tab
[cf. DAS tab a capsule containing LSD, from tablet (drug culture)] n. a drug: There are many kinds of drugs, but the most dangerous ones ...
tabby, tabby lime
[cf. Gul. tabi haus a house made of cement and oyster shells with which pieces of brick are frequently mixed; African cognates (Wolof tabax the ...
tabby work
[cf. TABBY] n. rocks cemented together for walls, paths, etc. <White> ...
table-man
[cf. DJE table used for donations at a funeral] n. a person who collects donations at a fund-raising church CONCERT. = BOX-MAN ...
taffia
[cf. OED tafia a rum-like spirituous liquor obtained from the lower grades of molasses, refuse brown sugar etc. (origin uncertain: given in 1722 as a native ...
tago
/téygo/ [etym. uncertain, but cf. DJE teg-a-reg a roung uncouth, trouble-making person; cf. OED tag-and-rag of the rabble obs. →1675] n. a stylish, street-wise young ...
tamaring
; tamareen /támariyn/ [from tambourine, possibly by hypercorrection suppressing /b/ by analogy of its intrusion in TAMBRAN tamarind] n. tambourine: 1918 B'o' Rabby gone ...
tambran
; tamlin [cf. Car. tambran "through normal loss of -d, effect of vowel harmony changing i to a, and articulative intrusion of b after m" DJE; but ...
tambran molasses
[cf. TAMBRAN tamarind + MOLASSES a syrup made from boiling down fruit with sugar] n. a tart sauce made from boiling tamarind with sugar (on ...
tame
[OED, to subjugate} v. to put a person under one's power by magic: If she gie him cuckoo soup, the mother-in-law can tame the boy ...
tar baby, black tar baby
[in reference to the folk tale] n. a person of very dark complexion (usually derog.). cf. SHINE, SAMBO ...
tar brush; lick of the (tar) brush
[cf. 1811 DVT "blue skin...anyone having cross of the black breed, or, as it is termed, a lick of the tar brush"] phr. a trace ...
tardee
[cf. W Car. tartiya flat, round bread, from Am. Sp. tortilla idem; the gloss in the quot. may be inaccurate] n., Obs? a kind of ...
tarpum
/táhpam/ ; tarpoon /tahpúwn/ [cf. DJE tarpum "prob. from Miskito tapam"] n. the tarpon, a large fish (Megalops atlanticus): 1817 I went forward with ...
tarty
; tatty ; tarry [cf. Belize taatish tasting not quite right (Dayley); cf. OED tart sour and -y forming adj. (or possibly -EE), ...
task
/tas/ [Pan-Creole; cf. Réunion Cr. Fr. tas idem (Chaudenson 1974:193); cf; DAE, an amount of work formerly demanded of a slave; a measurement of land ...
tassel plant
n. a plant, Alvaradoa amorphoides: 1889 (Gardner 371). = WILD MADEIRA <Eleu.> ...
taste
: I'll slap the taste right out of your mouth phr. a threat of a vigorous blow to the mouth <Gen.>
taste somebody's hand [cf. Trin. ...
taw, tar
/tah/ [OED, W3 idem; US Black idem (Walker 1956:346); cf. 1811 DVT "taw a school boy's game, played with... marbles"] n. the marble used for ...
tea
n. 1. [Car.; cf. LA Fr. dite kako (du the' cacao) hot cocoa DJE] any hot drink: 1976 Any hot drink was "tea" (Eneas 12). ...
tear-coat
[from the damage done by its thorns] n. a shrub: 1977 Securinega acidoron (Patterson 19); Pithecellobium unguiscati or P. bahamense (ibid 109). cf. RAM"S HORN ...
tear-up
[Car.; from torn up, with stem replacing past participle] adj. (of clothes) torn; ragged: 1895 Her husban' come wid a whole lot o' tear-up children (Edwards ...
tease-tease
[Car.; from tease by reduplication to suggest repetition, an African feature as in Mandinka kée-kee keep on doing, from ke do (Rowlands 1969b:157)] v. to ...
tee-essie
/tiyésiy/ [etym. uncertain, but cf. Kongo ntti tree (Carter p.c.)] n. a tree, Calocarpum mammosum, or its fruit. = MAMMEE SAPOTA cf. TI-ES <White> ...
teenage
[W3, adj. only] n. adolescence: In my teenage I ever does go fishnin' in de dinghy boat (Crooked). <Gen.> ...
teeth
/tiyt/ [Atlantic; cf. Scot teeth tooth CSD] n. sing. or pl. tooth, teeth: 1963 Gimme dot teet', Doctuh. Give it to me! (Cottman 108). 1966 a ...
