People of different nationalities have developed certain expressions which they use to comment on situations, give advice or warning, without using the day-to-day speech of ordinary conversations. These expressions are of two types – Proverbs, which give advice and/or warning and Idioms. An idiom is an unusual way of stating an idea.
A few of these selected from those popularly used in Jamaica are listed below.
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- “Puss nuh business inna dawg fight „
- English Translation: Cat doesn’t have any business in a dog’s fight
- Definition Keep out of what does not concern you
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- “Stay pon cow back and cuss cow „
- English Translation: On a cow’s back yet cursing the cow
- Definition To be ungrateful to those who have helped you.
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- “Nuh trouble trouble, til trouble trouble yuh „
- English Translation: Don’t trouble trouble until trouble troubles you
- Definition Do not concern yourself with what is not your affair
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- “If yuh sleep wid dawg, yuh ketch im flea „
- English Translation: If you sleep with a dog, you will catch his fleas
- Definition If you mix with the wrong crowd, you will learn their bad habits.
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- “Mi yeye a mi market yuh a mi coco basket „
- English Translation: My eyes are my market, you are my cocoa basket
- Definition I will look at you as I please
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- “Howdy and tenky bruk no square„
- Definition It does no harm to show good manners to people
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- “Wata more than flour „
- English Translation: There is more water than flour
- Definition It's a time of great difficulty
- Learn correct word pronunciation
- Understand grammar and structure
- Handy everyday phrases
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- “Nuh ebery ting dat ave sugar sweet„
- English Translation: Everything that has sugar in it is not necessary sweet
- Definition Don't be deceived by appearances
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- “From mi yeye deh a mi knee „
- English Translation: From my eyes were at my knees
- Definition Since I was a little child
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- “Tidday fi me, tomorrow fi yuh„
- English Translation: Today is for me, tomorrow is for you
- Definition Everyone has a season for success and failure
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