974:161)] 1. an emphasizer, corresponding to stressed pronunciation, the ...
selfish
[Gul., glum, dour (Gonzales 1922:325); cf. OED, concerned with one's own advantage to the exclusion of regard for others] adj. 1. introverted; keeping to oneself: ...
semconga
(Black); samconga (White); sand conga (Eleu.) [etym?] n. a fish, probably the SAND PERCH. ...
send call
[Pan-Creole; cf. Papiamentu manda yama (lit, send call) to summon (E. Bendix p.c.) and Haitian voye chache (lit, send search) idem HCEFD; a calque on ...
send for Fealy
[cf. Fealy Demeritte, a Nassau undertaker] phr. used when someone faints or becomes ill (humorous). (Black) ...
sensamean
[cf. BDNE II sinsemilla a highly cultivated strain of seedless marijuana, from Mexican Sp., lit. without seed; from /sinseiníya/ by apocope and nasalization] n. a ...
sent
[from send by hypercorrection] v. to send: 1966 He say, "And sent him out!" (Crowley 94). (Black)
they sent it to me used of "all ...
serenade
[cf. Montserrat "Masquerade troops. [as] individuals, small singing groups and string bands also go 'serenading' . . . from house to house every night until ...
serious
[Krio idem KED; cf. OED serious giving cause for anxiety (of the condition, not the person)] adj. very ill: She was so serious we think ...
set
n. 1. [W Car.; cf. W3, persons of a specified social type] a group (of people): 1976 These were not the only set of Yorubas ...
somebody traveling
[cf. Krio spirit di travul spirit travels, i.e. the ghost of a person just dead roams the earth KED; cf. HE TRAVELING] phr. There is ...
set
v. 1. [Car.; DHS, to fix on a victim] to apply the forces of magic; to cast a spell: 1918 Dis witchman . . set ...
setting up
[cf. Car. set-up idem DJE, Gul. sett'n up idem (Gonzales 1922:325), US Black sittin'- up (Smiley 1919:382); cf. OED sit up watch through the night ...
settle his behind
[cf. Bartlett 1848 settle one's hash to properly punish one; cf. Scots settle attend to] phr. to spank (a child): When I reach home, I ...
settlement
[Gul. idem (Gonzales 1924:31)] n. village, especially on the outer islands (the only word in common use). <Gen.> ...
set-up
n. [cf. SETTING-UP 2] a CONCERT on New Year's Eve. <Crooked> ...
set up
v. [ OED, to post, advertise] to offer (a reward): A reward was set up for the criminal (COB). <Black> ...
Seven-Day people
[by simplification of final consonant cluster of seventh] n. Seventh-Day Adventists: These Seven-Day people does do some odd things, boy! (Nassau). Also Seven-Day man, woman, ...
seven-finger
[DJE idem; from finger-like leaflets] n. a variety of FIVE FINGER (Syngonium auritum) with two additional leaflets. <White> ...
seven o' clock bush
[from time of flowers' opening] n. a shrub (sp?) with white flowers. ...
seven sisters
n. 1. [ OED idem obs.→1742] the Pleiades, a constellation of stars. <San Sal.>
2. [cf. OED seven sister('s) rose (same sp?) and ROSE any flower] ...
seven stars
[Gul. idem Pleiades (Parsons 1923:211), Sra. sébintara, sébistara idem WST; cf. OED seven stars the Pleiades; the Great Bear obs.→1754] n. a constellation of stars, ...
seven-year apple
[OED idem "supposed to require seven years to ripen"] n. a shrub, Guenipa clusiaefolia, with small, apple-like fruit: 1731 I know not for what reason ...
sex
[by shortening of phr. such as to have sex] v.t. (of males) to have sexual intercourse: When I come back he was sexing her in ...
shack
[DAE, a shabby house] n. any building used as headquarters for a JUNKANOO group. <Black> ...
shack house
n. a small, roughly-built house, usually of wood. <Black> ...
shad
[DJE Gerres sp.; OED different sp.] n. a fish, Gerres cinereus.= YELLOWFIN <Gen.> ...
shade
[ED, something which affords protection from light, heat, etc.] n. a thatched roof on poles to provide shade: 1963 Adjoining my kitchen I had built ...
shades
[DAS idem orig. bop musician use cl948 →; cf. OED shade covering worn above the eyes to protect them from glare; cf. BDNE I, shortened ...
shadow
[Atlantic; OED idem 1823] n. a reflected image: 1918 Instid of showin' him de banana-tree, he show him de shader of de banana-tree in de ...
shaker tree
[cf. SHAKER 2] n. the poinciana tree, = MAY-FLOWER TREE, EMPIRE FLOWERS, TOURIST TREE 2 <Exuma> ...
shakry
/shéykri/ [Belize idem (Dayley); probably from shakey, influenced by SHAKER] adj. dilapidated. <Nassau> ...
shallow
[in contrast to DEEP basilectal] adj. standard (language variety): 1963 All Acklins Islanders talk "deep", as they put it, compared to the "shallow" talk of ...
shallow sounding
[cf. OED in soundings near shore so depth can be tested or sounded] n. the shallow water extending from the shore to the EDGE OF ...
shame
v. 1. [Gul. idem (Gonzales 1924:139); cf. OED idem obs.→1651] to be ashamed: 1974 I shame to bring friends to my house (King 9). <Black>
2. ...
shank
[OED, shin] v. to kick (a person) in the shins <Eleu.> ...
shank bone
[OED, tibia of an animal] n. the ankle bone <Inagua, Mayag.> ...
share
v. 1. [OED idem rare] to divide into parts or shares: 1966 He share the hog in a half (Crowley 108). None wasn't agree with ...
Shark, Shark-Eater
n. nickname for a native of Harbour Island, a cay off Eleuthera. <White> ...
shark teeth
[from jagged edge] n. a style of plaiting broad strips of STRAW1 (Bannister display). <Black> ...
sharp
v. [OED now only dial.; US Black idem ADD] to sharpen: 1918 Her husband is gone out to sharp the knife (Parsons 77). <Black>
—adv. [OED, ...
sharp-nose shark
[W3 different sp.] n. a shark, Rhizoprionodon porosus: 1968 (Böhlke 20). <Inagua> ...
she
pron. 1. [Car.] her (object, possessive; rare except on the Out Islands, the more usual forms being HE or HIM): Time for she to get ...
shedder
[possibly the remnant of an obs, form from shed + —EE] v. to shed: When snake shedder he skin (Brown 44). <Black> ...
sheep-runner
[OED, sheep farmer (Australia)] n. 1. a native of Inagua: 1979 (LaRoda 68). 2. a native of Long Island: That gal is a born sheep-runner ...
sheeps
[by hypercorrection] n. pl. sheep: 1895 All de hudder sheeps (Edwards 67). <Black> ...
shell
[cf. US Black shells the outside covering of dried beans (Walker 1956:295); Brit. dial. East shell peapod (Orion L40); Scots shell the husk of oats ...
shell-fish
[cf. Vir. idem trunk-fish (Seaman); OED, oysters, crabs, etc.] n. fish with bony exoskeletons, such as COWFISH, TRUNKFISH, etc. = BOX-FISH <Andros, Adelaide> ...
shell orchid
[cf. SHELL 2; from its pods] n. a plant, Anacheilium cochleatum: 1920 (Britton 93). <Mayag., Inagua> ...
shell plant
[cf. W3 shell ginger (A. speciosa)] n. a large ornamental plant, Alpinia nutans: 1889 (Gardner 353). = GINGER <Mayag., Inagua> ...
shepherd(s) needle
[W3 different sp.; cf. DAE Spanish needle idem; from needle-like seeds which cling to clothing] n. 1. a plant, Bidens sp.: 1889 Bidens bipinnata (Gardner ...
shet
[Gul. idem (Gonzales 1924:47); OED obs.; dial. in Brit. EDD, US (also Black) ADD] v. to shut: 1918 Her eyes were shet (Parsons 18). <Black> ...
shimmy, shimmy-tail
[cf. US dial. idem chemise, shim damn! ADD; probably a euphemism for shit] intj. an exclamation of annoyance. <Gen.> ...
shine
adj. 1. [Atlantic; cf. DJE, KED] shiny, shining.
2. [cf. DAE shiner a silver or gold coin, slang.] (of coins) silver, as opposed to copper: ...
shine-eye snapper
[cf. SHINE shiny] n. a pink fish (Priacanthus cruentatus?) with large eyes. cf. GLASS-EYE SNAPPER <Black> ...
shine-head
[Atlantic] n., often attributive, a bald head: See that shine-head man over there? (Nassau). = BALL-HEAD <Black> ...
shingle
[from appearance] n. a style of plaiting STRAW (Wyannie Malone Museum). <Gen.> ...
shingle-and-lard
n. a style of plaiting broad light and dark strips of STRAW1 together: (Bannister display). cf. MIX PLAIT <Andros> ...
shingles
[cf. OED shingle wooden house-tile] n. 1. roofing, including tar paper, asbestos, metal, etc.: 1966 (Otterbein 112): My grandmother house make out of them tar-paper ...
shingling
[from appearance] n. newspaper or crepe paper cut into broad strips for JUNKANOO costumes, as opposed to the narrow strips called FRINGE. <Exuma, Nassau> ...
shipjack
[cf. OED skipjack name given to various fishes that leap out of the water] n. a fish (sp?) of the jack family: 1782 Baracuda, shipjacks, ...
shittin'
[cf. OED shitten (past participle of shit v.) defiled with excrement; contemptible] adj. (of persons) worthless: I go cut he ass for him where he ...
shitting cloud
<Eleu.>; shif(t)ing cloud <Black>; shooting cloud <Andros> [W Car shittin' cloud idem; from shitten + cloud (DJE) plus euphemism] n. a lightish patch of skin ...
shitting squid
[from its release of ink for defense] n. a variety of squid (Loligo pealii?). <Black> ...
shittin's: the shittin's
[cf. W3 the shits idem] n. diarrhea: He done eat so much till he get the shittin's (Nassau). <Nassau> ...
shock
<Black>; shuck <Eleu., Mayag.> [OED shock to impart a physical shock] v. to cause a stabbing pain: My tooth was shocking me (Nassau). <Black> ...
shoes
[Atlantic (Hancock 1969:56)] n. sing. or pl. shoe(s): The girl was wearing a blue shoes (Nassau). <Black>
◊Note a shoes a pair of shoes is in ...