teethache
[Scots idem CSD, also US dial. South ADD] n. toothache: 1940 I got a teet-ache (Dupuch 6). ...
teethbrush
[Belize idem (Dayley); cf. TEETH tooth] n. toothbrush. <Nassau> ...
teeths
/tiyts/ [from TEETH tooth + -s forming pl.] n. teeth: 1936 He laffin' all over he teets (Dupuch 17). 1966 ivory teeths (Crowley 115). <Black> ...
teleberry
[etym?] n. a plant (sp?) or its fruit: 1977 (Albury 25). ...
telephone call you
[cf. Car. telephone want you] phr. You are wanted on the telephone. <Black> ...
television pole
[cf. telephone pole] n. a television antenna. <Black> ...
tell
v. 1. [Trin. idem (Winer p.c.); cf. Brit. dial. West tell to speak, say EDD] to say: He tell we should go there (Crooked).
2. ...
tell-bill-willy
<Eleu., Exuma>; tell-bull-billy <White> [from its cry; cf. TELL-TALE] n. 1. a bird, the common stilt (Himantopus himantopus): 1972 (Patterson 66). = RED SHANK, SOLDIER ...
tell-tale
<Berry>; tell-tell <Eleu.> [from its warning cry to other birds at the approach of hunters] n. 1. a bird, the common stilt (Himantopus himantopus): 1960 (Bond ...
temple
[etym?] n. a variety of algae. cf. TOBY <Exuma> ...
temple flower
or tree [etym?] n. a tree, Plumeria sp. with white, pink, or yellow flowers: 1956 (Higgs 29). ...
tender
[OED, one who attends to (a machine or business)] n. a person who attends to the boat while another dives. = KEEPER ...
tennis
[cf. US dial. tennises ADD] n. sing. or pl. a pair of tennis shoes; sneakers: I wear out a tennis every month (Ragged). ...
tenny
[from tennis construed as pl.; cf. US dial. tennies pl. (Cassidy p.c.)] n. a tennis shoe. ...
ten, ten, the Bible ten!
[cf. DJE cut ten in the sence of Roman numeral X: to make the sign of the cross (as a religious symbol to ward off ...
ten to two
[from the upward position of the arms, likened to the hands of a clock] phr. apparently dead; half dead: HE look like ten to two ...
test (glasses) tested glasses
[cf. W Car. tes glas prescription glass] n. prescription glass for spectacles: These glasses test (Eleu.). ...
thanky
/tángkiy/ [Atlantic; also dial. in Brit. (DHS) and US South (ADD); cf. OED thankee vulgar colloq. for thank ye, thank you] intj. thank you: 1918 She ...
tha's, da's
/das/ [Atlantic DJE, KED; cf. from Proto-Creole da or na parallel to Twi na idem (Holm 1980c:374), influenced by Eng. that's: US Black tha's contracts irregularly ...
tha's, da's (2)
das/ [Car.; das that conj. and "Das would be de bes' place" DJE:197; from that pron., influenced by THA'S1] pron. that: 1918 Das is none ...
thatch
/tach/ n. 1. [W Car.; from its use in thatching roofs] palm fronds. <Black>
2. [W Car.; from the fact that they produce THATCH] various species ...
thatchberry
[cf. THATCH 2; from its berry-like fruit] n. a kind of palmetto, Coccothrinax sp.: Mama Gus kitchen have a thatchberry roof (Nassau).= BOAR TOP, TOP ...
thatch broom
n. a broom made of palm fronds: When our tatch broom old, we does use it in de yard (Nassau). ...
thatch house
[Car.; DJE; cf. Haitian kay pay (lit, house + straw, thatch) idem TDKF] n. a house with a roof made of palm fronds: 1918 A ...
thatch palmetto
[cf. OED palmetto thatch 1866] n. a tree, Thrinax parviflora: 1731 The Thatch Palmetto… seldom aspires above twelve or fourteen feet. The leaves grow low, ...
thatch top palm
[cf. THATCH 2, TOP] n. a palm tree, Inodes palmetto: 1905 (Shattuck 201). <Black> ...
thatch tree
[DJE idem; cf. THATCH 2] n. a kind of palm tree (Inodes sp?): 1940 T’atch tree (Dupuch 71).<Black> ...
that time
/dat taym/ [Trin. Idem (Winer)] phr. during that time; at that moment: 1936 “How y’ doin’?” He holler back say, “Doin’ muh bes’, Joe, doin’ ...
the
/da/ definite article [Trin. idem (Ottley 11); OED idem “now more often omitted”] used before names of illnesses: 1888 I’se had de feber (Powles 170). ...
