Mango Bay Barbados: Amazing All Inclusive Hotel

Set on beautiful St James beach, this intimate all inclusive resort offers a good range of facilities.

This friendly resort is ideal for those looking for sun-kissed relaxation, a great all inclusive package and easy access to Holetown’s shops, restaurants and bars. Sip a deliciously cool rum punch under shady palms and tropical flowers by the lagoon-style pool, feel the ocean breeze in your hair as you sail along the coast, or stroll down the beach in search of secluded coves. Join a catamaran tour for the incredible chance to snorkel with hawksbill and leatherback turtles and watch out for other local wildlife such as monkeys, mongooses and the graceful egrets that come to roost at night. 

The beachfront restaurant and bar offers a casual setting for all meals. Start your day with an expansive buffet breakfast accompanied by ocean views, and take a break from sun-bathing or watersports to enjoy afternoon tea. A range of Caribbean and international dishes are served at lunch and during candlelit dinners where typical dishes include speciality grilled steaks, freshly-caught seafood and tempting local desserts such as coconut cream pie. Join the fun at the popular barbecue every Friday night and enjoy a range of entertainment, from low-key piano music to lively limbo dancing. 

The simple but contemporary rooms are set either in the main building or in a separate block. Standard Rooms offer garden views and are closer to Holetown’s lively streets while Oceanfront Rooms offer a more tranquil setting and the chance to awaken to the sound of the waves lapping the shore. Standard Room One Bedrooms are ideal for families as they feature a separate living room and bedroom.

Kuoni Insider

This small, vibrant resort is full of energy so be prepared to get involved. Fun fun fun is the best statement for Mango Bay and as long as you are looking to meet an ecclectic mix of people with the warmest of welcomes this is the hotel to holiday at!"

Last 5 reviews

05/06/2015

by AnnaMT Sunbury, UK

Lovely experience

Had a lovely week here. Very professionally run and the staff just make life easy! Food was great - mostly table service with a nice choice to suit everyone. Occasionally a buffet. Staff excellently trained and worked hard all the time. Loved the fact they came along the beach several times a day to take drinks orders! Only negative was that the Wi Fi was slow - sent emails fine but photos just never made it home.

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04/06/2015

by MaryBentley Wolverhampton, UK

Nothing is too much trouble

Another stay at this Award Winning Boutique Hotel. The beach has been much improved, swimming is easy, the beach is wider after all the beach work on the West Coast. Lots of sunbeds & umbrellas. Complimentary Hoby Cat & Water Sports with complimentary Catamaran Trip & Glass Bottom Boat. Lovely pool close to the excellent bar serving premium drinks and many and varied cocktails. The restaurant is good ~ however the Menu does not reveal how good the meals are. The breakfast area caters to all tastes. The standard of cleanliness is good, beds are comfy - this is the only hotel which I do not bring my own pillow. Entertainment every night and Peter the singing Chef. The only downfall is the TV, efforts were made to improve this but failed ~ sometimes you would like to watch a film and then in English not Spanish ~ "Ola" Ryan! But the real jewell at this Hotel are the staff, really lovely genuine people, who work very hard to ensure your stay is perfect. I have never heard so many laughing happy people in all departments ~ they made our holiday complete Be assured we will be back along with all the many repeat guests. Mango Bay is truly a "Family" and the Spa is great too.

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03/06/2015

by Saphnpete 

Amazing! We will be going back :)

Perfect location....staff are outstanding do anything for you! Can't put into words how amazing this place is. Food was out of this world every day! We expected buffet being all inclusive but it was first class a la carte. We are planning our next holiday here already only just got bk :) we had a week here without our kids for a break and was the best choice ever.......thank you to all at mango bay see you again soon Saphron & Pete 

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02/06/2015

by preya c Surrey, United Kingdom

Amazing!!!!!

Hotel was lovely !!! Situated in a good location. The room was very spacious and clean, beach view was stunning and the beach itself was very clean. Good size pool too. Hotel offer some water sports as part of the package, so made the most of that!! Regarding food, they had a good selection, some days it was buffet style other days you pick from a set menu. I'm vegetarian and again they did have a good selection of dishes, if there wasn't anything on the menu I liked, they were happy to make anything else for me. All the staff in the hotel were genuine and always friendly. In terms of the bar they made anything you wanted, I recommend the cocktails !!! With this hotel being all inclusive I was pleasantly surprised when they offered well known name brands. From previous experience on other all inclusive holidays they usually only offer local alcohol, this was not the case here. They had entertainment every night, this ranged from karaoke to dancing entertainment to singers. A selection of things some of what were not my thing however the hotel did well to organise entertainment every night. This was our first time in Barbados and I really cannot fault the hotel at all. Had an amazing time and plan to go back to Mango Bay in the future.