Sho’ ‘nuff
/show nóf/ [US Black idem ADD; from sure enough] adv. certainly: 1936 Dese …ol’ garrisons is sho’ ‘nuff interestin’ (Dupuch 8). <Gen.> ...
shoot-for-take
[cf. FOR complementizer] n. the usual game of marbles, in which a player keeps the marbles he hits. <Inagua, Mayag.>
-v. phr. shoot for take to ...
shooting star
[W3 different sp.; from star-shaped leaves] n. a tree, Erythrina christagalli: 1956 (Higgs 11). <Black> ...
shop
[cf. OED shop-bought] attributive n. bought in a store; not made by hand: 1940 "Did you make them yourselves?" I asked. "Hers is a shop ...
shortage
[from short-circuit, influenced by shortage deficiency, or possibly outage loss of electrical power] n. an electrical short-circuit: They house burn down 'cause they had a ...
short eddy
/shoht édi/ [cf. EDDY; from its short, round tubers] n. a plant, Colocasia esculenta, with an edible rhizome: 1889 shot eddoe (Gardner 359). <Adelaide> ...
shortie
/shóhti/ [cf. OED schottische a dance like the polka, influenced by short] n. the schottische, a square dance popular in the early 1900's: 1978 (Bethel ...
short-leaf wild fig
n. a tree, Ficus citrifolia, with small, edible white seeds: 1977 (Patterson 45). <Black> ...
short of patient
[cf. Gul. shawt-pashunt irritable (Gonzales 1922:325); from short of patience (cf: distant distance)] phr. quick-tempered. <Black> ...
short wind: the short wind
[Atlantic; cf. OED shortwinded suffering from difficulty in breathing (the major symptom)] n. asthma. <Black> ...
should, shoulda
[from should('ve)] auxiliary v. ought to (no tense agreement): 1977 They have accident up there. You shoulda turn back (advice for immediate action) (Shilling 76). ...
shoulder basket
n. a round basket with a strap to go over the shoulder. <Gen.> ...
shout
[cf. Gul. ʃaut a religious ring dance in which the participants continue to perform until they become exhausted (Turner 1949:202); US Black shout to chant ...
shouter
[Trin. idem (Winer p.c.); cf. SHOUT] n. a member of a religious sect: 1888 This church belongs to a sect popularly known as "The Shouters", ...
shouting meeting
[cf. SHOUT] a religious service with singing: 1880 They sang the religious songs which they had learned in "the shouting meetings"(Ives 73). <Black> ...
show from you
[probably from shove, by /v, w/ alternation or /v/ merging with the following /1/, with vowel influenced by show] phr. boatman's instruction to turn to ...
shub
/shob/, shoove /shuv/ [cf. W Car. /shub/ idem; cf. Brit. dial. Mid. North /ʋ/ for standard /ə/ (Orton Ph 158)] v. 1. to shove: 1966 ...
shuck
[OED, husk of snot] n. the husk of a coconut: When you chop the coconut, you got to get off the shuck (Inagua). <White, Inagua> ...
shuffle
v.i. [W Car.; cf. OED, to shift about hesitatingly obs.→1697] to move along the floor on one's belly. <Black>
—v.t. [ OED, to manipulate (playing cards)] ...
siffer
[cf. OED sifter sieve] n. a sieve. <Inagua, Mayag.> ...
siff wire
<Black>; sieve wire <Eleu.> [cf. W Car, sieve wire idem; SIFF sieve] n. wire mesh, as used to screen windows. ...
sifter face
[cf. sifter sieve + FACE mask] n. a mask worn at JUNKANOO: 1978 "Sifter faces".. were "storebought", meaning factory manufactured, and were made from a ...
sight
[cf. Jam. Rasta talk idem (Pollard 1980:20)] intj. (Do you) understand? (I) understand. (youth slang): You could say "sight" but it real out of style, ...
sight glasses
[as opposed to drinking glasses, etc.] n. eyeglasses; spectacles. <Black> ...
silent
[Gul. idem (Parsons 1923:177); from silence, construed as ending in the plural -s] n. silence: They must break their silent (COB). <Inagua, San Sal.> ...
silker
[cf. Brit. dial. North seki second (in counting marbles) (Harder 1955:29); perhaps influenced by silver or silk] intj. in playing KNOCKS HOLE with marbles, said ...
silk manella
[cf. W Car, silk grass and MANELLA, both Agave sp.; from silky fibres] n. a plant, Sanseviera trifasciata, producing fibres for rope, etc. cf. WILD ...
silky shark
n. a shark, Carcharhinus falsiformis: 1968 (Böhlke 14). ...
silver-leaf palmetto
[see quot.] n. a palm tree (Coccothrinax argentea?): 1731 Silver Leaf Palmetto . . . leaves of a shining silver colour used to make ropes, ...
silver thatch
[see quote and THATCH palm frond] n. a palm tree, Coccothrinax argentea: 1788 Among the indigenous palms [is] "Silver Thatch" . . . the leaves ...
silver-top braid
<Andros, Exuma>; silver-top plait <Crooked> [cf. DAE silver-top palm, whose fronds are used] n. a style of weaving narrow strips of STRAW together tightly: (Bannister ...
simple
[W Car.; OED now dial.] adj. (of people) dull-witted: Boy, I thought you had better sense, but you so simple (Nassau). <Gen.> ...
sin
[W Car.; cf. Scots, Irel. sin blame EDD] n. blame, fault: The sin would fall on you (Nassau). cf. KILL THE SIN <Gen.> ...
since
prep. [OED followed by time expression] from the time (that I was . . . etc.): I ain't do that since a child (Ragged). cf. ...
sing
n. [ Atlantic; also US Black (Parsons 19I7a: 169)] a song: 1966 the same sing (Crowley 50). 1974 Songs, termed sings by Bahamians (Glinton 24). ...
singer
[cf. Brit. dial. North sing of animals: to hum, buzz EDD] n. the cicada, Tibicen sp.: Dem singer sure like come roun' you' house makin' ...
singing tree, singer tree
[ see 1880 quot.] n. a tree, Albizzia lebbek: 1827 The "music" or "singing tree" (Culmer 45). 1880 Trees... [with] seeds like the bean, in ...
sing out
v. [OED idem → 1901; Tok Pisin idem (Hall 1943: 117)] to call out: 1895 'E sing out, 'e say "Dis t'ing don' vwalk like ...
sink
[from the marbles' disappearance into the player's pocket] v. to hoard a portion of one's marbles during a game instead of playing them all, so ...
sinkers
[ DAE, muffins, doughnuts, dumplings; DHS small stodgy cake of doughnut kind, gen. in plural] n. pl. heavy, unleavened dumplings served in soup. <Black> ...
sinnit
[Car.; cf. DJE snit, sinit idem] n. the sennet fish, Sphyraena borealis, which resembles the barracuda. <Andros> ...
sip-sip
[cf. Car. susu idem, from Twi susùw kã to utter a suspicion DJE; Vir. shushu idem (Roy 1974); cf. also Haitian chwi-chwi-chwi whispering (gossip) HCEFD; ...
sireen
/sayríyn/ [cf. OED sirene idem obs.; also US dial. ADD] n. siren: 1940 D' sireen gone off d' udder night (Dupuch 69). <Black> ...
sisi
[cf. Cuban Sp. cecí idem WFF] n. the pork-fish, Anisotremus virginicus: 1905 A very good food fish, known as the sisi (Shattuck 308). <San Sal.> ...
sister
[Car., US Black DAS] n. a polite term of address to an unrelated female (usually of the speaker's generation; can have a sexual connotation when ...
sistern
[cf. SISTER; probably by analogy to brethren, but cf. OED sistern sisters obs.→1550 and "a vulgar pronunciation sometimes heard from uneducated preachers at the [US] ...
skeet, skeetch
[cf. OED skeet a long-handled scoop; to throw (water) over sails, etc. with a skeet; cf. Brit. dial. North skeet to cause a liquid to ...
skiff
[OED, a small light boat] n. a pretty young woman (youth slang). <Abaco, San Sal.> ...
skill
[cf. OED skillet saucepan, possibly reinterpreted as skill it] v. to fry (flour) in fat when preparing a stew: 1980 (Watson 7). ...
skin
n. 1. [Atlantic (Alleyne 13)] body, especially in phr. like CUT HIS SKIN give him a beating. <Black>
2. [Pan-Creole; cf. "reflexive expressed by word meaning ...
skin cat
[Cf. CATGUTS a forward somersault] v. to do a forward somersault. <Gen.> ...