them
1 /dem/ pron. [Atlantic; Proto-Creole, a single form for subject, object, and possessive as in most West African languages] they, them, their: 1980 Dem had ...
them (2)
/dem/ demonstrative adj. pl. [Atlantic; also Gen. dial. In Brit. (EDD), US (ADD)] those: Dem tings ain’ no good (Nassau). ...
them (3)
/dem/ pluralizer 1. [Pan-Creole; cf. –dem, an dem DJE; cf. marking plural with pronoun meaning ‘they’ after the noun in Pap. Homber nan, Haitian nom ...
them there
/dem de/ [Atlantic; also Brit., US dial., converging with African constructions with pluralizing ‘they’ before n. with postposed demonstratives, e.g. Yoruba áwon omodé náà ‘those ...
there
/de/ v. [hypercorrection of DE1] to be (located): 1918 Wherever it there, I will find it (Parsons 96). ...
there
n. [OED, in that place; cf. HERE this place] that place: She don’t like there (Exuma). Note the similar use of locative prep. Phr. as ...
there-so
/dé sow/ [Car.; cf. de-so idem DJE, Atlantic ya-so here (Hancock 1969:64)] phr. there (emphatic): He had a house right there-so where you see the ...
they
/de/ [by /r/ loss and earlier lack of case distinctions in pronouns] poss. adj. their: 1918 HE break dey laig (Parsons 45). 1966 It ain’t ...
theyself
/déysef <Black>; déysel <Mayag., Inagua>/ [Car.; cf. Brit. dial. thersel, theyself (OED), US dial. theirself, Black deyse'f (ADD)] refl. pron. themselves: 1978 Dese young people...sweatin' deysef ...
thickes'
/tíkes/ [probably from thicket, influenced by thickest] n. that part (of a field, etc) where the growth is most dense: 1918 He mus' hi' in ...
thick-lip
/tik lip/ [DJE idem, cf. THIN-LIP] n. a variety of conch, Strombus sp. cf. BROAD-LIP CONCH ...
thief, teef
/tiyf/ [Atlantic; cf. OED thieve to steal, by devoicing of final /v/ (cf. Cam. mufam move CCD) or influenced by thief n.] v. to steal: ...
thiefy
/tíyfi/ [cf. DJE tiefinness thievery; OED thieving] adj. inclined to steal (child's word). <Black> ...
think
/tingk/ [Scots idem CSD] n. thought, opinion: 1917 Dat don’t go wid my tinks [thoughts] (Defries 107). <Inagua, San Sal. >
-v. in the phrases:
think ...
thin-lip
/tín lip/ [cf. THICK LIP] n. a variety of conch, Strombus sp. <Black>. ...
this
/dis/, that /dat/; these /diyz/, those /dowz/ [Car.; US Black (Holm 1978)] demonstrative adj. used with proper place names: 1940 dese Bahama I-luns (Dupuch 36). ...
this here
/dis yá/ [W Car.; also dial. in Brit. (EDD), US (ADD)] demonstrative adj., pron. this (one): Now this here something different (Nassau). cf. THEM THERE ...
this side, that side
/dís sayd/, that side /dat sayd/ [Pan-Creole; cf. Haitian cotéci ici (cf. Fr. côté side) (Faine 1974); cf. Yoruba égbé ibi (lit. side this) here, ...
thistle
/tísal, tísli/ [OED different sop.] n. a plant, the Mexican poppy (Argemone mexicana), with bright yellow flowers; used medicinally: 1978 (Higgs 10). = DONKEY THISTLE ...
thought
/toht <Black>; thoht <White>/ [cf. W. Car. taat idem; cf. OED thwart idem "var. of earlier thought...which is a var. of a earlier dial. thoft"] ...
thoughten, thoughtin'
/tóhtin/ [cf. OED thoughten thinking (obs. rare; irregular past participle of think: 1608 "For me be you thoughten that I came with no ill intent"); ...
thrasher
/trásha/ <Black>; thrusher /thrósha/ <White> [cf. OED thrasher perh, a survival of thrusher, thresher an English dialect name of the thrush (Turdus musicus)] n. a ...
threaden
/trédan/ [OED, made of thread arch, or dial.] v. to thread: 1977 She...look for some place to t'readen der t'ing an' hang it on a ...
three days
[from the arrangement by which slaves worked three days a week for their masters then three days a week for their masters then three days ...
three-finger
[from its leaflets; cf. DJE five-finger the climbing vine Syngonium auritum, so called because the leaves develop 3, 5, or 7 (but usually 5) subdivisions ...
three-leaf
[from its leaflet; OED different sp.] n. a tree: 1977 Allophyllus cobbe or Picodendron bacatum (Patterson 99). cf. BITTERWOOD 2. <Gen.> ...