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01/06/2015

by Drot Maidenhead England

Loved it

This is a lovely hotel in a good location with wonderful staff. The beach is fine and you can walk in both directions along the coast to other nearby beaches. We had an ocean front room on the ground floor. This came with loungers on a large verandah so felt very roomy. We weren't bothered by noise at all. Having been to an all-inclusive resort before I was pleasantly surprised with the way this was run - we were able to book lunch and dinner at a time that suited rather than having one fixed sitting. All of the staff at the resort were very friendly and helpful. Holetown is just two minutes away with a good variety of shops. Sunday night Karaoke is a must!

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Guava Cheese: Om Noms of Barbados

Guava Cheese

Guava cheese is a chewy fudge-like sweet. Guavas, which are grown in Barbados, are used to make this product.

Guavas are fruits which are usually round or oval with a distinctive fragrance. When young, the guava tends to be green on the outside, but becomes yellow when ripe. The outer skin of the guava may be rough with the inside filled with small seeds.

Guava trees can be found throughout Barbados particularly in the countryside. The fruit of these trees contain an abundance of Vitamin C with the majority of that vitamin found in the skin of the fruit.

Making Guava Cheese

To make guava cheese make sure guavas are firm, pick out all seeds and peel the guavas. Put guava pulp, sugar and spice in a saucepan and cook on high until mixture starts to " jump", stirring once in a while.

Reduce heat and cook mixture, until mixture is thick and separates easily from the bottom and sides of the pot, leaving the pot "clean".

Pour Guava cheese in a greased fireproof glass dish and let it cool. When cool, cut into small squares.

Health Benefits of Guava

Guavas aid in constipation, cough and cold, skin care, high blood pressure and weight loss to name a few. Guava is one of the riches sources of dietary fiber with its seeds serving as excellent laxatives.

The juice of raw and young guavas is very helpful in giving relief in cough and cold by loosening cough, reducing mucus, disinfecting the respiratory tract, throat and lungs and inhibiting microbial activity due to its astringent properties.

Guavas can help improve your skin texture and avoid skin problems. This is chiefly due to the abundance of astringents in its fruits (more in young ones) and in leaves. You can benefit from it either by eating the fruits or by washing your skin with the decoction of its young fruits and leaves. It will tone up and tighten loosened skin.

Guavas help reduce cholesterol in blood (which is common amongst the citizens of Barbados) and prevents it from thickening, thereby maintaining fluidity of blood and reducing blood pressure. Guava, being very rich in fiber and hypoglycaemic in nature, helps reduce blood pressure.

Guava is very helpful for those who want to lose weight without compromising their intake of proteins, vitamins and fiber. Guava is also known to  help control diabetes, protects prostrate and reduce the risk of cancer.

The juice of the guava leaves cures toothache, swollen gums and oral ulcers. It heals wounds when applied externally, convulsions, epilepsy and bacterial infections.

Know Your Bajans: Aunty Olga...may she R.I.P.

Dame Olga Lopes-Seale: Auntie of 2000 needy children on the Isle of Barbados

What is the greatest responsibility of mankind in each existing generation? The answer is simple. It is to take care of the future our children – our future. Taking this responsibility very seriously is Barbadian children’s activist Olga Lopes-Seale. Olga was born in Guyana, a country in the southern Caribbean. She later migrated to Barbados in the early 1960s. She was often referred to as Auntie Olga and this was the name given to her by the thousands of children she helped and was considered the Mother Theresa of Barbados and local pioneer for the poor.

Needy Children’s Fund

Photo Courtesy: THE NATION PUBLISHING COMPANY LIMITED

The Needy Children’s Fund evolved from a mere outreach to the corporate community in Guyana to donate children’s clothing to an established NGO working to assist all underprivileged children.

Olga’s efforts began in her birth country over 40 years ago and continued on her journey to Barbados. The Needy Children’s Fund began by simply appealing for clothing for five boys who were unable to attend a Christmas party because they didn’t have any clothes. The appeal for clothing ended up in a large pile of donated clothes so she then made an appeal for needy children to come and benefit from the donation. Before she left Guyana back in the early 1960s she was helping over 1500 poor Guyanese children.

The Barbados Chapter 

On her arrival to Barbados, Olga continued the work of assisting underprivileged children. The Needy Fund’s Fund of Barbados was launched for all the less fortunate children on the island and those who suffered from mental and physical disabilities. Olga used her post as a local radio broadcaster to reach out to all the corporate companies in Barbados to offer monetary and any other form of help which would be used to assist the children in need. Her kind soft spoken demeanor warmed the hearts of many. She would always receive positive responses from the companies she approached and was never denied help. Olga also worked relentlessly with many local organizations to assist with donations and fundraising events to for the children.

Community Outreach

Photo Courtesy: THE NATION PUBLISHING COMPANY LIMITED

Olga attended to each child individually. She would make trips to rural and urban neighborhoods to visit those families who requested help. These families would range from single parent families with only a mother or father who could not provide for all the needs of the children in that house to other families which included stay at home mothers struggling to support her family and living without a spouse due to the tragedy of death or abandonment. She would investigate each situation and assess the needs of the children and no child was ever turned away.

