O fficially, the language of the dual-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago is English. But when it comes to everyday conversations on these two Caribbean islands, most people use an English-based creole that the locals call Trini. ... Trini sayings, slang, and idioms have developed with time to make life a little more fun and colorful. Below is ...
More Trini expressions #26. Trinidad is not a real place: expression of disbelief and angst towards news or events happening in T&T that seem too ridiculous, silly, terrible or corrupt to be true… but are true. #27. Spinnin’ top in mud: repeating the same actions over and over again and never getting past square one.This means being stuck in mud even when tyres are moving.
G rowing up in Trinidad and Tobago, I was always surrounded by people from different ethnicities, races, and beliefs, descendants of those who arrived from all across the globe — Indian, Spanish, British, Chinese, African, and French, to name a few. The music and traditions of our nation, as well as our languages, accents, and sayings, reflect the rich history that has made Trinbago what it ...
The Creole dialect spoken in Trinidad and Tobago is a wonderful cosmopolitan mixture of words and expressions from many parts of the world, resulting from Trinidad's rich ethnic mix. So, let us put a smile on your face with a humorous look at Trinibago expressions plus a few local jokes.
Ax- This is a Trinidadian's way of saying "ask".E.g. Ax de boy wey he going= Ask the boy where he is going.; Bacchanal- This is a popular word in Trinidad.It means: "confusion", "arguments"; "scandal"; "loud quarreling/quarrelling", etc. E.g. Ah hear it ha' plenty bacchanal in town= I heard there's a lot of confusion happening in the area.; Back Chat- This is what we call an insolent answer ...
Heritage festival - An African festival held every year in Tobago, the twin sister island of Trinidad and Tobago. Horn - To cheat on your spouse or lover, as in "She horning him like reindeer!" Hornerman - A guy who makes love to someone's wife. Huggish - Rude, crude, mean; the behavior of a thug, gangster. Hut - Trini pronunciation for hurt.
Whether you’re born and raised in Trinidad & Tobago, or you live abroad and was raised by Trinidadian parent(s), you’re going to know at least half of these sayings. These Trinbagonian idioms and analogies, proverbs if you may, have been passed from generation to generation, imparting the wisdom of the ages.
Although the official language of Trinidad and Tobago is English, the most commonly spoken languages are Trinidadian Creole English and Tobagonian Creole English.Trinidadian usage includes a large number of local words and expressions. Many of these have non-English origins - these derive primarily from French and French Creole, Spanish, various West African languages, and the Indic ...
Trinidad and Tobago may very well be one of the loudest countries in the world, especially at this time of the year. ... This Trinidad Dictionary of slang words and phrases is the largest of its kind online and growing. A hybrid of languages from all corners of the globe but with a definitive French influence.
Trinidad and Tobago, being an English-speaking country, has a formal British-influenced English that serves as the standard when engaging in formal conversations. However, Trini slang tends to emerge more in informal settings, so you’ll find fewer slang terms in formal contexts. Nevertheless, here are a few phrases to help you blend in:
Recently came back to Trinidad and I observed that people from different areas in Trinidad have different accents/slangs, For example some people said "waiz d scene" "ways duh sen" "yuh dig" "yuh understan" "yastan" also been on tiktok an saw some comments saying "es" "akt" "mbn" "allyuh" "ooryuh" "gon fuh dat dey" "gwan fuh dah deh" "come dong from dey" heard some people call children ...
The various words and phrases from Trinidad & Tobago can be traced back to English, French and Spanish origins. Mother-giver is one such word that has its roots in the English language. Growing up in Trinidad and Tobago is interesting because the slangs can change over time. I have lived in the United States for 20 years now, and every time I ...
Maco-- A person who minds other people’s business; a gossip . Parang-- Old Spanish genre of music typically heard and performed during the Christmas season . Steups/Chups-- Suck teeth.A sound of annoyance, contempt. Tabanca-- A forlorn feeling that one gets when a love affair is over . Tobago Love-- When people who like each other engage in play-fighting in an effort to disguise their feelings
In the Trini dictionary I gave you all a taste of some of the words used in Tobago. Here, I present to you some popular Tobago sayings or what I would call local Tobago creole proverbs. I hope you have fun reading these sayings. When you’re finished reading the Tobago sayings you can head on over to Trini sayings .
"A" Ah Substitute for "I" Allyuh All of you people. A group Ax Ask.To ask a question Aye-yah-yie An expression of anticipation or pain, etc. "B" Bacchanal Scandal, heavy quarreling, big party, confusion Back chat Insolent response, especially from a child to an adult Bad eye(cut-eye) A look of anger, especially when looking from the corner of the eye Ba-John A bully or a really tough customer
There are various other words, phrases and sayings in the Trinidad oral traditions such as Obzocky, Dingolay, Doux-doux. Want to learn another Trini slang? Then click Trini for an alphabetical listing of all the slangs. Source: Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago by Lise Winer. Featured Image by Mpumelelo Macu on Unsplash
“Macajuel Syndrome” – The macajuel (ma-ca-WELL) is a large snake that lives in Trinidad and Tobago’s forests. Like all snakes, when it eats a particularly large meal, it will lie in one spot for hours or days, unable to move, in a type of lethargy until the meal is digested. When Trinbagonians say this, they are referring to sleepiness ...
Tobago love (n): Said of a relationship characterized by lack of demonstration of affection, or by fighting. Is only sweetie he sending she by de post – like is Tobago love or what? (Baptiste 1993:157). The various slang and phrases of Trinidad and Tobago can sometimes be specific to one of the islands that make up the twin island state.
Most of these snacks still remain in tuck shops and school parlours and many have been discontinued and re-introduced throughout the years. Now we're not talking about local handmade snacks like Tamarind ball, Coconut fudge, Bene Ball (Tobago) and sugar cake, even though those were available in parlours as well.