Skin Color
The Bahamas has six blacks for every white, a ratio nearly opposite that of the United States. Although race relations are clearly different in each ...
slake go
[cf. Cayman slake the line out (Doran 1954:84); cf. OED slake to make slack obs. →1581 + let go release] phr. to let go (of ...
slam-bam
[DJE, immediately; from quick preparation] n. a bologna sandwich: Slam-barn just make out of sausage and bread—no mayonnaise and thing (Nassau). <Black> ...
slang
[OED, language of a highly colloquial nature] n. 1. the creolized English of the Bahamas, usually called Bahamian dialect: They speak a longer slang [i.e. ...
Slavery
The Bahamas never had the large-scale plantations found elsewhere except for the brief period from about 1785 to 1805 when American loyalists tried to raise ...
slavery-time
[cf. BEFORE-TIME adj.] adj. pertaining to the period before emancipation: They say they was slavery-time people (Nassau). <Black> ...
sleep
[from asleep, by apocope] adj. asleep: 1966 I be sleep (Crowley 121). <Gen.>
I ain't sleeping on him [from the lack of awareness of one sleeping] ...
slender friar
n. a fish, Atherina araea: 1905 (Shattuck 301). <Exuma> ...
slick
adj. 1. [OED, in good condition (of animals); cf. US slang slick chick an attractive, well-dressed hep girl DAS] attractive (of girls). <Black>
2. [Belize, stealthy ...
slide
[US Black DAS; OED, colloq. to make off, orig. US 1859] v. to leave: Let's slide (Nassau). Let's slide on (Inagua). <Black> ...
sliders
[cf. DJE spinner small, finger-shaped dumpling shaped by spinning it between the hands] n. long, thin leavened dumplings. <Black> ...
sling, sling your lizard
[cf. LIZARD penis] phr. to fornicate promiscuously: Don't go around slinging all the time (Exuma). <Black> ...
slip
[DAE, (of bark) to peel off] v.t. to peel (fruit); to remove the skin (of beans). <Gen.> ...
slippers
n. 1. [W Car.; Gul. idem (Parsons 1923: 120); from the plural] n. sing. or pl. slipper: 1918 Dat golden slippers (Parsons 160). <Black>
2. also ...
slippery dick
n. 1. [W3 different sp.; from smooth skin] a fish, Iridio bivittatus: 1905 (Shattuck 314). <Black>
2. [from mucilaginous juice of berries] a plant (sp?) with ...
sloop
n. [OED, a small one-masted vessel] a sailing boat of native design with a fish-well. <Gen.> ...
sloop
v. [cf. OED slop to lap up noisily, now dial.; cf. also US slurp idem W3] to drink noisily: 1977 (Jones 19). I hate that ...
sloops
[cf. OED slops refuse liquid; Scots sloop to dash water from a vessel] intj. imitative of the sound of a splash: The dog dive in ...
sloopy
[cf. SLOOP slop and OED sloppy watery and disagreeable] adj. of a semi-liquid consistency: She makes her grits too sloopy (Nassau). <Black> ...
slop
n. Also slops [OED, refuse liquid, usu. pl.] the intestines and other refuse from a conch: 1977 The "slops" are taken off, and the conchs ...
slow commotion
[from slow-motion, perhaps influenced by locomotion or commotion] adj. boring; moving slowly: In dem days everyting slow commotion (Ragged). <Black> ...
smack and smooth
[cf. DAE smack smooth level obs.→1848; DHS idem] phr. (razed) to the ground: They meant to mash Bay Street smack and smooth (Long). ...
small
[OED narrow obs.→1803; Brit. dial. North 'thin' EDD] adj.,adv. tight (of braids): 1918 She plat down her hair small (Parsons 81). <Black> ...
small-bush land
[from merger of bush shrub and BUSH forest; from the low growth] n. scrubland: 1905 The Bahama Marl or scrubland, sometimes known also as "small ...
small cane
[from its resemblance to sugar cane] n. a plant, Lascia divaricata, used medicinally: 1972 (Durrell 88). cf. CANE GRASS, WILD CANE ...
small copper
[cf. COPPER an old English penny; from its smaller size] n. an old English halfpenny: 1888 (Powles 158). <Black> ...
small-leaf
(wild) fig n. a tree, Ficus perforata, with small red-brown fruit: 1977 (Patterson 45). = LATROPE <Exuma, San Sal.> ...
small-mouth grunt
n. a fish, Haemulon chrysargyreurn: 1968 (Böhlike 376). = SOW-FISH <Black> ...
small-scale thread-fin
n. a fish, Polydactylus oligodon: 1968 (Böhlike 209). <Exuma> ...
small-talking
[cf. W3 small talk idem] n. casual conversation. <Eleu.> ...
small white sage
n. an aromatic plant, Salvia serotina, used medicinally: 1978 (Higgs 8). = CATNIP, WHITE CATNIP 2 ...
smart
[cf. OED, adj. clever] v. to succeed by one's wits: 1973 A brave little taylor who smarted his way into owning half a kingdom (Missick ...
smell: you must be smell yourself
[cf. Trin. smell yourself think you are an adult (Winer); cf. Guy. smelling yourself putting on airs (Yansen 41); nautical smell the spot bend over ...
smile with
phr. to smile at (one another): She like smile up with people, then go talk behind they back (Nassau). <Black> ...
smoke
[OED to expose to the smoke of some curative substance] v.t. to expose to smoke in order to dispel evil spells or spirits, especially in ...
smokey
[cf. Belize Smokey Joe a dark person (Young); US Black smoke Negro (Van Patten 1931:31); DAS smoky (derog.) adj. Negro] adj. of a complexion not ...
smooth
[OED, having a surface free from projections] adj. level (of measurements): 1978 two smooth teaspoonsful of salt (Higgs 27). <Black> ...
smooth black
adj. of a very dark complexion: 1979 (Laroda 15). <Black> ...
smoothening iron, smooth iron
[cf. OED smoothen to make smooth, now rare] n. a flatiron heated over a fire for pressing clothes. <Andros> ...
snook
v. 1. [US dial. idem ADD] to steal. (Black)
2. to catch
a turtle by rolling it on its back. (Nassau, San Sal.) ...
snout seahorse
n. a seahorse, Hippocampus
reidi. (Black) ...
so
adv. 1. [Car.; "from English so … but sometimes with concurrent influence of African words and
syntax—e.g. of Twi sò thus" DJE] thus (after adj. and ...
soady
/sówdi/
[etym?] n. a fish (sp?) resembling
the barracuda. (Andros) ...
soak
[OED,
to absorb; to bake (bread etc.) thoroughly] v.
(of rice) to be set aside to absorb the remaining water after cooking: 1980 After the water has ...
soak it on him
[cf,
OED soak (dry) to impoverish obs. → 1687; US slang soak
overcharge, sock it to him to attack
vigorously DAS] phr. to over-charge:
1963 These people just try to ...
soap bush
[cf.
DAE soap plant any of various plants
whose parts can be used for soap] n.
a plant, Ambrosia hispida: 1978
(Higgs 14). My grandmother does get soap
bush when ...
soap tree
[OED,
name for any tree whose parts may provide a soap substitute] n. a tree, Colubrina arborescens: 1977 (Patterson 31). = SNAKE BARK (Gen.) ...
sobby
(Eleu.);
sabby (Andros, Nassau); subby (San Sal.) [cf. Brit. dial. North sob, sab to soak; US dial. South sobby sodden ADD] adj. (of rice) soggy and ...
sobby yobby
[etym.
uncertain, but cf. DJE yaba vessel
from Twi ayawá idem]
n. a shrub (sp?) with round fruit,
about two inches in diameter, used by children to make pipes ...
society steward
[Krio
idem, (in Methodist church) officer responsible for the conduct of the service
KED; cf. DAE society Protestant
church group] n. the official next in
authority to the minister ...
socks
[Atlantic;
from the pl.] n. sing. or pl. sock: My right-foot socks (Nassau). (Black) ...
so far
[OED,
up to a certain point] phr. to a
limited extent: They spoke English so
far, but then you'da haddy use sign (Ragged). (Black) ...
soft
adj. (of cooked grits) of a semi-liquid
consistency: Soft grits taste better – it
almost like gruel. cf. HARD (Nassau)
–v. [OED
idem obs. → 1340;
cf. the general ...
sog rice
[cf. OED sog to soak, now dial.; also US dial. South WEA] n. overcooked rice. = SOBBY (Black) ...
soldier
/sówja/, soldier snail
[cf. OED soldier crab idem; cf. Fr.
Cr. sòlda (lit. soldier) idem (Chaudenson
1974:627)] n. the hermit crab, a tiny
species which lives in and carries ...
soldier berry
n. a tree, Malvaviscus arboreus, with red flowers and small brown fruit: 1977
(Patterson 17). (San Sal.) ...
soldier bird
[cf. DJE cock soldier or crackpot
soldier idem "evidently for its military posture"] n. the stilt, Himantopus himantopus: 1972 (Patterson 66). = TELL-BILL-WILLY,
TELL-TALE (San Sal.) ...