threepence lizard
/trópans lízard/ [from the folk belief that it has a 3 d. coin in its head; cf. Prov. peni lizaad small lizard (Washabaugh 1974:163) and ...
three-quarter pitch trousers
[from their covering three-quarters of the leg] n. trousers with cuffs falling between the ankles and the knees: 1936 (Dupuch 130). ...
turn-head
[a calque?] n. (of women) turning the head and upper body away from a person, either abruptly to indicate disgust or slowly to be coy. ...
truns and truns
[from colloq. tons and tons idem] n. phr. a great many: Truns and truns of 'em went (Long). <Black> ...
three-stones
[cf. Krio tri-jayaston 'three fire stone' fireplace, cooking place, eps. of a humble person. Traditionally, in cooking, chunks of wood are placed in the spaces ...
thrive
/trayv/ [cf. DJE strive thrive; by hypercorrection of trive,from strive by simplification of initial consonant cluster] v. to strive; He would thrive to make it ...
through
/truw/ [OED, from end to end] prep. 1. on (a street): They run a small hotel through Fowler Street (COB). He live through the corner ...
through and through
[OED prep. →1745] prep. throughout: 1954 Send the soldiers through and through the land, see if they could come cross this man (Crowley 221). <Black> ...
through the bush, in the bush
[cf. THROUGH in + BUSH forest, alluding to the rhythm] phr. a type of MERENGUE dance music with an Afro-Latin beat. <Black> ...
throw
/trow/ v. 1. [OED, to shoot, as a missile engine] to shoot (an arrow): 1966 Jack had about three arrow...he throw the first one (Crowley ...
thunder-ball, thunderstone
[cf. Car. (DJE), OED poet, thunderbolt; cf. also OED thunderbolt a supposed bolt...believed to be the destructive agent in a lightning-flashing...locally applied to various stones, ...
thunder-rebel
/tónda rébal/ <Black>; tender-rebel <Mayag.> [etym. uncertain but possibly a combination of thunder + able or terrible (in positive sense; cf. BAD)] adj. excellent, outstanding: ...
thunder-snake
/tónda sneyk/ [Gul. idem (Gonzales 1922:336); OED, DAE different sp.] n. a snake, Typhlops biminiensis. <Andros, Nassau> ...
tick for tack
[from tit for tat] phr. like for like: 1925 Tik for tack, butter for fat, you kill my dog, I'll kill your cat (Finlay 294). ...
tickle
[OED, to catch trout with the hands] v. to prod fish or lobster out of a coral reef with a staff: 1977 The fish was ...
tickler
[cf. TICKLE + -er agent suffix] n. a long staff with a wire probe used to prod fish or lobster out of hiding: 1977 The ...
tickning
[cf, OED ticking material for making bedticks (pillow or mattress covers), taken as a stem + -ing; cf. FISHNING ] n. ticking, a coarse cotton ...
tide low
[cf. OED in low water impoverished; cf. DRY 4] phr. There is not enough money right, now. ...
tider wave
/táyda weyv/ [from reanalysis of vocalic /-I/ in tidal as -er agent suffix] n. tidal wave: We had a tider stave and was six-seven person ...
ti-es
/táy es/ [etym. uncertain, but cf. TEE-ESSIE the MAMMEE SAPOTA tree or its fruit (Calocarpurn rnamosum)] n. a plant, Lucuma nervosa, or its small, round ...
tie somebody loose
[also US dial. Mid ADD, Bermuda (Parsons 1925:264)] phr. to untie a person: I had to shout tell him tie the boy loose (Nassau). ...
tie-tongue
adj. [Car.; cf. OED tongue-tied and US dial. South tie-tongued ADD] having defective speech: He tie-tongue bad, na. You can't even tell what he saying ...
tie-tongue
n. [cf. TIE (UP), from its tart fruit] a tree, Coccolobis diversifolia: 1920 (Britton 118). cf. PIGEON PLUM <Exuma, Inagua> ...
tie (up)
[DJE pursed, tight-drawn; Trin. idem (Winer); cf. Gul. "Tie up 'e mout'...held his... speech" (Gonzales 1922:333); cf. TIE-TONGUE adj., n.] v. (of tart, astringent fruit) ...
tie-y
/tayiy/ [cf. TIE UP, TARTY] adj. 1. (of fruit) tart, astringent; causing the mouth to pucker: Sea grapes too tie-y. They tie up your mout' ...
tiger grouper
[from its stripes] n. a fish, Mycteropems tigris: 1968 (Böhlke 285). = SPECKLE-EYE (HIND) <Inagua, Andros> ...