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She hand-delivered donations including food items, vouchers for school supplies and clothing to each home in her personal car. The many journeys she took to deliver donations resulted in car accidents on three occasions but she remained committed to service.

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When the Fund first started in Barbados there were only a few children on the list for assistance but as the years rolled on the list reached into the hundreds and then stretched into the thousands. To date, the fund has helped almost 2000 needy children across the eleven parishes of Barbados.

There was a family with six children who lived in a little house in the north of the island with no water or electricity and one small income to support the family. Guess who was the first to offer help? Olga visited their home and sought donations to help them. She brought clothes for all the children who were five boys and one girl, shoes, clothes and supplies for school. She also helped to get running water and electricity in the house. Food supplies were also donated. They parents were able to send the children to school with clean clothes and provide meals everyday. 

Rosalind Holder a single mother of four, declared with great appreciation that Olga’s help made a major impact on her children’s lives.

“When times were hard Olga made it possible for my children to go to school by giving vouchers for school uniforms and gave them clothes to wear. She was a good woman who looked out for everybody. She loved the children and always gave them treats. She a very generous woman,” Rosalind says.

The vision of the Needy Children’s Fund was to ensure that each child was able to get an education by attending school. Olga would seek monetary donations from corporate companies or other well-to-do figures in society. The parents or guardians of each child would be given vouchers for school clothes, books and shoes every school term. Olga would then take the money she received and pay the relevant department stores for the items. Her personal assistant Ena Jordan said, “Auntie Olga loved the kids and mothers very much. She was very determined and very professional in dealing with all the families and she loved the cause. She was a very gentle and humble person.”

Special Needs 

Photo Courtesy: THE NATION PUBLISHING COMPANY LIMITED

The Children’s Fund extended its efforts into many institutions which housed children with physical defects. Wheelchairs were donated for children who unable to move around on their own and special events were held to assist those who required costly medical procedures.

Each year Olga hosted a Christmas party for all the needy children whom she helped throughout the year. The children would receive gifts from Santa Claus and were treated to lunch and special treats. Dame Olga was often heard saying in her in her soft spoken voice, “there is nothing better to see a child happy and smiling for Christmas.

Children under the Fund also received toys and other gifts on birthdays. Olga also raised money for the Needy Children’s fund through an Annual Fun Run. The 10K Fun Run is sponsored every year by a local entertainment company and has raised thousands of dollars towards helping the underprivileged children of the nation.  To date the Fund has helped almost 2000 needy children.

Care for the Elderly

“Even though my people are poor they should be treat the right way,” Olga believed that the underprivileged were the most important people in society including the elderly. As the charity grew over the years, Olga recognized the need to assist the Elderly in the society including senior citizens who lived alone with no one to care for them on a daily basis.  Olga would visit them in their homes and offer assistance with eye glasses, help in improving the living conditions and also donated free wheelchairs to aid in their mobility. Elderly people living in geriatric institutions also received assistance from the fund in the form on clothing and gifts.

The Journey Continues 

Dame Lopes Seale has indeed recognized the need to protect and care for our children and devoted her life and work to ensure that they grow to be strong men and women who will be the future leaders of the nation. Her community assistance programs and dedication to giving to others is the perfect example of a selfless humanitarian who recognized the value of a sustainable and learning environment for children in need. She was awarded the knights honor (In 2005, she was made a 2005 Dame of St. Andrew) for her charitable work and activism for women and continued in this vein up until her recent death on February 4, this year. Her work is now being carried on by the Variety Club of Barbados.

Phoo Courtesy: Dawn Lisa Callender-Smith

Olga’s favorite song which became her lifelong motto was

“If I can help somebody as I pass along,
If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,
If I can show somebody who is traveling wrong,
Then my living shall not be in vain.”

Sourced

Bajan Dialect

About Bajan Dialect

Bajan dialect is a unique language of Barbados. Its origin dates back to the times when slaves were brought to Barbados and forced to speak English. This language then became a way of communication among enslaved Africans, much to the disadvantage of their slave masters who had difficulty understanding what was being communicated. Bajan dialect is one of the most prevalent attributes that connect the people of Barbados to their African and English heritage.

The word ‘Bajan’ is a derivative of the word “Barbadian”. However due to stronger accents which once prevailed, the word sounded more like ‘Barbajan’ and eventually was shortened to Bajan. Bajan dialect has an intriguing factor associated with it as new words and expressions are constantly coming alive. Sometimes we tend to speak at a fast rate that combined with the accents heard makes it difficult to understand what is being said. Don't be afraid to ask a Bajan to slow down and they will be more than happy to slow it down.