Soldier Crab
[cf. SOLDIER, perhaps from their withdrawn temperament, or
alluding to a naval man-of-war's inhabitants] n. nickname for a native of Man-O-War Cay, Abaco: 1977 A Man-0-Warian, ...
soldier('s) tassel
[DJE different sp.] n. a plant, Emilia sonchifolia, with long red flowers: 1971 (Rabley 33). (San
Sal.) ...
soldier vine, soldier wine, soldier bush
n. a plant, Tournefortia volumbilis: 1920 (Britton 361). 1978 Soldier vine … a trailing shrub used to
"restore a man's manhood" (Higgs 15). (Black) ...
soldier wood
[W3 different sp.] n. a tree, Colubrina elliptica: 1977 (Patterson 57). = SMOOTH SNAKE BARK
(Black) ...
solitaire
[DHS, solitary confinement] n., Obs. a building for
keeping slaves in solitary confinement: 1888 Near [his] house is still standing what is called a solitaire, where
the ...
Solomon potato
[etym. unknown, but cf. the equally
Biblical ABRAHAM CASSAVA] n. a
variety of sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas:
1977 (Albury 20). (Gen.) ...
somebody
[Car.; Gul. idem ADD; cf. DJE smadi, Sra. soema idem
WST] n. a person: 1918 Dey set two sheet, an' fix it under bed like
it was ...
something
/sómting, sompm/ n. 1.
[Car.; cf. Sra. sani idem WST] thing:
1918 He see dis somept'in' in de bed like
two somebody (Parsons 61). 1966 Big
something like that, ...
something else
[DAS idem 1957 →; cf. BDNE I] phr.
something extraordinary: 1936 Dis war
bizness is sump'n else (Dupuch 32). (Gen.) ...
sometimey
[US Black idem (Major); cf. sometimish in Trin. (Winer p.c.) and Vir. (Seaman)] adj. (of persons) moody, changeable: Some people so sometimey! Yesterday she talk
to ...
song service
n. a church service in which the
singing of hymns predominates: 1980 (Major 7). ...
sook
[Scots, to suck CSD] n. a bird, the
yellow-bellied sap-sucker (sphyrapica
varius): 1940 (Bond 147, p.c.) ...
soon
[Atlantic; OED idem obs.
→ 1700; also Brit. dial. North (EDD), Scots (SND), US (ADD);
cf. also Port. de manhā cedo early in the morning (cf. cedo ...
soon peas
[perhaps from their short cooking
time] n. blackeye peas. (Black) ...
sore bush
[see 1917 quot.] n. a plant, Heliotropium
parviflorum: 1920 (Britton 363). 1979 The
leaves and petals of the sore bush are dried and powdered; this is then
sprinkled ...
sorey
[from sore + -y forming adj.] adj. covered with sores: 1918 You old sorey louse head (Parsons 20). Dale sister got some sorey leg (Nassau).
(Gen.) ...
soso
[Pan-Creole; cf. Negro Dutch súsu, LA Fr. soso, Port. Cr. soso,
Atlantic Eng. Cr. soso, which seem to
be a reduplication of Port. só only, but may ...
so-till
[Atlantic 'until'; DJE idem
"derived by aposiopesis from such phrases as –so till I can't express
it'"] adv. inexpressibly;
excessively: 1918 Gal, you love me so
till (Parsons 14). ...
sound
/sawn/ [Trin. idem (Winer p.c.); cf. OED nautical to investigate the depth of water with the line and lead; surgical to investigate with a probe ...
sounding
/sáwnin/ n. 1. [cf. W3
soundings part of a body of water
where a hand sounding line will reach the bottom] the shallow water between the
shore and ...
sounding rod
[cf. SOUNDING 2 + rod] n.
stethoscope: 1963 In the out-islands of
the Bahamas the doctor's stethoscope, his "sounding rod", is credited
with almost supernatural diagnostic powers (Cottman ...
sour
[from taste] n. 1. acidic citrus fruit, usually the lime (LITTLE SOUR) or
Seville orange (BIG SOUR), but can include the lemon and grapefruit: 1895 Ol' ...
sour bush
[W3 different sp.; from taste of the
medicinal infusion made from its leaves] n.
a plant, Pluchea odorata: 1905
(Shattuck 207). I boil sour bush—that
bitter! (Andros). = COUGH ...
sour orange
[Car.] n. the Seville orange, Citrus
vulgaris: 1782 They have oranges
(sweet, sour and bitter) (Bruce, quoted by Albury 1975:80). (Gen.) ...
sour plum
[W Car.; from taste] n. a tree (Spondias myrobalanus?) or its fruit. (Black) ...
sour tree
[cf. SOUR 1] n. a citrus tree, usually the lime or Seville orange, but sometimes
the lemon or grapefruit. (Gen.) ...
souse water
[OED souse cooked and pickled pig's feet or other meat; US dial. South
idem WSC] n. the seasoned liquid for
souse: 1966 (a song) Panka panka pemi ...
south'ard
/sódad (Gen.); sórad (Eleu.)/ [OED, nautical; US
dial. North idem ADD] n. south: 1918 See him to the southerd (Parsons 83).
cf. EAST’ARD, NOR’ARD, WEST’ARD ...
sou(th)side
[by opposition to nor'side, shore facing the open ocean
(not necessarily the north side); cf. north
shore windward shore] n. the
swampy side of an island (not necessarily ...
sow
[cf. OED sow-cat
female cat, also US dial. South ADD] n.
the female (e.g. of crabs and cats; not used of hogs by some). (Eleu., White) ...
sow-fish
(Andros); sow-grunt (San Sal.); sow-mouth
(Cat, Crooked) n. the small-mouth
grunt, Haemulon chrysargyreum. ...
spacy
[OED, spacious] adj. having gaps, as between teeth: The chairs was spacy—there was plenty room between them (Nassau).
(Black) ...
Spain-Spain
[from its cry] n. a bird, the blue-grey gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea): 1940 (Bond 178, p.c.). = CAT BIRD, CHEW BIRD,
COTTON BIRD (Inagua) ...
span
or spam: make your span
(Exuma); make your spam (Inagua,
Mayag.) [cf. US span v. before
shooting from a hole in the game of knucks, to describe a ...
Spaniard
[cf. SPANISH] n. the Greater Antillean bullfinch, Loxigilla violacea, a black bird with red patches: 1960 (Bond 231).
= RED SPANIARD, SPANISH PAROQUET, JACK SPANIARD 1, ...
Spaniard wasp
[cf. Vir. Jack Spaniard wasp, yellowjacket (Seaman)] n. a large brown wasp (sp?). (Andros, San Sal.) ...
Spanish
[Car.; from lighter-skinned
Spanish-speakers being considered RED] adj.
of a color from red to tan to gold (in compound words).
Spanish calalu [DJE idem] n. pokeweed, Phytolacca ...
spank
[OED, to slap or smack (a person,
esp. a child) with the open hand] v.
to beat (a drum) loudly. (Black) ...
spark
[cf. OED spar to box, possibly influenced by spank] v. to punch (a
person). (San Sal.) ...
spec
[cf. OED specs spectacles colloq.]
n. sing. eye glasses: 1963 There was in the islands a great need for
glasses, "a spec" as the natives called them—always ...
speckle-eye
(Gen.); speckle-eye hind (San Sal.) n.
a fish, Mycteroperca tigris. TIGER
GROUPER ...
spell for something
[cf. Brit. dial. spell (for) to strive to obtain by hints without directly asking
EDD] phr. to try to get by hinting: She spelling for piece ...
sperit, speerit, sparit
/spérit/ [Gul. idem (Hancock 1969:59); cf. OED spirit the disembodied soul of a
(deceased) person] n. ghost, often
distinguished from Spirit Holy Ghost:
1918 Dese speerits which you ...
sperit bean
(Andros, Exuma); sperit peas (Crooked) [cf. OED duppy
peas (Crotolaria sp.)] n. a plant (sp?) with five-inch pods
containing white beans. ...
sperit bread
1. (San Sal.), also sperit hat (Crooked) [cf. SPERIT, but
connection uncertain] n. a round loaf
of JOHNNY CAKE. = MOON BREAD
2. (Berry), also sperit umbrella ...
sperit passing
[cf. Krio spirit pas, said when there is a complete silence KED] phr. said when a person is out of breath
from running and can't speak. ...
spice
or spice tea [cf. SPICE allspice + TEA any hot drink; cf. Haitian epis te spices (tea) HCEFD] n. a medicinal infusion made from the
leaves ...
spice tree
[cf. OED spice strongly flavoured substances from plants] n. the allspice tree, Pimenta officinalis, with its fragrant
berry and leaves used for flavoring. (Black) ...
spicket, spricket
[cf. dial, spicket spiggot, in Brit. (EDD), US (ADD), US Black (Walker
1956:319)] n. water tap. (Black) ...
spider lily
[W3, DJE different sp.] n. a plant with a white flower
resembling a spider: 1889 Pancratium sp. (Gardner
356). 1971 Crinum sp. (Rabley 53).
1977 Hymenocallis declinata
(Patterson 121). ...
spider web
[from appearance] 1. a plant, the
SPIDER LILY. (Andros, Adelaide)
2. a style of plaiting STRAW¹ (Wyannie Malone Museum). (White, Cat, Long) ...
spiked aloe
[from tall flowering stem] n. the maguey plant, Agave americana: 1889 (Gardner 356). =
FLOWERING ALOE, LILLY TREE (San Sal.) ...
spike down
[cf. OED spike to secure by means of spikes] v. to drive long nails into a coffin to prevent the spirit of the
dead person from ...
spilligate
[etym. uncertain, but cf. OED spiflicate to confound, and PIFLICATED
very drunk] v. to have a good time
out on the town: My brother forever goin'
spilligatin' (Nassau). ...
spinach
[DJE, Amarantus sp.; W3, Spinacia
oleracea] n. a trailing plant
(sp?) with edible leaves different from that common in the U.S. (Andros,
Nassau) ...
spiny bur
n. a plant, Acanthospermum humile, with hooked prickles: 1920 (Britton 447).
