Tuesday, November 13, 2007

How to speak like a Bajan


It's easy to take your culture and way of life for granted, and to think there's nothing unique about the way you speak as a people. We Bajans have our own way of expressing ourselves, and I'm sure visitors probably wonder what the heck we're saying.

Anyhoo, I thought it would be useful to add a daily segment on how to speak like a Bajan. You never know, it might come in handy....

A.
"arite den". This is said when you're in agreement with something, e.g: "Arite den you know de ting" (yeah, true). It also has other uses like "Arite den I gine hear ya lata" (Ok, I'll hear you later).

B.
Bashment! - Cool!

Bad-behave - naughty, wicked (of a child) e.g: He so bad-behave (He is so naughty, wicked).

Bad talk someone- to say negative things about someone behind the person's back

Back chat- an insolent response from a child to an adult

To back stab- to talk about one's friends negatively behind their backs

Backstabber - someone who talks negatively about one's friends behind their backs

A Bajan- a Barbadian, i.e someone from Barbados

Baje- a shortened form of "Bajan"

Barrifle- a lot e.g: You talking a barrifle o'nonsense- You are talking a lot of nonsense

Bashy- used to describe something that's cool. E.g: your car look so bashy!!

Bassa-bassa- commotion, fight

De Belly - diarrhea e.g: Dat shrimp salad geh me de belly (That shrimp salad gave me diarrhea)

Bim- a nickname for Barbados

To big up someone- to give someone a shout out

Boek- Exclamation

To get bound - to get constipated

Bout- about

Bozie- A typical sentence ending. e.g. Not me bozie (Not me at all!)

Source - Dictionary of Bajan Slang

2 comments:

Ankakh_Hayastan said...

This is an excellent idea. I have had great difficulty understanding Bajan on my past trips to Barbados (to the point that I gave it up).

It would be cool if you included the pronunciation of the words as well.

Unknown said...

o wow my dad is from barbados is this HOW he talk broken engles REPRESENTING BAJANS ALL DAY