Though English is the standard language spoken in Barbados, dialect is still very much a part of our culture. In Barbados, we tend to use dialect in informal settings and standard English in more formal settings. Therefore, it is not at all strange to hear a full conversation amongst friends out relaxing and walk away wondering what on earth was just said. Interestingly enough, these same folk have the greatest ability to seamlessly switch to proper English when in conversation with visitors to our island.

In an effort to help you understand a little more about the way in which the people of Barbados speak, below are a few words & phrases to get you on your way.

 

Dictionary of Bajan Dialect Words

A
above - Just beyond, next to
ackee - local fruit, hard green skin, orange flesh when ripe
afta - after
add-in - put in a little bit more
all de talk - with everything said
all-two - two things or both items / people
all-two a wunna - two persons in a group
all-a-wanna - everyone in a group
antiman - an offensive term for an effeminate or homosexual male
asked out - to invite someone out
at all - no way
away - overseas or abroad

B
bad behave - to be poorly behaved
bad feels - any feeling right
back-back - to go backwards
backyard - enclosed land at the back of a house
bachannal - commotion, loud partying
backchat - a disrespectful reply (usually in the case of a child to a parent.)
back stab - to talk about a friend negatively
bariffle - a whole lot of something
bassa-bassa - a fight / disagrement
bashy - to be intriguing
bashment - a party
bawl-out - curse someone
bay rum - a lotion
below - usually used in directions meaning under
belly - stomach
bare - a lot of
before-time - once upon a time; formerly
behind God's back - out in the country side in very rural areas
big-up - kudos, accolades, salutation
big-rock - a stone the right size and weight for throwing at someone
Bim - a nickname for Barbados
black hat - person behaving unseemly and don't care
blaklead - a pencil
blam - an expression of sound
blista - to curse someone out
blista bline - to curse someone out  worst
bozzi - a person ;like not me bozzi
boar tru - to push through a crowd
bonie - very slim body
bossman - a salutation / an admired friend
Bowmanston Liqure - glass of water
bougeley - real ugly person
boxy or botsi - the buttocks
bram - a small dancing party
breeze - pass through quickly
brek-up - to fall or to feel really tired after a party or exercise
broughtupsy - proper upbringing, manners or class
bruggadown / brugga-lax / brax-lax - the sound of a fall, or something hitting something else hard
bubble up de gap - walk / move up the street
bubble a pot - to cook good tasting food
buck-pot - a cast iron pot used for cooking
buckra-johnny -  a poor Caucasian
bumpa / bumsi - the buttocks
bung-navel - protuberant navel
butt up pon - to meet by chance; to have met by chance
bush-tea - a tea made of plants and herbs
buss mout - when hit in the mouth and it is bleeding
busylickum - a busy body
buy-ice, and fry it - a waste of money

C
carry way - take away
catspradle - like when something falls and disintegrates
chat-up - to talk up someone
cheese don bread - an expression or exclamation
chip - slowly marching down the street in time to music
choke-off - to shut off.
choppa - a machete
choppy - to be bumpy at sea
chossel - girlfriend / boyfriend
chune - a song
cock-back - shaking ones' buttocks while dancing
cock-up - to relax with one's limbs spread
collins - see cutlass
cook-up - mix everything together.
cool-out - to relax
come forward - to come out of a crowd
come'a - come here to me!
come back - to return [to return home]
common - to be low class
crappo - frog
cuh-dear - an exclamation showing empathy
cuff - to punch; a punch
cus - to insult, swear or use bad words
cutter -  a sandwich
cutlass - a machete

D

dat - that
daa fuh lick yuh - that's what you get
de-belly - the stomach
dead house - mortuary
dearheart - sweetheart
dem - them
dingolay - dance
disgusting - person having their own way
do-fa-do - A saying ("What goes around, comes around" / tit-for-tat)
dooflicky - a celebration
dottish - forgetful / stupid / foolish
down de bottom - over on the other end (used to give directions
down de line - straight down the road
drawing-up - pulling up to something
dress-up - wearing your best clothes
drop-down - to faint; pass out; or flop down onto something
dropsy - getting tired  / sleepy
dumpsy / duncey - to be stupid
duppy - a ghost or spirit
dust bin - waste bin

E
ecky-becky - a poor Caucasian
effin - a variant of "if"
enuff - to have had enough of something
evah - every
evahsince - a long time ago (from five minutes to five years ago)

F
fa / fah / fuh - for
fall away - lose weight rapidly
fall out - stop being friends
faddah - father
fah real - to agree with something said
friten - Afraid of everything, easily scared
face-basin - sink
fete - a party
fingasmit - a thief
finny - handicapped; physically challenged
flim - film / a movie
fling dah chune - play that song
flounce-up - usually means to stamp one's foot in a display; showing a readiness to fight.
follow-pattern / follow-fashion - a copycat
fortyleg - centipedede
fowl-cock - a chicken
fret - to bother
frig-em-up - to mess up someone
front-house - the living room.
frowsy - to be smelly or musty
fuh - "for" as in for life!
fuh-lie?- "you are telling a lie
fuh-true? - "for truth?"; for real; absolutely no exaggeration.
funny-up - weird looking
fuzz-out- to be exhausted from strenuous activity
fussy - very particular