(San Sal.) ...
spiny milk berry
n. a tree, Bumelia celastrina, with black, edible berries: 1977 (Patterson
21). (Mayag., San Sal.) ...
Spirit: in the Spirit
[cf. OED Spirit the active essence of the Deity] phr. in a state of religious ecstasy: 1980 Being "in the Spirit" is a trance-like state ...
spirit bird, sperit bird
[cf. SPERIT, from belief that it
foretells of a death in a household by lighting on the roof] n. a black bird (Antrostomus carolinensis?). cf. DEAD—PEOPLE ...
spirit can't agree
[cf. OED spirit the emotional part of a person] phr. to be unable to get along with (a person): Them kind o' people spirit can't ...
spirit take to someone
[also Guy. (Yansen 39), Krio KED; cf.
DAS take (a shine) to take a liking
to] phr. to like (a person): My spirit just don't take to ...
spitty nor'easter
[cf. Scots spitter wind-driven rain CSD] n.
a misty rain from the northeast. (Gen.) ...
spliff
[cf. DJE splif a smoke of ganja, a ganja cigarette "cf. US slang spifflicate to make drunk, to
bewilder"; DAS idem] n. a large
marijuana cigarette: Spliff ...
spokadocious
/spòwkadówshas/ or spankadocious [etym.
uncertain, but cf. SPOOKS girlfriend, DJE stoshus
stylish "probably reduced from ostentatious
with vowel a changed by analogy to precocious, ferocious, etc."] adj.
(of women) ...
sponge
[OED, n. the soft fermenting dough of
which bread is made] v. to let (yeast
dough) rise. cf. LIGHT 2 (Black) ...
Sponging
Catching sponges for export was a
major industry in the Bahamas until the 1930's. Many varieties of these marine
animals were found on the shallow banks of ...
spoogie
/spúwgi/ (Black); spooks
/spuwks/ (Eleu.) [cf. Vir. splucka
idem (Seaman), US dial. South spark
idem WSC; cf. also SPROGIE] n. 1.
girlfriend.
2. term of address to one's girlfriend. ...
spoon wood
[OED, W3 different sp., formerly used
to make spoons; the Bah. sp. has spoon-shaped leaves] n. a tree,Maytenus buxifolia:
1905 (Shattuck 240). One is gum-elemi
bark, the other ...
spot-fin hagfish
n. a fish, Bodianus pulchellus: 1968 (Böhlke 451). (Exuma, San Sal.) ...
spotted soapfish
n. a fish, Rypticus subbifrenatus: 1968 (Böhlke 291). (Mayag.) ...
sprat jack
[cf. OED sprat a small herring or any of various small fishes + JACK; said
to eat only sprats, but the name may have been influenced ...
spread (out)
[MCC idem; cf. OED spread v. to flatten out, n. bed-cover] v. to make (a bed): She spread de old lady bed (Ragged). (Black) ...
sprickles
[W Car.; by hypercorrection of
initial consonant cluster] n.
prickles; thorns. (Black) ...
sprig
n. [OED a shoot, twig, or spray of a
plant; cf. also v.] 1. a strand (of hair). (Gen.)
2. the sparse beard of a young ...
spring chicken
[W Car. idem, E Car. mountain chicken idem; from its taste,
resembling that of chicken] n. frog
legs, as food: I hear say spring chicken
almost good as ...
sprizzle
[from SPRY to rain lightly + drizzle] v. to sprinkle (of rain): 1940 I
radder fer it t' rain hard twice a munt dan t' sprizzle ...
sprogie
/sprówgi/ [cf. SPOOGIE, SPROGUE] n. a girlfriend. (Black)
—adj.
(of a girl) well dressed: She sure
lookin' sprogie today (Eleu). ...
sprogue
/sprowg/ [cf. Brit. dial. North sprogue to ramble for pleasure; to make
love under cover of night EDD] v. to
go out looking for fun, such as ...
sprout-weed
n. the shoot from a root left underground
when the ground was being cleared for farming: I got to go weed the sprout-weed from among them ...
spry
n. [Bajan idem (Collymore); cf. OED spry, obs. variant of spray, water blown from or thrown up by
the waves of the sea in the form ...
spudding (potatoes)
[cf. DAS spud to spade; a potato; cf. also POTATO breast] phr. to be developing breasts (of
adolescent girls). (Black) ...
spur
(White); spore (San Sal.) [cf. OED spur
a sharp pointed growth on part of the body] n.
the operculum of the conch, which is long and pointed. ...
spy glass
[W Car.; OED, a small telescope nautical; Scots a monocle CSD] n. 1. binoculars. (Gen.)
2. a magnifying glass. (Black) ...
squall
[probably from school, influenced by squall
storm] n. a school (of fish). (Black) ...
square
[from shape but cf. also Haitian karo 2.5 acres (cf. Fr. carreau square) TDKF] n. a plot of land cleared for farming: I gon plant ...
squares
[from pattern] n. a style in which the hair is divided into squares, each of which
forms a single braid which is braided into a second ...
squawk
[OED, (of birds) to croak] v. 1. to laugh loudly and crudely: Boy, she could squawk, eh? I never know
nobody could laugh so hard (Nassau). ...
squeege
[dial. in Brit. (DHS), US (ADD)] v. to squeeze: 1940 Don't squeege muh pressure points (Dupuch 48). (Black) ...
squib
[cf. squib young squirrel, in Brit. dial. Mid. (EDD), US dial. South
(ADD)] n. the squirrel fish, Holocentrus ascensionis. (Adelaide) ...
squill lily
[cf. OED squill different sp.] n.
a plant, Crinum erubescens: 1889 (Gardner
356). (San Sal.) ...
squinch¹
[cf. W Car. kwint to wink, US dial. Black, South squinch squint ADD; probably from squints via /ts/ to /tʃ/ (cf. DJE anch from ants), ...
squinch²
[cf. Sra. kwinsi to
squeeze, press WST; US dial. South squinch
owl screech owl ADD] v. to creak:
The door just squinching [creaking] (Crowley 76). (Eleu., San
Sal.) ...
squinch up, skinch up
[cf. SQUINCHY 1] adj. 1. (of clothing) too tight. cf. HICE UP, HOOK UP. (Nassau)
2. (of persons) too constrained.
(Nassau) ...
squinchy
adj. 1. [cf. Trin. squingy, squinge up dried up (Winer); US dial. South idem DARE]
undersized; laughably small: 1940 li’l
squinchy Goebbels (Dupuch 1). 1980 All
I get ...
sree
[cf. Gul. stree
three (Gonzales 1922:329) and mesolectal sree
idem (Stewart p.c.); in Bah. /s/ can alternate with /th/ before /r/ + vowel,
e.g. sred thread, etc.] number ...
stain bark
[from red-brown bark] n. a shrub, Melochia tormentosa: 1905 (Shattuck 259). = VELVET BUSH (San Sal.) ...
stall (up)
[OED to keep (an animal) in a stall,
esp. for fattening; to take away (a person's) appetite, to satiate (now dial)] v. 1. (of food) to ...
stanch, stench
[cf. OED stanch, Scots stench that
which stops or allays obs. → 1790; stanch, staunch
to stop the flow of (water); to restrain (lawbreakers)] v. 1. to ...
stand
v. 1. [Atlantic; cf. OED with force of
copula in stand godfather, stand alone,
etc.; cf. Brit. dial. North stand (of
circumstances) to be EDD] to be (a ...
standing polices
[cf. Brit. sleeping policemen bumps in road to prevent speeding, and POLICE
policeman] n. pl. trees along the
roadside, because they stop drunk or speeding drivers. (Eleu.) ...
stand-foots
[W Car.; now identified with stand, but probably from stern (nautical); cf. bow foots fore legs] n. pl. 1. the hind legs of an animal,
especially ...
staple
[OED, storehouse for provisions obs. → 1688] n. barn: 1966 In the staple he catch one of the biggest
[goats] (Crowley 84). (Black) ...
star
[cf. Guy. star man present favorite admirer (Yansen 26); Jam. Rasta star guys, men (Pollard 1980:20)] n. best friend (among young males): Da's my star ...
starvation
[OED deprivation of food] n. hard times; famine: 1918 It was a very starvation. . . "Why
don't you go and look for food?" (Parsons 7). ...
station
[W Car.; OED to assign (a soldier) to
a certain place] v. to reside: My mother station in Nassau (COB).
(Black) ...
stay
v. 1. [W Car.; OED, to stop (absolute)
obs. → 1777] to halt: Stay! (Nassau).
(Gen.)
2. [W Car.; OED idem Scots, SA also
U.S. dial. South (Brown ...
steadfast
[OED, steady (of the hands) obs. → 1545] adv. firmly: You had to hold it [the egg] steadfast
(Ragged). ...
stealing the bride
phr. (at a wedding reception) leading the
bride off the dance floor to another room for a lecture on marriage: 1966
(Otterbein 50). (Black) ...
steam conch, steam fish
[cf. STEAM DOWN] n. seafood cooked with vegetables in a covered pan with little
liquid, often with tomato paste or other thickening for sauce: Mommy-dem like ...
steam down
[cf. OED steam to treat with steam for cooking] v. to cook (fish, vegetables) in a covered pan with little liquid:
1918 She run and get ...
steel wood
[cf. OED steel needle dial., from
its sharp thorns] n. a tree, Randia aculeata: 1977 (Patterson 63).