tight
adj. [from tight curls] (of hair) nappy. (Black)
-n. [cf. US Black tight intimate, from an initially sexual use (Gold)] (among young males) a good ...
tight bowels
[by opposition to OED loose of the bowels: relaxed] n. constipation. ...
tight up
[cf. OED tight drunk, tipsy slang] phr. drunk: He tight right up (Exuma). ...
till, until
[also Gul. (Parsons 1923:12), US Black (Parsons 1917b:.224); OED idem obs.→1738] conj. so. ..that: He so biggerty till he picking on everybody (Nassau). Things was ...
timber
[W Car.; OED timbers the frames of a ship's hull nautical] n. a board forming part of the lengthwise frame of a small boat, used ...
time as
[DHS, by the time that (colloq.; mostly Cockney); also US dial. South ADD] conj. as soon as: 1977 (Jones 15). Time as I come back ...
time table
[also US Black (Loman 1967:88); cf. Brit. six times table numbers from 1 to 12 multiplied by 6 (Pye p.c.)] n. multiplication table. <Gen.> ...
timey
[from time + -y adj. suffix; cf. pricey] adj. time-consuming: That job is even more timey (Nassau). ...
timmer
<San Sal.>; timmish <Andros> [cf. OED timorous idem; Brit. dial. North timmer to be frightened EDD ] adj. timid: 1918 Some of them were timmer ...
tin
[from earlier tin plating] count n. a sheet of corrugated steel used for roofing: the tins on the roof (Nassau). = ZINC ...
tinchy
[cf. Jam. tichi tiny creatures; cf. Ewe títi tiny DJE; cf. also US dial, teensy, tintsy idem ADD] adj. small, insignificant. SQUINCHY, WINGEY <San Sal.> ...
ting-a-ling
[cf. DING-A-LING idem] n. penis (child's word). ...
tin-tub bass
n. a musical instrument; see the quot.: 1978 The tin tub bass consists of a wooden stick, often a broomstick, about four feet in length, ...
tip
v. 1. [US Black idem (Parsons 1917a:187); OED idem ] to walk on tip-toes. <Black>
2. [OED, to render unsteady] to limp. <San. Sal.> ...
tippy
n. [cf. OED tip to strike lightly] a small marble. ...
Tippy
n. [cf. TIP 2] a nickname for a person who limps. <Mayag.> ...
tippy
adv. [cf. TIP 2 and Brit. dial. South tippy easily upset (e.g. a cart) EDD] unsteadily: walk tippy [lamely or drunkenly]. (Black) tired [US Black ...
tissick bag
[cf. TISSICK 1 n. a mythical sack in the lungs which causes asthma; supposedly it can be coughed up, which will relieve the symptoms. cf. ROOT, ...
title
[Car.; also US Black WSC; cf. LA Fr. tit noun de famine (Germain); cf. OED title a descriptive or distinctive appellation and Holm 1978:112] n. ...
titta, titty
[Atlantic; cf. Brit. dial. North, Scots titty young girl, sister and Vai titi name given to a small girl whose name is unknown (Hancock 1971:548), ...
to
[W Car.; cf. Gen. dial. to at EDD, ADD; Scots to at, on, towards CSD] prep. 1. at: 1895 'E sat to de table (Edwards ...
tobac
[OED idem obs.→19th century] n. tobacco: 1966 Monkey chew tobac (Crowley 81). <Andros, Inagua> ...
tobacco dove
/tabákadóv <Gen.>; bákadó <Eleu., Mayag.>/ [cf. US Black 'backer tobacco (Parsons 1917a:178); OED idem (Cent. Dict. 1889)] n. a small ground dove, Columbina passerina: 1782 ...
tobacco-pipe fish
n., Obs, a fish: 1731 Petimbuaba brasil. . .The Tobaccopipe Fish (Catesby 17). ...
toby
[etym?] n. a kind of algae, Spirogyra sp. cf. TEMPLE <Crooked, White> ...
toddy
[OED, a beverage made from the fermented sap of various palms; also whisky etc. with hot water and sugar] n. a beverage; see the quot.: ...
toe a line
[cf. Krio tolayn idem; DHS, to form a line naval] phr. 1. to stand in line; to form a queue.
2. to stand with one's ...
togather
[OED idem ob.→17th century; also US dial, ADD] adv. together: He had everything. . . jumbled to gather (COB). <Gen> ...
together at
phr. together with: 1966 John. . .crawl in the damn back [of the bed] together at Mary (Crowley 109). <Inagua, Grand Bah.> ...
toilet
[etym. uncertain, but cf. BACK HOUSE out-door toilet] n. large buttocks, especially of women. ...
toilet lizard
[from its being found in outside toilets] n. a small lizard, Anolis sp. = HOUSE LIZARD <Mayag.> ...
