Bus’ a Laugh With the Jamaican News Broadcast

This past Friday Lucy and I were sitting watching the T20 semi-final between Sri Lanka and the West Indies. At the post-match presentation, the losing captain Chris Gayle was having a chat with one of the commentators, and whilst Lucy was able to make it out, I had absolutely no clue what he was saying. I don’t think it’s a fault on my part, more that Jamaicans speak a unique version of English like no one else in the world. For example:

Mi like yuh cris cyar.
Translation: I like your new car.

Yuh tuh fass and facety.
Translation: You are too inquisitive and fresh.

Gyal, yuh roach killa dem a seh one out deh.
Translation: Girl, those shoes are the bomb.

But cooh pan di lickle invalid.
Translation: Oh the poor little boy is handicapped.

Gyal fayva buckteet Ida.
Translation: She has a bit of an overbite.

What a bway dunce sah.
Translation: He has a touch of Dyslexia.

Anyways, that was just a preamble to what I really wanted to show you – it’s pretty old but something I always go to when I need a good laugh. Taken from the 90s tv series “The Real McCoy”, this skit is from a JBC news broadcast where the presenter is giving the lineup of British TV shows that have been dubbed especially for Jamaican audiences. Check it out.

BONUS: Hit the jump for some more Jamaican slang to introduce into your daily conversation.

See some Jamaican Reggae-Rasta words, expressions, and slang below.

Bumboclot – King of curse words.
Cat – Female genitals. Mi nuh like fi bowcat. (I don’t like to perform oral sex).
Cock it up – Aggressive sex.
Ginnal – Trickster, con-person. ‘Im so ginnal. (He is a tricky person.)
Legsus – A spoof on the luxury car, Lexus, but expresses the walking power of the legs.
Likky-Likky – One who is greedy about eating everything seen. Yu too likky-likky.
Raggamuffin – A Jamaican ghetto dweller. Naa mess wit no raggamuffin. (Don’t mess with a ghetto person.)
Romp – To mess with or play. Yu wanna romp wit me? (Do you want to mess with me?)
Skettle – A ho girl or slut; also means anything really cheap. A skettle name brand dat. (Those are cheap brand clothes.) Sket is a shortened version; also a cheap boxed drink.
Stoosh – Any person that is rich; a rich object. Dis computa stoosh! (This computer is “stoosh”!) Mi live inna stoosh place. (I live in a rich place.)
Swaaty – Fatty.
Upful – Positive feelings. Yu so upful. (You are cheerful.)
Ya nuh see it? – Slang for, you know?

[via Speak Jamaican]