(Inagua) ...
stenchen
[cf. STANCH , STENCH; OED stanchion support] v. to exert pressure; to strain as in wrestling. (Nassau, San Sal.)
stenchen something up phr. to brace something ...
step-mother
n. the girlfriend of one's father. (Black) ...
step off
[OED to begin to march at a certain
pace military] v.t. to do (a dance): 1895 Some
expert dancer "steps off" his specialty (Edwards 17). (Inagua,
San Sal.) ...
step-people
[extension of OED prefix step- related by marriage of a parent] n. those to whom one is related by the
later marriage of one parent. (Andros, ...
stew
[OED meat boiled slowly with
vegetables] n. the water in which
meat or fish has been boiled (= GRAVY), thickened with flour. (Eleu.)
stew down [W Car., ...
stew fish
[cf. STEW] n. fish cooked in seasoned GRAVY thickened with flour or tomato
paste: Stew fish and rice is his
specialty (Nassau). (Gen.) ...
stick
n. 1. [Atlantic (Hancock 1969:50); cf.
Pap. palo lumber (Hoyer 55); Sp. palo stick acquired the meanings 'wood;
tree' after 1591 (Coro-minas), possibly influenced by African usage; ...
stick beef
[cf. DHS stick to coit with, and BEEF vagina] v. phr. (of men) to fornicate: He
ain' come round last week – must be out stickin' ...
stick like white on rice
[cf. US Black white-on-rice very close to (Roberts)] v. phr. to adhere permanently. (Nassau) ...
sticks
[OED slender piece of wood] n. stilts, (often part of old JUNKANOO
costumes. cf. JOHNNY WALKERS, WALKING STICKS). (Inagua, San Sal.) ...
stick-to-the-ribs
[cf. W Car. stick-to-me-ribs cassava pudding, Brit, dial. stick-by-the-rib suet pudding EDD; cf. US colloq. "This (food)
will stick to your ribs" (i.e. you won't be ...
sticky¹
[cf. OED stick stab colloq.] adj. prickly (of plants); having a sharp
point, as pencils, rocks, etc.: This
pencil have a sticky head (Nassau). (Gen.) ...
sticky²
[cf. OED stick to remain fixed] adj.
(of marbles) remaining in one place spinning when shot, a desirable quality.
(Black) ...
Sticky
[OED sticky (of persons) like a stick; awkward colloq.] n. nickname for
a tall person. (Black) ...
sticky fish
[cf. STICKY¹ ; from its quills] n.
the porcupine fish, Diodon hystrix. =
EDGE HOG (Black) ...
sticky weed
[cf. Sticky¹ ; from prickles] n.
a plant, Eschenbachia lyrata: 1920
(Britton 444). (San Sal.) ...
stiff beard grass
[from texture] n. a grass, Andropogon
semiberbis: 1920 (Britton 13). (Exuma, Mayag.) ...
stiff cock
[cf. OED cock penis; from its purported effectiveness in curing impotence] n. a plant (sp?). (Black) ...
stiffereen
/stifaríyn/ [cf. Scots stiffening
starch CSD] n. a thick dairy drink
produced from powdered milk, butterfat and sugar, usually sold wholesale to restaurants,
etc. for making ice-cream by ...
still yet
[pleonastic] adv. still: My brother, he in
the Church of God and still yet he ain' come to we church (Andros). ...
stinger
[from its stinging tail] n. a fish (sp?) resembling the stingray
but with a shorter tail: 1782 Breams,
ten-pounders, stingers (Bruce 46). (Andros, San Sal.) ...
stinging ants
n. a small, black ant with a painful
bite: When them stinging ants bite you,
you wish you bin dead (Nassau). = BITING ANTS (Gen.) ...
stinging doctor
[cf. Brit. dial. North doctor horse-fly EDD; from its bite,
likened to blood-letting] n. the
horse-fly (Tabanus sp.), which has a
painful bite: 1977 (Albury 80). cf. DOCTOR ...
stink
adj. 1. [Trio. idem (Winer p.c.); cf. US
Black You git stink (Writers Program
1940:7); from general tendency of Cr. adj. and verbs to merge syntactically]
foul-smelling: 1918 ...
stink ants, stinking ants
[W Car.; from its unpleasant smell
when crushed] n. an ant, Crematogaster sp? (Black) ...
stinking pea
[cf. DJE stinking peas (C. emarginata)] n. a plant, Cassia
occidentalis, with an unpleasant smell: 1835 (Journal 45). 1910 Cassia bahamensis (Northrop 156). =
STINKING WEED (Gen.) ...
stinking-pea root
[from unpleasant smell] n. a tree, Atelia cubensis: 1920 (Britton 177). 1977 A. gummifera (Patterson 103). (Black) ...
stinking weed, stinking wood
[DJE idem, cf. Scots stinking
weed ragwort CSD] n. a plant, Cassia occidentalis, with an unpleasant
odor: 1835 Stinking weed (Journal
45). 1889 Stinking-wood (Gardner
376). = STINKING PEA ...
stink sore
[Car.; DJE, a sore on the foot] n. a body sore with an unpleasant odor.
(Black) ...
stirry
[from stir + -EE?] v. 1. to
stir (with a spoon): You stirrying up
that food like cement (Nassau).
2. to move about: I gotty be somewhere ...
stock-weeds
[cf. OED stock to pull up (weeds, etc.) by the roots; now associated with
plants growing from the seeds in the manure of live-stock] n. deep-rooted ...
stoke
[cf. OED stoke to thrust, drive home (a sword) obs. → 1513] v. to put a person in his place; to correct someone in a ...
stool (up)
[cf. Sra. stoeroe stools WST; OED stool
v. to defecate medical; W3 idem arch.] v. to defecate: 1918 De man
so scared, de man stool up hisse'f ...
stoop low
[cf. OED stoop to descend to something unworthy] v. phr. 1. to betray a confidence. (Black)
2. to humiliate a person by making
known the good ...
stope
[from stoke; for reversed alternation of /p/ and /k/, cf. HOOK hoop] v. to stoke (a fire): 1895 Then she swept de coals out an' ...
stopper
[OED idem, other sp.; from its
medicinal use in stopping loose bowels (Higgs p.c.)] n. a tree, Eugenia axillaris:
1978 (Higgs 41). cf. RED STOPPER, ROD WOOD, ...
stove
[cf. Scots stove to stave in CSD] v.
to thrust forcibly: 1918 [He] stove him up in de corner, an' tie him dere
(Parsons 142). (Black) ...
stove baker
[cf. BAKER oven] n. a small metal oven for baking placed on top of an oil or
charcoal stove. (Black) ...
stow
[OED, to place (cargo) in proper
order nautical; W3 to arrange, pack] v. to display for sale: Stowing the sponge—that is, displaying it
for sale (Wyarinie Malone ...
stow-weed
[etym?] n. a plant, Capraria biflora:
1920 (Britton 391). (Inagua, San Sal.) ...
straight
[OED, in proper order; (of accounts)
settled] adj. 1. not in difficulties
(financially or otherwise): 1976 Her
products sold well and … [she] was
"straight". Out of her affluence ...
straighten
v. in the phrases:
straighten your ass out [cf. W3 straighten out to alter for the better;
cf. also ASS as emphatic or reflexive] phr.
to reprimand ...
straight nose
[Car.] n. the kind of nose typical of whites rather than blacks. (Black) ...
straight-tail (lizard)
[from appearance] n. a lizard, the common western skink (Eumeces skiltonianus). cf. CURLY-TAIL
(White) ...
straight up
[US dial. South idem ADD; from
position of the clock's big hand] phr.
exactly (the hour): It's straight up
three (Nassau). ...
strainer vine
[Car.; "The vine Luffa cylindrica and its fruit, whose
netted, fibrous interior, when dry, was formerly used to strain liquids"
DJE] n., Obs? a plant, Luffa acutangula:
1889 ...
strangle
[OED, to suffocate or choke, now
rare] v.i., v.t. to choke (with dust, water, etc.): 1918 [He] make a regular to-do in
the ashes, and almost strangle ...
strap boat
[evidently from (air) strip + boat] n. a ferry boat
providing service between the cays and an airport on the main island. = PLANE BOAT
(Crooked, White, ...
straw¹
n. 1. [OED, the stems of certain cereals
used for weaving; cf. Réunion Cr. Fr. pay (lit. straw)
idem (Chaudenson 1974:182)] prepared strips from the leaves of ...
straw², straw-bed
[cf. Scots straw a confinement, bed
a woman's confinement CSD] n. 1. a
mattress of swamp grass on which a woman bears a child. (Gen.)
2. confinement ...
straw bag
[etym?) n. a burlap bag. = CROCUS BAG (Inagua, Mayag., White) ...
strawberry rockfish
n. a fish, Mycteroperca interstitialis. YELLOW-MOUTH GROUPER (White) ...
straw leaf
[from its use in making STRAW¹] n. a palm frond.
(Black) ...
strawny
[cf. Scots strawn a string CSD, possibly influencing scrawny thin W3] adj.
thin: Get one strawny needle like that, 'bout
eight inches ... and you jam the ...
straw work
[OED work done in plaited straw; cf.