Tom Fool
[W Car.; from Tom Fool a foolish person, but cf. also Fante ɔ-tám a simple, silly fellow DJE; from its disregard for safety] n. 1. ...
Tom James Bird, Tom Jay
[etym?] n. a bird, Spindalis zena: 1910 (Northrop 55). = ROBIN REDBREAST <Grand Bah.> ...
tommy
[cf. US Black Mr. Tom idem (Dillard 1977:33); DHS tommy idem] n. penis (child's word). ...
tomott
/tamát/ [cf. Haitian tômate tomato (Fame 1974)] n. a variety of small tomato, about one inch in diameter. ...
tom-tom
[OED, a native East Indian drum; extended also to the drums of barbarous peoples generally] n. a GOOMBAY drum (old term). <Inagua> ...
ton-a-mun
[etym?] n. a mixed dish: 1966 He putting all them in one pot, Christ, like he make a ton-a-mun of it (Crowley 50). ...
tone
[from tune /tuwn,/, influenced by tone] n. tune; song: 1918 Dese two little chillun singin' 'bout B'o'Elephin now. De head man tell dem, "Sing dat ...
tongue of the ocean
[cf. OCEAN] n. a deep-sea channel between Great Bahama Bank and the Exuma Cays. ...
tonky
[cf. DAS tonk brothel] n. genitals (male or female): 1980 (Carey). ...
too
adv. 1. [Car.; cf. US colloq. "You don't!" "I do too!"] an intensifier: You's boozy last night, too! [not 'also'] (Eleu.).
2. [Car.] too much ...
too bad
[cf. TOO 4 + BAD very] phr. (after adj., v.) very (much). <Gen.> ...
tools
a piece of tools ; a piece of tool (White) [cf. W Car, tools tool] n. a tool. ...
too much
[Atlantic (Hancock 1969:66); cf. TOO 4; cf. also form and meaning of Port. Cr. dimaás very much vs. Port. demais too much (Meintel 1975:239)] phr. ...
toothache tree
[cf. Gul. teethache tree prickly ash (Writers' Program 1940:62); OED different sp.; from the use of an infusion made from its bark to cure toothaches] ...
tooths
/tuwts/ [by "correction" of TEETH] n. sing. or pl. tooth: 1966 A ivory tooths (Crowley 115). <Black> ...
top
[cf. Cayman tops thatch palm leaves (Kohlman 1969:26); from the use in plaiting of their folded fronds growing from the top] n. 1. (also top ...
top berry
[cf. TOP 1; from its berry-like fruit] n. a kind of palmetto, Coccothrinax sp. = BOAR TOP, THATCHBERRY <Black> ...
Topography
The most enchantingly beautiful aspect of the Bahamas is the sea, which is never very far away. Standing on the BAY, one can look out ...
top string
[cf. TOP 2 STRING] n. a portion stripped from the leaf of the palmetto for use as a cord or in STRAW WORK: 1940 (Dupuch ...
top tree
[cf. TOP 1] n. a kind of palm tree: 1940 The palmetto palm (sometimes called the "top tree") (Dupuch 5). <Gen.> ...
torch
n. 1. also torch light [W Car.] a lamp made from a bottle filled with kerosene, with a rag wick. = BOTTLE LAMP, FLAMPER ...
toreckly
/tarékli/ [Bajan (Collymore); also Brit. dial. North, West EDD, US dial. South (ADD), Black (ESEA); from directly] adv. in a short time; presently: 1918 Torectly ...
tosevening
/tasíyvnin/; tosmorning /tasmóhnin/ [probably from a blending of this /dis/ and to-as in tomorrow, tonight, Brit. dial. to-year this year EDD] adv. this evening, this ...
tote
[Atlantic; cf. Kongo tota to pick up, kimbundu tuta to carry (Turner 1949:203) but also Anglo-Saxon totian to lift (Hancock 1969: 68); also US dial. ...
tote news
[cf. TOTE 1 and NEWS] phr. to spread gossip. cf. TAKE NEWS <Eleu., Mayag.> ...
tother
/tóda/ [cf. tara idem in Krio (KED), Belize (Dayley), Gul. (Gonzales 1922:331); cf. US Black the tother creeters (Backus 1898:285); cf. OED tother from that ...
tourist tree
n. 1. [from its red, peeling bark, likened to the sunburnt skin of a tourist] the gum-elemi tree, Bursera semiruba: (Hannau 36). = (BOAR) GUM-ELEMI ...
