Definition: used to describe anywhere that is not the U.S. Virgin Islands, including the U.S. mainland.
Source: Page 70, Sterns, Robin. Say it in Crucian! A Complete Guide to Today's Crucian for Speakers of Standard English. St. Croix: Antilles Press, 2008.

Definition: see "had."

Definition: See also "pung seasoning." "Salt condiment mixed with pepper, garlic, oregano, etc. [St. Croix voice] from Spanish."
Source:Page 1, Valls, Lito. What a Pistarckle! A Dictionary of Virgin Islands English Creole. St. John, USVI. 1981.

Definition: "of."
Example: "I geh two ah dem" = "I have two of them."
Alternative spellings: uh
Source: Page 70, Sterns, Robin. Say it in Crucian! A Complete Guide to Today's Crucian for Speakers of Standard English. St. Croix: Antilles Press, 2008.

Definition:Definition: used where a Standard English speaker would say "another" ("Geh she a nex one" = "Get her another one.")
Source: Page 70, Sterns, Robin. Say it in Crucian! A Complete Guide to Today's Crucian for Speakers of Standard English. St. Croix: Antilles Press, 2008.

Definition: See "ayo."

Definition: (St. Croix) "Serves you right!"
Source: You Know U From the Virgin Islands When U Speak This Language, on Facebook, 2010.

Definition: Beginning of a threat (often a parent's threat).
Examples: "Ah gon pong yo behind." "Ah gon bang ur ass." "Ah gon bus yo one clout!" "Ah gon buss yo lip."
Source: I Love my Virgin Islands Accent group, on Facebook, 2010.

Definition: See "allawe."

Definition: from urban slang, hipper way of saying "all right."
Pronunciation: awITE
Alternative spellings: aight
Source: Page 70, Sterns, Robin. Say it in Crucian! A Complete Guide to Today's Crucian for Speakers of Standard English. St. Croix: Antilles Press, 2008.

Definition: literally "ain't," used to indicate negatives like "am not," "are not," "is not," "do not," or "does not."
Examples: "I ain do dat," "Me ain know," "Ayn my book."
Alternative spellings: aiin, ayn, aint, ain't
Source: Page 70, Sterns, Robin. Say it in Crucian! A Complete Guide to Today's Crucian for Speakers of Standard English. St. Croix: Antilles Press, 2008.

Definition: Used where a statesider might say "didn't have" to indicate past tense.
Example: "Girl I had gooseberry stew and butter bread one day because I ain't had jelly either and that was good!"
Source: blank
Alternative spellings: Ne'Dra, on Facebook, 2010.

Definition: "We pay for everything in life. See 'Wha' sweet'n goat mout' will sour 'e bottom."
Source:#7, Valls, Lito. Ole Time Sayin's: Proverbs of the West Indies. St. John, USVI, 1983.

Definition: "There is no place like home. Also said to mean: People will always show their true colors."
Source: #10, Valls, Lito. Ole Time Sayin's: Proverbs of the West Indies. St. John, USVI, 1983.

Definition: "One swallow [bird] does not a summer make. One problem solved does not mean all trouble is over. Also said: Ah eyeful ain' ah mout'ful."
Source: #16, Valls, Lito. Ole Time Sayin's: Proverbs of the West Indies. St. John, USVI, 1983.

Definition: Ask. [Consonant reversal. Very Common.]"
Source:Page 1, Valls, Lito. What a Pistarckle! A Dictionary of Virgin Islands English Creole. St. John, USVI. 1981.

Definition: See "ayo."

Definition: "All fools talk as if they were wise."
Source: #27, Valls, Lito. Ole Time Sayin's: Proverbs of the West Indies. St. John, USVI, 1983.

Definition: Shouting, making a lot of noise.
Example: "Is all mouth down de road when somebody tryin to frigg me."
Source: Rebecca, on Facebook, 2010.

Definition: idiomatic expression to mean "mind your own business."
Example: "Don get all up in my sauce!"
Source: Page 54, Sterns, Robin. Say it in Crucian! A Complete Guide to Today's Crucian for Speakers of Standard English. St. Croix: Antilles Press, 2008.

Definition: "all of us."
Example: "Leh allawe go" = "Let's all go."
Alternative spellings: all a we, ahwe
Source: Page 70, Sterns, Robin. Say it in Crucian! A Complete Guide to Today's Crucian for Speakers of Standard English. St. Croix: Antilles Press, 2008.
Definition: (spelled "a' we, all a we") "pronoun phrase; we, all of us. All a we is one!"
Source: Page 58, Roy, John D. A Brief Description and Dictionary of the Language Used in the Virgin Islands. St. Thomas, USVI, 1975.

Definition: Sometimes repeated, "alright, alright," a polite form of acknowledging another person.
Source: Page 11, Sterns, Robin. Say it in Crucian! A Complete Guide to Today's Crucian for Speakers of Standard English. St. Croix: Antilles Press, 2008.
Definition: (spelled "all right") "expression used as a greeting or comment in passing. Hello Miss Mary. All right, chil', how you do?"
Source: Page 57, Roy, John D. A Brief Description and Dictionary of the Language Used in the Virgin Islands. St. Thomas, USVI, 1975.