STRAW¹] n. goods made of woven strips of palm
fronds: 1975 Bahamian women. . . plait
and sew the leaves of ...
street-girl tomato
[name said to derive from its being
"half wild and very sweet"] n.
a variety of tomato that grows wild and has small, sweet fruit. (Black) ...
street talk
[from the kind of language used when
talking on a street corner; cf. BDNE I street-smarts]
n. slang, especially that used by young people. (Gen.) ...
stretchy¹
[OED, liable to stretch unduly] adj. sagging (of skin): That old woman skin dead stretchy
(Nassau). (Gen.) ...
stretchy²
[from starchy (by metathesis and vowel raising), perhaps influenced by stretch to extend in capacity] adj. cheap, starchy, as of puddings.
(Exuma, Long) ...
strick
[OED, to strike obs.; dial. idem in Scots (CSD), US (ADD)] v. to strike: When da clock
strick twell I had ta leave (Brown 38). (Black) ...
strick on
[from strict severe, by simplification of final consonant cluster] phr. strict with: parents strick on their children (COB). (Black) ...
stride
[cf. MAKE STRIVE; by hypercorrection]
n. striving: His stride to have fulfillment out of life (COB). (Nassau) ...
strike
[W Car.; OED, to hit with a missile,
now somewhat rare] v. to harpoon (a
fish): 1731 Turtle are most commonly
taken at the Bahama islands ... by ...
strimps
(Atlantic; cf. swimps in DJE, Gul. (Writers' Project 1940:101); US Black s'rimps (Benardete 1932:352)] n. sing.
or pl. shrimp. (Gen.) Also swimps (Mayag.); crimps (Gen.); scrimps
(San ...
string
[cf. Cayman, a thin piece of thatch
leaf used for tying (Fuller 68); OED fibre or vein from a leaf] n. 1. a section of a ...
stringy briar
[OED stringy resembling string] n.
briar vines: 1918 Stringy briar hook um
on de foot (Parsons 86). (Inagua, San Sal.) ...
strip
n. [DAS, district around the main
street] neighborhood: 1974 (King 26). ...
strip
v. [OED, to deprive a plant of its
foliage] to cut the useful parts off a palm frond for plaiting: I go strip all today, put ...
strip-me-naked
[OED, gin; from resulting poverty] n. a card game resembling strip poker: I don't like to play strip-me-naked with
nobody, 'cause I alway lose and have ...
strive
[DJE idem; from thrive via trive and
hypercorrection of initial consonant cluster] v. to thrive: The Bahamas has
gone from colonialism to independence, yet its dialect strives ...
strive: make strive
[from make strides to progress + strive
to endeavor] phr. to make progress by
striving: The government is making
tremendous strive towards this (COB). (Nassau) ...
strong back
[DJE various sp.; OED 1738 → ; from its medicinal use in strengthening the BACK] n. a tree, Bourreria ovata: 1731 This
plant grows on many ...
strong heart: have a strong heart
[cf. W Car. have heart idem; also Sra. trangati
(lit. strong heart) inexorability WST, Cam. trɔŋg-hɛt impudent (Hancock 1969:45); cf. Haitian li gen ké (lit. he ...
strong man's weed
[DJE idem; from its medicinal use] n. a plant, Petiveria alliacea: 1889 (Gardner 401). = GUINEA-HEN WEED, POOR-MAN
STRENGTH, POOR-MAN STRENGTH, POND BUSH, GARLIC WEED (Black) ...
strongness
[OED idem obs. → 1650] n. strength: I strong. You
want see strongness? (Nassau). (Black) ...
strut
[OED, to walk with an affected air of
dignity] v. to walk rhythmically and gracefully
in a RALLY. (Mayag.) ...
stud
[cf. Bajan stood stayed (Collymore); OED stud
obs. past of stand; cf. US dial. stood stayed ADD] v. past (old fashioned) stayed: 1918 Dey bof of ...
study
v. 1. [Car.; OED idem obs. → 1811; Brit. dial. North study
ponder, consider EDD; also US dial. South, Black ADD] to consider carefully:
1880 Wouldn't you ...
study
adj. [W Car.; cf. Brit. dial. West idem
EDD] steady; sturdy: 1918 I can keep my
head study (Parsons 104). (Black)
–adv.
[Car.; U.S. Black idem (Baugh 1980); ...
stuff
[US Black ideal (Brown 1972:136)] n. vagina: Sea pussy . . . just like a woman stuff (San Sal.). ...
stuff: have no stuff for something
[cf. Gul. have no time with you to be no match for you ADD] phr. not to be compared with something
(much better): This ain' got ...
stuffs
[cf. OED stuff movable property, household goods obs. → 1646 (still current colloq. US)]
count n. pl. 1. (movable)
possessions: 1966 He sort he stuffs
(Crowley 50). (Black) ...
stuffy
[cf. Krio stofi (of bread, etc.) too filling KED; cf. OED stuff to fill to repletion with food] adj. (of persons) bloated from
overeating: My aunty ...
stump
[Car.; cf. OED, to stumble over a
tree stump or other obstacle obs. → 1607; US dial. idem ADD] v.
to stub (one's toe); to trip (against ...
stunt
[Guy. idem (Yansen 26); cf. OED, to
bring to an abrupt stand, to nonplus obs.
→ 1642] v. to stun: 1966 All the ashes from the barrel ...
stupidness
[Car.; OED the quality of being
stupid, now rare (i.e. the word)] n.
an act of stupidity: He forever doing
stupidness – never nothing sensible (Nassau). (Gen.) ...
suck
[cf. Guy., to cause to waste away
(Yansen 41); cf. OED, to draw (moisture, goodness) from, possibly converging
with Yoruba sɔ̃ki to shrink (Turner
1949:161)] v. 1. (of ...
suck(ed) corn
n. shriveled maize: 1832 Bracking in Indian Corn . . . got only 4
horse loads of sucked Corn (Farquharson 53). (Inagua) ...
suckers
n. pl. 1. peeled sections of sugar cane,
sucked for their sweet juice: 1936 Wen I
in de road I can't eat cane cuz I ain' got ...
sucking fish
[W Cat.; W3 different sp.] n. the Spanish mackerel, Scomberomorus maculatus. (Gen.) ...
suck-jaw
[cf. SUCK 1 + jaw] n. the mouth and jaw
with a sunken look due to malnutrition or loss of teeth, or pursed and wrinkled
from worry. ...
suck-rip(s)
[etym. uncertain, but possibly from suck + ribs from heaving motion, by devoicing of final consonant cluster] v. to limp. cf. SUPPRICK (Nassau)
—n.
epithet for ...
suck teeth
[Atlantic, US Black (Smiley
1919:378); calque on an African idiom, e.g. Mende yongoi vofoin (lit. teeth suck) (Rickford & Rickford 1976:23)
or Twi ano kyew (lit. mouth ...
sucky
[from the drawing force of the undercurrent]
adj. (of the sea) having an undertow.
= DRAWY (Black) ...
sud
[cf. OED sudd idem
17th century] n. suds; foam: Rub the bamboo leaves on your clothes till
you get sud (Nassau). ...
sudge
[from suds by /z/ to /zh/] v.
to lather. (Black)
—count
n. piece of foam: You can see the
sudges on the sea (Nassau). (Black) ...
suffer
[cf. PUNISH suffer + hypercorrection,
but cf. also OED suffer to inflict
pain upon, obs. (→ 1593) exc. dial.; cf. also Twi bere to punish, to suffer ...
sugar
[Trin. idem (Winer p.c.); cf. OED sugar disease idem; from the varying
blood sugar characteristic of the disease] n.
diabetes: She got sugar (Adelaide).
(Black) ...
sugar-and-water, sugar-water
[W Car.] n. a beverage made of brown sugar, water, and sometimes lime juice.
(Black) ...
sugar banana
[from its sweetness] n. a variety of small, sweet banana: We does grow all kind of banana, specially
dem sweet sugar banana (Nassau). (Gen.) ...
sugar bean
[DJE idem] n. the lima bean, Phaseolus
lunatus: 1889 (Gardner 377). cf. SUGAR PEAS (Gen.) ...
sugar bubby
[cf. BUBBY breast and OED sugar teat idem, also US dial. South WSC]
n. a piece of linen containing sugar,
used as a pacifier for a baby. ...
sugar-cane tea
[cf. TEA any hot drink] n. a hot drink made from sugar cane
which is scraped, cut into pieces, pounded, and boiled: 1977 (Albury 20).
(Gen.) ...
sugar dipper
[from shape] n. a kind of straw cap. (Crooked) ...
sugar, honey, ice, tea
[cf. W3 sugar idem; a euphemism, the initial letters of which form the word
shit] intj. an exclamation of annoyance. (Nassau) ...
sugar loaf
[W3 refined sugar molded into a solid
cone, probably alluding to the variety's sweetness; cf. DJE sugar-loaf pine the China pineapple,
translated from Sp. piña de pan ...
sugar more than flour
[etym. uncertain, but cf. Krio wata pas flawa (lit. water more-than
flour) Things are becoming too difficult KED] phr. Things are improving (in response to "How ...
sugar peas
[cf. US dial. South idem, a variety
of pea with edible pods WSC] n. a
bean (Phaseolus saccharatus?)
resembling the lima bean, but smaller: 1918 De
ol' debil had ...
sugar tea
[W Car.; cf. TEA any hot drink] n. a beverage made of brown sugar
dissolved in hot water. (San Sal.) ...