trap
[etym. uncertain, but cf . DHS trap go-between employed by a pickpocket and a whore working together] n. a boy paid to carry messages between ...
trash (1)
n. [Car.; OED, unusable part of sugar cane after juice has been expressed] the part of a plant left over after the useful part has ...
trash (2)
n. [cf. US dial. South thrash an eruption of the mouth WEA; from OED thrush idem] n. thrush, a mouth infection: 1963 "De trash" was ...
trash
v. 1. [DJE; cf. Gul. t'rash thresh (Gonzales 1922.334); cf. OED trash to free from refuse (quota. from Car., Australia) and thrash, thresh to separate, ...
tow
[OED, the act of pulling] n. a lift by vehicle, especially a ride on the handle-bar, cross-bar, or back of a bicycle: 1940 She say, ...
town
[OED, a (small) group or cluster of dwellings or buildings, now dialect; Brit. dial. North town the people of a farm EDD] n. the section ...
township
[OED, in US and Canada, a division of a county for administrative purposes) n. the commercial area of a town. ...
track
[OED, to tow (a vessel), esp. from the, bank or tow-path] v. to pull a boat along from the shore: 1963 The Grace was "tracked": ...
tracking
[cf. OED track a series of marks left by the passage of anything] n. a trace: 1928 My moder had sometin', every way it go, ...
track-road
[cf. Brit. dial. West trackway a narrow path; a road across a moor EDD ] n. a narrow, unpaved road: 1976 accessible by track roads ...
trans
[from transportation] n. a means of transportation; a ride (in a vehicle): Can't go—no trans (Nassau). <Gen.> ...
Transportation
The sea both separates and connects the various islands of the Bahamas. Individuals travel from one island to another in their own sail boats or ...
trash house
[cf. DJE trash hat hat made of palm fronds; cf. TRASH 1] n. a house thatched with palm fronds: 1966 They live in..."trash"[thatch] ] houses ...
travel; take a travel
[cf. Gut. "goin.' on a travel" (Parsons 1923:92); US Black travel walk (Hibbard 1926:498); cf. OED a travel a journey, now dial.] phr. to travel; ...
traveling: he traveling
[cf. Gul. "In my night trabbelin [dreaming] I see all kind of debbil an' boo-hag an' boo-daddy" (Writers' Program 1940: 94); cf. OED travel travail, ...
treatment
[OED, entertainment, feasting obs. except dial.] n. good treatment; kindness: They kill you with treatment (Nassau). <Gen.> ...
treat somebody up
[cf. OED treat to deal kindly with obs.→1596] v. to treat somebody well. <Black> ...
tree
[Car.; OED, includes some perennial plants of great height, e.g. banana] n. a tall plant, such as the corn or the bean: 1788 Chicken peas, ...
tree-root
n. the foot of a tree: 1918 Bur Dog [went] to the tree-root, say "Bur Cat!" (Parsons 124). <Black> ...
tribbet
[cf. OED trivet a stand for a pot placed over a fire; orig. and properly with three feet, now often one or two secured to ...
trick
[W Car., to use magic; cf. US Black "The conjure doctor...is to trick the victim...also called layin' the trick" (Dillard 1977:119)] n. magic used to ...
trifle
[OED, to jest in order to cheat, mock or amuse obs.→1602; cf. Brit. dial. Mid trifling troublesome EDD; US dial. South trifling mean, worthless WEA] ...
trigger
[from chigger by hypercorrection; cf. Belize chrip trip (Dayley)] n., Obs. chigger: 1782 Trigers. . no larger than a mite. . are very troublesome to ...
trinkets
[W Car.; cf. Krio trinket bɔks jewelry box KED; cf. OED trinket idem and W3 a small ornament, a thing of little value] n. sing, ...
trinch
[cf. OED trinch, trench an embankment obs.→1726: military to confine by means of a trench (rare, obs?)] v.t. to block up: You take tings trinch ...
trip down
[cf. trip up] v. phr. (in wrestling) to trip someone and throw him to the ground: My brother friend trip him down yesterday and he ...
trone
[ Scots idem CSD] n. a truant: 1971 truancy ("playing the trone") (McCartney 98). <Black> ...
tropic
/trówpik/ [cf. OED tropic bird idem] n. the white-tailed tropic bird, Phaethon lepturus: 1731 The Tropick Bird (Catesby II 114). 1972 Locally they are known ...
trouble
adj. [W Car.; "a trouble time" DM] difficult.
-n. have trouble on your head [Car.]