G
gap - a street or road
gate-door - the entrance to the house
gettin-on - misbehaving, treat bad.
gear - used to describe expensive name brand clothing
gift hamper - collection of goodies
gipsy - overly inquisitive
gimme - to give something
gine - to be going / going to..
gittima - an item given to someone
go-across - go over by / go over to... (ex. "I gine go across by JBs)
godhorse - a stick insect
go-so / guh so - move that way...
go-round - "move over".
gorillafunt - big and ugly
government juice - water
goathead - an idiot
golliwog:- an insulting term
great-kind-kubba - a bigshot
groun - a garden
gully-boar - one who has no class
gutaperk - a sling shot.

H
hag - to bother
hagga-maid - over worked in cleaning
haffi - have to
ham - a homosexual male
hard-ears - you don't listen
hard-head / hard'n - you don't learn anything
hard mout cow - old (stupid) woman
hard mout goat - old (stupid) man
has-in - contains
hay - here
hell'em - to over work something
highfalutant - person who thinks they are better than you
hobby class - to be free of cost
hold-down - stoop down low
hold 'em joe - stay in control; wait a minute
horn / horning - cheat on a lover
horsestylish - arrogant, unmannerly behavior
humbug - to bother or annoy
humfree - to be free of cost
hurting up my head - forced to think about something confusing far too much.

I
in-true / in-troot - "in truth?" for real; no exaggeration
in-a-short-short - just a moment, in a little while.
in-two-twos - it happend really-- fast.
irie - all right, everything is cool (from Jamaica)
igrant - ignorant

J
Jah - God
jackspaniard - a wild bee
jar - to stare at, notice, realise, vise (see 'vise') or to ponder while looking,
Jauntin - to be going fast ; to be in a hurry
jenkins - mental hospital
jill - one pint of something
jilt - to treat (esp. a woman) unfavorably
jipsy - to be inquisitive
joe'heath mare - ran / running very fast
johnny - an idiot
Ju-C - ("Juicey") a soft-drink historically made in Barbados
juck - to poke, stab or push
jump-up - to dance (Usually stated "Take a Jump-up")
just-now - a few moments ago

K
katspraddle - to fall hard/make fall hard
kafuffle - to confuse; commotion
kawblema! - oh my goodness! / God blind me if it ent true
keep quiet - be silent, stop moving around and sit still, or stop whatever you're doing because it's annoying.
kernel - an enlarged gland in the groin [also waxing kernal]
kimboes - hips
koshflicket - damn!
kunou-monou  - a so-called bewitching powder dropped into soups or stews.

L
leff - leave / the direction known as left.
landship - a friendly society who frequently holds parades, with its members dressed in naval uniform
lemme - let me
leff he - to leave someone alone / do not trouble him
less-noise - be silent.
let loan - to leave alone
liard - a liar
lick - hit
lick-down / lick-dung - hit by a car...
lick-mout - "Talk too much"
lickrish - to be greedy for food
lime / liming - to hang-out, chill, or relax somewhere with others.
like peas-  lots of something / being together [like peas in a pod]
lil bit - for a little while
lillit tongue - the clitoris
line - a clothes line
lining cold - a cold caught by a mother just after child birth
long-side - next to
lose out - some scheme did not work out as planed
load - denotes a great deal of something
lookuh - look
lower-down that - to turn down, usually the volume or the fire on the stove.

M
mamaguy -  to fool someone
merr / murr - mother
mashup - to break, deconstruct or destroy.
malicious - mischievous
main guard - central police station
make out - to fare (eg how do you make out in the test)
marl hole - a quarry
maulsprigging - a severe lashing
mek sport- to joke/kid around / (you) mekin' sport
melts - a delicacy, the roe or spawn of the male fish
mek - make
meeting turn - a historical form of "banking" that Barbadians did. It works like an office lottery that rotates to a different person every week. [also known as su-su]
mile tree - a casuarina tree
mobba-ton - a really excessive amount
mock stick - a figure of ridicule
moses - a small row boat / dinghy
muh - me
malicious - to be inquisitive/nosy
mofuhme - Need more for myself
monkey -  a clay jug, used to keep water cool, before refrigerators
moss - sea weed
mout - mouth
mugen - foolish person
muster - to save (usually money)
mussie/mussy - maybe, perhaps or probably

N
nain - nothing
Nelson Street - a popular place to pick-up prostitutes
Nepsha and Kiah - Tom, Dick and Harry
never-see, come-see - over-exaggeration
new brand - never been used (eg This shirt new brand, boy!)
nimbles - fowl lice
nincanpoop - foolish person
ning-ning - tired/sleepy eyes.
nint - to anoint
nosey - always want to know others business
nucka - little penis
nuff / nough - a lot of...
nuk nuk/nu nu - the vagina
nuse - to use
nyam - to eat