Sukie, Sookie
/súki/ [cf. Gul. suki
f. personal name, Mende suki m.
personal name (Turner 1949:163)] n. a
feminine personal name: 1973 Sukie is
that toothless, one-eyed woman who minds everybody’s ...
summer billy
[cf. OED summer to pass one's time pleasantly obs. → 1568; to give (a person)
a "sunny" or happy time obs.
→ 1622] n. a stylish young ...
summer duck
n. a small duck, the white-checked Bahama
pintail (Anas bahamensis): 1731
(Catesby 97). 1972 (Paterson 37). (San Sal., Long) ...
sun: when the sun and moon fight
phr. 1. an eclipse. (Nassau)
2. the vernal or autumnal equinox.
cf. WHEN THE SUN CROSS THE LINE (Mayag.) ...
Sunday school
[W Car.; cf. OED school a building in which school is carried on] n. a building where Sunday school is
held. (Black) ...
sun-hot
[also W Car., Gul. (Gonzales
1922:330); cf. Yoruba õrùn mu (lit. sun hot) idem
(Oyedeji p.c.), Haitian soley eho
idem (Gaujean p.c.)] n. the heat of the
day; midday: ...
sun shark, sunshine shark
[from sand shark, by simplification of final consonant cluster, vowel
raising, and folk etym.] n. the sand
shark, Carcharias taurus, a dangerous
warm-water species. (Black) ...
supply: in supply of
phr. supplied with: They commit petty crimes to keep themselves in supply of drugs
(COB). (Nassau) ...
suppose
[US Black idem; cf. You're not supposed to . . . ] v. ought: You don't suppose to do that (Nassau). (Black) ...
supprick
/sóprik/ [etym. uncertain, but probably from SUCK-RIP, by
metathesis] v. to limp: He supprickin' (San Sal.)
—adv.
lamely: He hoppin' supprick (Mayag.) ...
sure
[cf. OED, to assure or secure, obs. exc. dial., reinforced by the
tendency of Cr. adj. to become verbs under the influence of African syntax] v. ...
surge
[OED, to cause to move with the
waves] v. to submerge: 1889 Jamaica dogwood. . . used for poison by
"surging" boughs, or bag containing bruised bark, ...
Suzy
[etym?] n. 1. penis (child's word). (Exuma)
2. also Suzy Q: vagina (child's word). (Black) ...
swallow the grunt
[cf. swallow one's pride and US dial. South gruntle to grumble WSC] v.
to resume friendly relations after an argument: 1977 Swallow the grunt: when someone ...
swamp bush
[from habitat] n. a name for several species of shrubs: 1920 Malache scabra (Britton 271). 1977 Pavonia spicata, Dodonea viscosa, or Forestiera segregata (Patterson 17, ...
swash
n. [cf. W3 swash channel a narrow channel of water between a sand bank and the
shore] n. a mangrove swamp (usually
under shallow water): 1910 The
"swash" ...
swee-swy
/swiy sway/ [cf. Krio sway sound of whip in flogging, and sway sway small whip, esp. for child
KED; cf. also Scots swee to throb
with pain, ...
sweet
adj. 1. [Atlantic; cf. OED, having a
pleasant taste (but last quot. with meat etc. is 1765); cf. Port. Cr. doši tasty, from Port. doce sweet ...
sweet bark, sweet wood bark
[cf. OED sweet wood bark 1846 (Bahamas)] n.
the cascarilla bush, Croton eluteria;
its bark is used to flavor alcoholic drinks such as Cinzano and Campari: 1835 ...
sweet-bread and butter, come for supper
[etym?] n. a game: 1977 This game was
played by one girl hiding an object, usually a small branch . . . The one who
found it ...
sweeten
[cf. OED, to comfort, gratify (→ 1602 with personal object), but this more likely to be a
"correction" of SWEET v.] v.
to please: It sweeten me ...
sweetening
[cf. OED sweeten to make sweet to the smell] n. perfume. (Black) ...
sweeten yourself
[cf. OED sweeten to make sweet to the smell] v. phr. to use perfume. (Black) ...
sweetheart
[cf. Atlantic sweetheart life living together unmarried DJE, KED; cf. OED sweetheart one who is loved illicitly obs. → 1796 and Twi ye-ye
adofo (lit. we-are ...
sweet lemon
[W Car.] n. the lemon tree (Citrus
limon) and its fruit. (Black) ...
sweet margaret
n. a shrub, Byrsonima lucida, and its greenish, edible fruit: 1905 (Shattuck
209). = GUANA BERRY 2, PLUM BERRY (Gen.) ...
sweet mary-go
n. a shrub (sp?) with whitish flowers,
used to make medicinal infusions. (Black) ...
sweet-mouth
v. [Atlantic; cf. Twi ano ede (lit. mouth sweet) idem, cf. Ibo
onua suso (lit. mouth sweet) idem
(Okolo p.c.)] to flatter; to coax. (San Sal.) ...
sweet-mouth
n. [Car. greedy, food-loving DJE; cf.
OED sweet-mouthed fond of
sweet-flavored things obs. 1611; the
meaning seems to have shifted with that of SWEET; cf. also Sra. switmofo ...
sweet orange
[Car.; cf. Sra. swit alanja idem WST] n.
the ordinary orange (Citrus aurantium)
as opposed to the Seville or SOUR ORANGE (Citrus
vulgaris): 1889 (Gardner 370). = GOLDEN ...
sweet pine
[W Car. cf. PINE] n. the China pineapple. = SCARLET,
SUGAR-LOAF (Black) ...
sweet plum
[W Car.] n. the common plum, Spondias
purpurea, as opposed to local fruits such as the HOG PLUM, etc. = SCARLET
PLUM (Black) ...
sweet potato bugs
[W Car.; cf. DJE potato louse] n. sing. or
pl. an insect (Acanthocephala femorata?) which is about an inch long, brown, has a
hard back, and feeds ...
sweet potato pone
[cf. US dial. South potato pone idem WSC] n. a baked pudding made from grated
sweet potatoes: 1978 (Higgs 109). cf. PONE (Black) ...
sweet rose
[Car.; cf. Sra. switi-rósoe idem DJE] n. the
ordinary rose (Rosa sp.) as opposed
to ROSE, any flower. (Black) ...
sweet sage
[from its fragrance] n. a plant, Lantana camara, with yellow, pink, or purple flowers: 1971 (Rabley
43). (Black) ...
sweet sop
[W Car.] n. a tree, Anona squamosa,
and its fruit: 1880 sweet sap (Ives
97). 1889 also A. sericea (Gardner
363). = JAMAICA APPLE (San Sal., Inagua) ...
sweet spice
n. the allspice tree, Pimenta dioica. cf. SPICE TREE, WILD
SPICE. (San Sal.) ...
sweet-talk
v. [Car.; US dial. South idem ADD; cf.
SWEET-MOUTH v.] to coax or persuade; to flatter: Child, don't try sweet-talk me — you ain't going no ...
sweet tambran
[cf. TAMBRAN idern] n. the tamarind tree, Tamarindus indica, the fruit of which is
eaten, as opposed to MONKEY TAMBRAN, (Black) ...
sweet torch (wood)
[from its fragrant flowers] n. a tree: 1910 Nectandra sanguinea. (Northrop 153). 1920 Ocotea coriacea (Britton 143). 1977 Nectandra coriacea (Patterson 49). cf. BASTARD TORCHWOOD, ...
sweet william
[OED, W3, DJE different sp.] n. a plant, Catharanthus roseus, with a woody stem and white or pink flowers:
1920 (Britton 336). = TULIP, OLD MAID ...
swelly
[cf. OED swelling idem; possibly related to W Car. swaati fat, bloated DJE by rhotacism and /l, r/ alternation)] adj. bulging: A fat, swelly black ...
swidgel
[cf. SWITCHER] n. a drink made of strawberry soda, sweet milk, and ice. (White) ...
swidger
(Black); swidgy (Andros, San Sal.); swidgy
water (Eleu.) [by voicing of /ch/ to /j/] = SWITCHER: We does like cook crab-and-dough and make swidger and thing ...
swinge
v. 1. [Atlantic (Hancock 1969:40); OED
idem obs. → 1790, now dial. in Brit. and US (ADD)] to singe or scorch:
1918 Caught a fine coon, an’ ...
swinging in the head
[Car.; cf. OED swing sway and Twi tiri-mu
ebu (lit. head-inside falling) light-headedness (K. Aboagye p.c.)] n. dizziness; a tendency to faint.
(Gen.) ...
switch
[cf. OED swinge a forcible sweeping movement obs. 1696] n. a sudden,
forcible movement: 1918 They sprang
across de river with one switch (Parsons 66). (Black) ...
switcher
[cf. OED switchel US (origin unknown. Cf. swizzle) A drink made of molasses and water, sometimes with
vinegar, ginger or rum added; also applied to various ...
switching-neck
[DJE idem; from its long, mobile
neck] n. the Louisiana heron: 1910 Ardea tricolor ruficollis (Northrop 62).
1960 Hydranassa tricolor (Bond 36). =
GAULIN ...
sword bush
[DJE Phyllanthus epiphyllanthus] n.
a shrub, Xylophylla epiphyllanthus:
1920 (Britton 220). = ABRAHAM BUSH, HARD HEAD 3 ...
swordfish
[W Car. idem, from hypercorrection of
saw to sawed, homophonous with sword
/sahd/; W3 different sp.] n. the
sawfish, Pristiophorus sp. (Eleu.,
San Sal.) ...