- phr. to have serious problems: Gal, look like you ...
truck
[cf. OED tuck to feed heartily or greedily, also OED truck odds and ends; things of little value] v. 1. to snack, especially on food ...
truck out
[cf. OED truck to trade, barter] v. phr. to spend lavishly. <Adelaide, Mayag.> ...
trust
[Atlantic; cf. OED, to supply (goods) to a person on credit obs.→1775; Scots, to buy on credit CSD] v. 1. to provide goods on credit: ...
trust no mistake
[cf. Car, trust take a chance DJE; cf. Gul. "Trust no mistakes; when a bush shakes, tear out" (Work 1919:442); also US Black (Fauset 1927:227); ...
truth
[W Car.; from predicate n., reanalyzed as adj.] adj. true: 1966 Oh, John, is that truth? (Crowley 108). <Inagua, Mayag.> ...
trying to make it
[cf. DAS make it to succeed] phr. all right (in response to "How are you?"): 1977 (Albury 157). <Gen.> ...
tuffy
[cf. OED toffee, toffy a sweetmeat made from sugar or treacle, butter, and flour boiled together (of uncertain origin; apparently originally dialectal and sometimes spelt ...
tulip
[OED different sp.] n. a woody plant, Catharanthus roseus, with white or pink flowers: 1920 (Britton 336). = OLD MAID, SWEET WILLIAM ...
tumble-turds
[DAE idem 1737→, OED 1754→, DJE 1756→] n. Obs. the dung beetle, Scarabeus carnifex: 1731 (Catesby II 111). ...
tune-tune
[by reduplication of tune] n. the concertina: 1918 He forgot an' lef' his tune-tune [concertina] (Parsons 109). <San Sal., Mayag.> ...
turbot
[DJE, not northern sp] n. the triggerfish, of the Balistidae family. cf. NIGGERFISH 2 <Black> ...
turbot-skin
n. the skin of the TURBOT, used for scouring: 1909 Turbot skin, when dried, became quite hard, and was much in demand for scouring the ...
Turk's Island
[cf. W3 turk's head, turk's cap a globular West Indian cactus with a cap of whitish hairs resembling a fez; see 1869 quot. ] n. ...
turn
v. 1. [Car.; OED idem obs.→1732; Brit. dial. North, Scots idem EDD but cf. also Port. Cr. bila to become, from Port. virar to turn, ...
turning-out
[cf. Gul. “White church dress en shoe fuh duh ‘Tuhnin-out’” (Writers' Program 1940: 99); cf. TURN OUT 1 ] n. a special Sunday church service ...
turn off
[OED, to divert (lit, and fig.)] n. a change in routine: 1977 For a turn off, or change, next morning, it was potato and fish ...
turn out (1)
[cf. Gul. "Lawdge...tuhn out fuh dub annual sermont" (Writers' Program 1940:99); OED, (of persons) to assemble] v. phr. to attend a lodge celebration: 1976 On ...
turn out (2)
[from the outward turning of extra scar tissue or "proud flesh" (Cassidy p.c.)] v. phr. (of a wound) to become infected. ...
turn round
[cf. US Black (song) "Jump down, turn round, pick a bale of cotton..,"] v. phr. to hurry, bustle. <Gen.> ...
turpintime
<Black>; turtintime <Mayag.> [cf. US Black tu'p'mtime idem ADD] n. turpentine. ...
turtle-back
[cf. BACK n. 2] n. turtle shell. <Gen.> ...
turtle hole
[cf. DJE turtle crawl] n. a pen in shallow water for keeping live turtles. <Andros, Long> ...
turtle pussley
[cf. PUSSLEY; from its attraction for turtles] n. a sea plant, Thalassia testudinum. <Exuma> ...
turtle weed
n. a plant, Batis maritime, which grows near the sea: 1920 (Britton 133). = SAMPIRE <Black> ...
twell
[cf. Scots twall idem CSD] number twelve: Da clock strick twell (Brown 38). <Gen.> ...
twelve o' clock
[from its flowers closing in the mid-day sun] n. a shrub, Strobilanthes sp., with purple-blue flowers. = ELEVEN O'CLOCK <Andros, Adelaide> ...
twilly
[etym. uncertain, but cf. killick rock used as an anchor for a small boat in Bermuda (Ayres1933:5), Cayman (Fuller 67), Prov. (Washabaugh 1980:5); for sound ...
twist conch
[see quot.] n, a variety of conch (Strombus sp.): 1888 The Twist Conch is very rare. . it is regular in shape and mottled with ...
two bits
[cf. BIT n., Obs. eighteen cents: 1895 She gave 'im de two bits* [*18 cents]. 'E went an' bought twelve pence* [*cents] rice an' a ...
two-face-ted
[from two-faced + -ed] adj. hypocritical: Don't never make friends with her, boy, cause she too two-face-ted (Nassau). <Black> ...