Let's get Trinified

Hello everyone! As it is my intention to take you all on a carnival journey with me I think it is important that you get to know a little bit of our language, you see we in Trinidad use a lot of words that may not make sense, and you cannot have a virtual carnival experience without knowing these words and what they mean, those highlited in red are those that relate directly to carnival, the others I posted just to try to trinify you guys!

For ease of reference i will post these on my sidebar so you can refer to them easily on a later date.

Here goes:

Trini - Trinidadian

Bacchanal - Wild party / Scandal / Argument / Confusion

Back Back - A suggestive dance performed with the male dancer's front rubbing against the female's rear, and vice versa

Band - A group of Carnival masqueraders with costumes designed on a related theme. A band can have 4,000 people divided into 25 sections, each with it's own theme and several music trucks. Each band has a huge King and Queen costume. Carnival Tuesday will see about 20 large bands go across the stage in competition.

Bam bam, boomsie, bamsie, bam-a-lam, background, backside, behind, - ass, bottom / butt

Bazodee - Confused

Buss Up Shut - See Roti, Shredded roti skin, resembling a "bust up shirt"

Cahneevaal (Carnival - "Farewell to the Flesh" A pre-Lenten festival started by Catholics to get in one last party before giving up wine, women and song for 40 days during Lent. Preparations and partying in Trinidad start in January and build up to Jouvay (Monday) and Mardi Gras (Tuesday) ending at midnite just before Ash Wednesday in mid-February. Costume bands in street Carnival, steelband competitions, Calypso contests, parties, dances and Kiddie Carnival all come together for Carnival. Rio and New Orleans carnivals are bigger and better known, Trinidad's is best.

Callaloo - Thick soup made of dasheen leaves, okra, coconut milk, crab and seasonings.

Coonoomoonoo - (Cunumunu) Idiot, stupid person

Crapo (Crapaud) - Frog The most detested reptile on the island. Often poisonous, they are hated worse than snakes.

Dimarsh Grass- (Dimarche Gras) The major show on Carnival Sunday night. Eight King and eight Queen of the bands costumes (some 30 feet tall) compete on stage at Queen's Park Savannah to be named King and Queen of Carnival. The eight top singers compete to be crowned the Calypso Monarch.

Dough* (Doh) - Trini pronunciation Don't "Oh no, do do dahlin', doh do dat to me!"

Dong - Trini pronunciation Down

Doo doo* (Doux doux) - Sweetheart often used with darling, as in "do do dahlin'"

Doogla (Dougla) - A person of mixed race, usually a mixture of African and East Indian.

Fet (Fete) - Party

Fresh Water Yankee - A Trini who goes to America and comes back acting and talking Yankee (Originally someone acting Yankee without even going overseas, or Horn - To cheat on your spouse or lover, as in "She horning him like reindeer!

Jab Jab - A type of Carnival devil costume;

Jagabat - Slut, loose woman, prostitute. also Wajang (wah-jang) or Wabean (wah-bean)

Joo-vay (Jouvay, or Jour Ouvert) - "Opening of Day" in French, Carnival Mas beginning before dawn on Carnival Monday wearing costumes of mud, old clothes (Ole Mas), devil costumes or satirical themes.

Las' Lap - (Last Lap) Last minute street partying on Carnival Tuesday which goes until midnite when Ash Wednesday begins. The very last of Carnival.

"Lime - limin' Hanging out, loafingMah-ko

(Maco) - Nosy person, busybody, gossipMah-kocious (Macocious) A person who is nosy, a maco

Mamaguy To fast talk or sweet talk someone; to try to fool someone.

Maracas Bay The most beautiful beach in Trinidad, high waves, great scenery.

Mass* (Mas) Carnival costumes, or playing mas, street revelry in carnival costume.

"Moco Jumbie Stilt dancers, an African tradition carried over to Trini carnival Their costumes represent jumbies, or spirits, of African mythologyr "

Pan* Steel band, invented in Trinidad in the 1930's, melodic percussion instruments made out of oil drums. One hundred piece steel orchestras compete playing classical, soca, pop during Carnival.

Road March Kind of Trinidad's song of the year, or best song of Carnival. As the costume bands cross the stage in the Queen's Park Savannah, the song that most bands dance to is declared Road March for the year, and wins a large cash prize.

Roti East Indian dish made with flat baked dough resembling a tortilla filled with curried beef, chicken, goat, shrimp or other meat with potatoes, onions, tomato and spices.

Sucuyant A Trini vampire that sheds it's human skin and flies at night as a ball of fire, sucking the blood of it's victims while they sleep.

Tantie (Tante) Aunt

Tent* A calypso or soca concert featuring 20 singers and comedians. Started in the 1800's in large military tents, now held in concert halls or stadiums.

TNT* Trinidad and Tobago, twin island nation six miles off the coast of Venezuela, South AmericaToo-bay-go Trini pronunciation (Tobago)

Tot Tots Female breasts

T.T. Trinidad currency, as in "Does this cost $5.00 T.T. or $5.00 U.S.?"

Wais Trini pronunciation (Waist) The ability to wine "De gyul only trowin ral good wais!"

Wee From the French (Oui) Yes, as in "Eh eh, dat is ral good buss up shut, oui?"

Wine*, Winin' A sexually suggestive dance using winding hip movements that can make the hula look tame, usually done to soca music.

Yang-Key Trini pronunciation (Yankee) An American

Consider yourselves TRINIFIED!!

TTYL!
Raquel