O
obeah - Witchcraft/Black Magic/sorcery of West African origin similar to 'voodoo'
obzocky - to be weird looking or misshapen; unshapely woman
offa - off of
officious -  too rude
odd cents - loose coins (money)
oh lordie - my goodness, gracious me
Ol' haag - an old woman.
onliest -  the only one
onneat - to be underneath
onstan - to understand
opiten - to open
opnumin - to open
opunit - to open
own way - stubborn
out-it-out - turn off the light.
ovadayso / outdayso - over there

P
pailing - the zinc-metal galvanize used for walls of the yard, or roof of the house.
palisade - an wooden fence in front of a house
pan - steel pan
pancart - wheelbarrow
parro - a crack-head, someone so addicted to drugs
pasture - any patch of grass bigger than 3sq.ft.
pass-over - an apoplectic stroke
pelttin-waist - to dance
pelt -  throw
peck - pick-axe
peggers - baby teeth
pickney - a child
picture - TV show / programme
piece a' iron - rhythmic metal beating. (usually using the metal part of a car's break disc.)
pivvy -  used to denote the tiniest degree of measurement
plaster for every sore - excuse for every situation
playing de' fool - acting annoying
play-play -  make believe
pocket-pistol -  (roast-corn [bajan]); roasted corn on the cob
pompasetting - showing off new clothes
pon - on top / place 'upon
pon'-top-of - more, after the first set
pop - any kind of soda tonic
poppit - an idiot
poor-great - To act as if you are rich and a snob when in fact you are poor snob
pot-starver - a skinny dog (with ribs showing)
propping-sorrow -  sitting, stirring into space, with chin cupped in hand
press -  to iron clothes; usually a large shelved cupboard or wardrobe
puhp - faeces / to stool
pumps - sneakers
pull-up! / pull-up-dat! - That song is nice! Play it from the beginning again.
plug-it-out - to unplug from a socket
punch that one - play that song, or turn up that song more.
poop - to fart

Q

R
raise up - to increase the volume on the radio or TV
race -  commonly used to mean chase
ram / ramoff - to be full or crowded
rangate- [Vulgar]   "raaaaan--gate") e.g. "Wa de Raaangate!"
rasshole - (noun) idiot; (verb) to do foolishness. [Vulgar]  "raaaahhhs-sole!"
rather - prefer - 'I rather dis one'
reckon -  to count change (coin money)
redman - a brown or light-skinned negro
red-leg - a poor white (white person)
red-skin ting - description or to get the attention of a good looking female.
regulars -  small, harmless black ants
reverend -   a pastor; a preacher
reverse back - to drive backwards
roach -  cockroach
roundabout - a traffic rotary
rock-stone -  a stone of any size
rockinengine - steam roller
rubbatail -  a homosexual male
rucka-tuk - awful noise, sound, or commotion
rumshop - a small shop where rum and some other alcoholic drinks are sold.
rummie -  a rum drinker; drunkard
rumfle-up / ramful-up  - to wrinkled ; to mess-up a hairdo (girls)
run de route - let us go
runt - a small pig

S
safe - cool, ok, good
schuupse / scrhuspe / stupse - to suck ones teeth in exclamation
scotch-it - wedge/place something in a tight area
scotch-round - move, give me space
sea-bath - swim in the sea
sea cat - squid
sea eggs - sea urchins
skank - a low classed female
skinning your teeth - grinning, smiling or laughing.
sky-larke - to play the fool
shun - to avoid
sive - a food strainer
spraddle - sprawl; straddle
soft - to be shy or afraid
solid - well stocked bar
soft stone - limestone blocks, quarried locally
sno-cone - made of finely crushed ice, and flavoured with brightly coloured syrup
stan' pipe - a public water-faucet that used to be in every community of Barbados.
stop - "stay" or "is located" (ex. "It's down by where da' house stop.")
stop-cock - faucet
steupse/stupse - a sound made with the mouth expressing more than words.
stew-dumplings -  another word for conkies
stick - at parties, you always refer to the cake getting stick! not cut.
stick-licking -  the art of fencing with sticks
swank -  a drink made of only sugar and water
sweety - candy
sweet-drinks - any kind of soda
sweet-fuh-days - something that is really nice
swipe - pilfer; steal

T
take-in -  to have suddenly fallen ill
tea -  referred to any warm beverage
thingumajig / thingummy-bob - gadget
tip -  a small portion
too-nuff - very much
too sweet - real nice.
tot -  very small drinking vessel made of tin
topsy - a chamber pot
to-besides - I agree and in addition to that...
trouble - To interfere, bother, harass, pickup, take, disturb
trimps - shrimp
trust -  to give a person credit for goods supplied
tacklings - your belongings
turning bewitch - becoming crazy
turning foolish - becoming forgetful
turn-over - a sweet roll filled with coconut
tings - things
trildren - obscure word for children
two by four - facetious term for a smallish house

