Mi a baldhead

Though I like reggae music for the most part, I really have no clue what they're saying or mean half the time. Just looking at Bob Marley's songlist, for example... Duppy Conqueror? Crazy Baldheads? So Jah Seh? Easy Skanking? Huh? Overall, Marley is pretty light on the Patois compared to some.

If you think you've got an ear for Patois, try this little quiz I culled from the USA to Jamaican Translation page...


Match these phrases with its Jamaican equivalent: (answers below)

USAese 1) Why are you squeezing the mangoes like that? 2) Aren't those pants a bit short? 3) He has no manners. 4) She has a bit of an overbite. 5) Get me a pop please.

JAMAICAN a) Yuh did a expect flood ar yuh tek yuh measurement inna wata? b) Lissen mi nuh, mi a beg yuh stap fingle-fingle up di mango dem. c) Beg yuh carry wan aerated wata fi mi deh. d) Gyal fayva buckteet Ida. e) Im noh have noh broughtupsy!

I can see that parsing Jamaican Patois through these Michigan ears is going to take some work. Thankfully, there are lots of resources, such as:

Jamaica Glossary
Speak Jamaican
Another glossary of Jamaican words and slang
Talk Jamaican (with audio examples)
Yet another glossary
Patois sound clips

Answers to the quiz
1-b
2-a
3-e
4-d
5-c

Oh yeah. Duppy = Ghost, Baldheads = People without dreadlocks (usually meaning white people), So Jah Seh = As Jah Says (Jah = Rastafari name for God), Skanking = Dancing to reggae music