Jamaican Proverbs

di higha di monki climb

di more him expose

When coaco ripe

it mus buss

when plantain wah fi dead

it shoot

Fool-fool pickney

mek fowl get weh from him two time

Once bitten

twice shy

Saltfish siddung pon counta

a wait fi bread and butta

Mi old but

mi nuh col'

Disobedient pickney

nyam rock stone

Dawg say if him have money

him wudda buy him own flee

Nuh cup nuh bruk

nuh coffee nuh spill

Mawga cow

a bull mumma

When ass a gallop

him nuh know weh him back foot a say

Parson christen

him pickney fuss

A faitful Pramise

Mek fool glad

Nuh mek yuh lef han

know weh yuh right han a do

a nuh ebreeting soak up wata

a sponge

any dutty wata

kool hot iron

Chiga toe

frabe a grabble

duppy know

who fi frightin

nuh dash weh yuh tick

before yuh crass di riva

Nuh hide yuh tick

an lick a mna

Oily tung

nuh muss tell di truth

scawnful dawg

nyam dutty puddin

Ole file cyaa sharpen

new machette

dawg wid too much massa

Go bed without suppa

Cack mout

Kill Cack

Hot needle

Bun Tred

If yuh have yuh han in a debil mout

Tek time draw it out

Loose lips

Sink Ships

Fiyah deh a muss muss tail

Him tink a kool breeze

Man weh bawn fi drown

cyaa heng

a nuh same day yuh eat

yuh fat

A nuh all roof

A Shelta

If yuh lie wid dawg

Yuh rise wid flee

Di same knife weh stick goat

Stick sheep

Wah gawn bad a mawning

Cyaa come good a evening

If u spit in the sky

It will fall in your eye

When poor a git up

him tun trouble to the werl

Peacock hide him foot

when him hear 'bout him tail.

No wait till drum beat

before you grine you axe

If yuh fraid a yeye

yuh cyaa nyam fish head

A no want a fat mek

nightingale foot 'tan' so

Ebry dyay debble help teef

wan dyay Gad wi help watchman

Cowad man

kip soun' bone

Dawg no howl

ef in ha bone

If yu noh mash ants

yu noh fine him guts

Ole fiyah tick

easy fe ketch

Chicken merry

hawk deh near

Yu cyaan siddung pahn cow bak

and cuss cow kin

Yu shake man han

but yu noh shake im hawt

Wen chubble tek yu

pickney shut fit yu

Big blanket

mek man sleep late

Wha sweet a mout'

hat a belly

Me come yah fe drink milk

me noh come yah fe count cow

Pit inna de sky

it fall inna yuh y'eye

Yu cyaan ketch Quaku

yu ketch im shut

Payshent man

ride danki

Waant aal

lose aal

Chubble deh a bush

Anancy cyah l'kum a yaad

Wanti wanti cyaan getti

an' getti getti noh wanti

New broom sweep clean

but owl broom noe dem cahna

Mischiff kum by de poun'

an' go by de ownse

Poun' ah fret cyaan pay

ownse ah dett

Willful was'e

bring woeful waant

Noh buy puss

inna bag

Quatti buy chubble

hunjed poun' cyaan pay farri

Lang run

shaat ketch

Wan han

wash de oda

Finger neber say "look here

" him say "look deh."

De more yu luk

de less yu si

No matta how cockroach junk

im noh waak pass fowl yaad

Wan finga cyaan

kill louse

Yuh pred yuh bed haad

yu haffe liddung pan i' haad

No mug no bruk

no cawfee no dash way

Ebry dawg hab him day

an ebry puss him 4 o'clock

Wen mawga plantin wan' fi dead

'im shoot

Wen coco ripe

i mus buss

Wen man belly full

im bruck pat

Wa de goat du

de kid falla

Yu nebba see sumoke

widout fiyah

Tek whey yuh get

till yu get whey yu want

Ef yu cyaan get turkey

yu haffi satisfy wid Jancro

Good frien' betta

dan packet money

Bifoe gud food pwile

meck belly bus

Tu much ratta

nebba dig gud hole

Self praise

a no no rekumendayshan

A no ebryting kum fram abuv

a blessen

Rain neber fall

a' one man door

Parson christen

him own pickney first

When ashes cold

dog sleep dere

Alligator lay egg

but him no fowl

Cry-cry pickney

neber hab him right

Nanny goat neber scratch him back

till him see wall

Rock 'tone a ribba bottom

no feel sun hot

Ebry day a fishing day

but ebry day no fe catch fish

Hungry hungry and full full

no trabel same pass

Shoes alone know

if stocking hab hole

John Crow neber make house

till rain come

John Crow tink

him own pickney white

Too much si'-dun

bruk breeches