U
uh??? - pardon?
uh - also means 'a'. eg."five fuh uh dollar."
umpteenth - denoting many times
upstairs-downstairs - a two story house
upsided-down - this is preferred to upside-down

V
veranda - a special porch for showing off.
vex - angry
vise - to understand

W
walking-bout - running errands, going about ones' business.
wall-house - a house predominantly made of cement
way - where
warri - a game brought from Africa in the days of slavery.
wares - kitchen utensils, cutlery and crockery
wee-wee - very small; tiny; to urinate
whax-palax - a hard hit denoting the noise of the lash.
whax-palax-bruggadown-brax - a hard hit and fall
when you hear the shout - you've just got to hear what happens next.
wha gine on -  what's going on with you; what's new!
w'happening - what's happening!
wizzy-wizzy - whispering
who-so, don't like-so - A hypocrite never likes when another person does the same thing
wine - a dance done by gyrating one's waistline around
wood-slave - white lizard. Also known as 'poison' lizard
wood-ant - termite
writing-hand - this inversion is preferred to hand-writing
wuck / wok - work
wulloss -  used to express disappointment
wufless - worthless, terrible, no good

wuh-law / wuh-loss - an exclanation
wuk-up - a dance done by gyrating one's waistline, with heavy emphasis on the forward and backward motions
wunna - you all

X

Y
yuh - you
ya - you
yard-boy - a boy employed to do odd jobs around the house
yonder - over there
Yuh-right! - "How observant!"
Yuh-shooting - your high-water pants are too short.
yute - a youth/ child/ offspring

Z
ZR - "Zed-R" - a private-owned route taxi

 

 

Dictionary of Bajan Dialect Phrases

Barbados Dialect: I gine and mek lunch

Meaning: I am going to make lunch.

Barbados Dialect: Shut yuh mout

Meaning: Shut your mouth

Barbados Dialect: He en hay pompasettin

Meaning: He is showing off

Barbados Dialect: Wuh is dah?
Meaning: What is that?

Barbados Dialect: Wuh you talking bout?

Meaning: What are you talking about?

Barbados Dialect: De higher de monkey climb de more he does show he tail.

Meaning: The more someone show off,the more you will see their faults.

Barbados Dialect: Stan dey so

Meaning: Stay there

Barbados Dialect: To Flam

Meaning: To flirt or the object of such flirtations

Barbados Dialect: Wuh wrong wid you?

Meaning: What is wrong with you?

Barbados Dialect: De tongue dat buy you does sell you.
Meaning: The same person that flatters you, may betray you later.

Barbados Dialect: Catluck en ’ dogluck.

Meaning: What one person get away with,another person may not be so lucky.

Barbados Dialect: You cahn behave doh?
Meaning: Why don't you behave?

Barbados Dialect: Whey you gine?
Meaning: Where are you going?

Barbados Dialect:  Yuh can' be poor and show poor.
Meaning: Poverty is no excuse for shabbiness.

Barbados Dialect: Bajans like wukkin' up bad
Meaning: Gyrating energetically while dancing

Barbados Dialect: Every dog got’eday.

Meaning: What goes around comes around.

Barbados Dialect: The sea en' got nuh back door.

Meaning: The sea can be an unsafe place.

Barbados Dialect: Yuh money
Meaning: Your money.

Barbados Dialect: De more yuh look de less yuhsee.

Meaning: If you are spying on someone there are going to find ways to trick you.

Barbados Dialect: Cuh-Dear

Meaning: Poor fellow, show of empathy in someone.

Barbados Dialect: Water does run, but blood does clod.

Meaning: Blood is thicker than water.

Barbados Dialect: Wha mout seh, han' can' do.

Meaning: It's not always easy to back one's boast with actions.

Barbados Dialect: Yuh does gih’ yuhmout too much liberty.

Meaning: You talk about things that do not concern you.

Barbados Dialect: Cumma tuh muh nuh?

Meaning: Come here to me.

Barbados Dialect: Trouble don’t setup like rain.

Meaning: Misfortune often happens with out any warning signs.

Barbados Dialect: Studiation beat eddication.
Meaning: Common sense is better than formal education.

Barbados Dialect: Hole dat fuh muh
Meaning: Hold that for me

Barbados Dialect: Common

Meaning: A s in commoner

Barbados Dialect: De sea en’ got nuhback door.
Meaning: Once you go into the sea there are no guarantees you will getback outsafely.

Barbados Dialect: Only dogs does return to heown vomit.
Meaning: Once you get out of a bad situation, you should not return thesamesituation.

Barbados Dialect: Wuh yuh eye en sih, yuhstomach will tek.

Meaning: What you don’t know don’t bother you.

Barbados Dialect: I gih she dah bag
Meaning: I gave her that bag

Barbados Dialect: Girl, yuh like liquor bile over.

Meaning: Means a girl is so beautiful she looks like sugar-cane liquor which has boiled over the rim of the container.

Barbados Dialect: De longer yuh live, de moreyuh does hear.

Meaning: No matter your age you can still be surprise by what you hear.

Barbados Dialect: Wuh part you gine?

Meaning: Where are you going?

Barbados Dialect: Everyfool got e ’sense.

Meaning: Every one has knowledge about something.

Barbados Dialect: She car mash up

Meaning: Her car is not working

Barbados Dialect: There is more than one dogname Bob.

Meaning: Your name maybe called butwhat is said could apply to someone else.

Barbados Dialect: Duncey/dumpsey
Meaning: Means stupid or unintelligent

Barbados Dialect: Duh is more in de mortar dan de pestle.

Meaning: There is more to the issue than appears on the surface.

Barbados Dialect: Don’t let the devil get in me now.

Meaning: Don’t make me angry with you.

Barbados Dialect: Whu she say?

Meaning: What did she say?

While this may all seem like a bit of a learning experience while in Barbados, do bare in mind that once Bajans are asked to slow down in their speech, there is always a great possibility that you will understand what is being said.

Has Crop Over lost its way?

Crop Over is a cultural and historical event, celebrating the end of the sugar cane harvest season. Barbados.org describes Crop Over as;“The Crop Over summer festival is Barbados' most popular and colourful festival. Its origins can be traced back to the 1780's, a time when Barbados was the world's largest producer of sugar. At the end of the sugar season, there was always a huge celebration to mark the culmination of another successful sugar cane harvest – the Crop Over celebration.

However, ask most [young] people today and they are most likely to say something akin to “Toga!Toga! Toga!” - a chant made famous by every college party film from the 80's. In other words, to most people, Crop Over is simply one big two-month party and the historical and cultural aspects of the festival are completely forgotten. Even Wikipedia agrees; “For the entire two months life for many islanders is one big party...”

No one, including those in charge of the festival seem to care about the history of the festival or its cultural significance. Barbadians have a very vague idea of when and why the festival started and not a very accurate or detailed knowledge about what the festival was like more than twenty to thirty years ago.

The focus and the message of the festival now seems to be more about partying and all that comes with it, rather than taking the opportunity to educate Barbadians about their history and culture and the origins of the festival and some of its biggest events such as Bridgetown Market, Pic-O-De-Crop, Cohobblopot and Grand Kadooment. Most Barbadians do not even know anything about the music of the festival – calypso and soca – other than they originated in Trinidad. One may go as far to say that some Barbadians do not even know that much.

For a festival that is so important to a nation, why is it that those who are so eager to take part in it know next to nothing about it? It is shameful  that Barbadians in general know practically nothing about what is supposed to be the most culturally significant event of the year and that the event itself showcases very little history and culture – one can only understand their culture if they know their history.

For years, decades even, the older generation has voiced its concern about the decline and deterioration of the festival. And more and more Barbadians of all ages are beginning to echo this sentiment. Many have said that the history and the culture of the festival need to be emphasised and explored. These two aspects have been almost completely eclipsed by the “Party! Party! Party!” atmosphere and message of the festival.

Some may even go as far to say that Crop Over is a party filled with “sin” and “debauchery”. Why else would condom advertisements and “Drink Responsibly” campaigns be broadcasted more frequently during this period? By injecting history and culture back into the festival, this perception can be negated and not only the image of the festival, but Barbadians' image of themselves and their country can be changed.

History is unimaginably powerful and by learning and understanding where they have come from, Barbadians will be able to appreciate and be proud of Crop Over, Barbados and themselves even more.

There is nothing wrong with having fun and celebrating or with Crop Over reflecting that; the whole point of the festival is to celebrate. That being said, as the festival grows older and memories of  its history start to fade (and one can argue that for the most part those memories are completely gone), it is necessary to hold on to and preserve these memories and use them to educate the younger generation about the history and cultural relevance of the festival.

The festival should be less about parties and partying and more about history and culture. There should be a balance.

Even though the festival was initially just a simple celebration, it has evolved and matured into what can be considered the pinnacle of Barbadian culture; a shining example if you will, of what Barbados and Barbadians are all about. Barbadians themselves, should know what they are about.

Unfortunately, many Barbadians seem not to care to learn about their own history and culture. During Crop Over, all that matters is partying. This may be the very reason that those in charge of Crop Over have not, or do not want to, emphasise the cultural and historical aspect of Crop Over. If no one is interested, then why waste funds on it?

Such a nonchalant attitude could lead to Crop Over becoming (if it hasn't already – and it most likely surely has) just another festival or carnival and thus losing its identity and uniqueness in a region which has so many and any advantage it may have had over them.

So what is Crop Over? At present it is more of a party than a cultural celebration. In the future it may well evolve into more than just a celebration of the end of the sugar cane harvest season and become celebration of the history and culture of a people. That is, at least, the future we can hope for.

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