Definition: "Spiderman [not the American comic book character]. Hero of local folktales of African origin."
Source:Page 2, Valls, Lito. What a Pistarckle! A Dictionary of Virgin Islands English Creole. St. John, USVI. 1981.
Definition: "The name of a spider who was the chief character in many West Indian folk tales. Although the name comes from West Africa the origin of Anansi is obscure. In West African mythology he is connected with the creation of the world and prehistoric cataclysmic events, but in the West Indies he is a simpler being, reduced to playing the role of a cunning trickster. He is able to take many forms, including that of a man speaking in a high-pitched voice with a lisp, and is able to overcome all difficulties and dangers by use of his wits. The stories symbolize the triumph of the artful and quick-witted over brute strength and ponderous might."
Source: Page 4, Dyde, Brian. Caribbean Companion: The A to Z Reference. London: The Macmillan Press, 1992.
Definition: Twi for "the cunning spider, the trickster-hero of Ashanti folk tales and stories."
Source: Page 72, Emanuel, Lezmore Evan. "Surviving Africanisms in Virgin Islands English Creole." Diss. Howard U, 1970.

For the Virgin Islands Anansi story "Anansi, Tekoma and the Cow's Belly" (in Virgin Islands Dutch Creole and English), click here.

Definition: Phrase extenders. Used like "and so on and so on" or "et cetera." (De road fulla bumps and hole an so.")
Posted by: doctropic, 2009.
Definition: (spelled "an' ting") "phrase extender; and other good things, etcetera. Mi son, dey had food an' ting to de party."
Source: Page 57, Roy, John D. A Brief Description and Dictionary of the Language Used in the Virgin Islands. St. Thomas, USVI, 1975.

Definition: an effeminate or gay man.
Alternative spellings: antie-man, auntie-man
Source: Page 70, Sterns, Robin. Say it in Crucian! A Complete Guide to Today's Crucian for Speakers of Standard English. St. Croix: Antilles Press, 2008.
Definition: (spelled "antiman") "noun; a male with feminine ways, a sissy. Jus like a antiman, he can't hit the ball."
Source: Page 57, Roy, John D. A Brief Description and Dictionary of the Language Used in the Virgin Islands. St. Thomas, USVI, 1975.
Definition: "a male with a whole lot of female traits. It is not a good thing to be called."
Source: Coco, on Facebook, 2010.

Definition: "invariant plural noun; the insect, an ant or ants. It had a ants in de suga' bu' I take 'im out."
Source: Page 57, A Brief Description and Dictionary of the Language Used in the Virgin Islands.

Definition: "A peaceable Amerindian people originating in that part of South America between the Orinoco and Amazon rivers. Having been driven from this region by more warlike tribes they gradually occupied all the Caribbean islands, reaching as far as Jamaica and the Bahamas by about AD1000. They were sedentary farmers and fishermen who lived in large groups, each group iunder an hereditory chief. They introduced their staple foods, cassava and maize, into all the islands. Remains of their habitation, mainly in the form of shell middens, pottery fragments, and small religious objects called zemis, have been found throughout the region. At the time of the European entry into the Caribbean Arawaks were to be found only in the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles and Trinidad. Everywhere else that had been assimilated or destroyed by the Caribs."
Source:Page 8, Dyde, Brian. Caribbean Companion: The A to Z Reference. London: The Macmillan Press, 1992.
Sources: For information see the Virgin Islands National Park (St. John) website here, and the Salt River Bay (St. Croix) National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve website here. For information on the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, see the Caribbean Amerindian Centrelink website here.

Pronunciation for "agriculture," nickname for V.I. Department of Agriculture.
Source:age 70, Sterns, Robin. Say it in Crucian! A Complete Guide to Today's Crucian for Speakers of Standard English. St. Croix: Antilles Press, 2008.

Definition: "To be related to someone. In the family of. 'Yoh is anyt'ing to she?' Are you related to her?"
Source: Page 2, Valls, Lito. What a Pistarckle! A Dictionary of Virgin Islands English Creole. St. John, USVI. 1981.
Definition: "adjectival phrase; related to, in the family of. You is any t'ing to she?"
Source: Page 58, Roy, John D. A Brief Description and Dictionary of the Language Used in the Virgin Islands. St. Thomas, USVI, 1975.

Definition: "Used to describe emotions. Examples:
"Partna geh beat up in Jam Band. As Man?"-Surprised
"I hate this friggin cold weather. As Man."-Agreement
"Dem shoes look criss. As Man!-Point Blank
"Wha dats a sweet thing ova deh. Yeah, as man.-Agreement
"As man, I gon buss yuh ass"-Anger."
Source: Tai, on Facebook, 2006.
Definition: "As one man to another. 'Tak de trut, as man.' Tell the truth between us men."
Source: Page 3,What a Pistarckle! A Dictionary of Virgin Islands English Creole. St. John, USVI. 1981.
Definition: "I agree," i.e. somebody says "Dah fetch hot today mehson." (It is hot today). If you agree that it is hot you would respond by saying, "Azman."
Source: You Know U From the Virgin Islands When U Speak This Language, on Facebook, 2010.

Definition: "Old car tail-pipe or other pipe used as a musical intrument to produce the bass sound in a 'scratch band."
Source:Page 3,What a Pistarckle! A Dictionary of Virgin Islands English Creole. St. John, USVI. 1981.

Definition: "Drunk."
Source: Page 3,What a Pistarckle! A Dictionary of Virgin Islands English Creole. St. John, USVI. 1981.

Definition: See "allawe."

Definition: "all of you."
Example: "Ayo wouldn’t believe who harrassing me again!"
Alternative spellings: ayoh, ahyuh, ahyoh
Source: Page 70, Sterns, Robin. Say it in Crucian! A Complete Guide to Today's Crucian for Speakers of Standard English. St. Croix: Antilles Press, 2008.
Definition: (spelled "al'you") "pronoun phrase; all of you. Al'you, stop makin noise round mi head."
Source:Page 57, Roy, John D. A Brief Description and Dictionary of the Language Used in the Virgin Islands. St. Thomas, USVI, 1975.

Definition: "You're joking!"
Source: Kimberely, on Facebook, 2006.

Definition: Used to mean "none of you ever leaves?" (context: people from a certain area of the island who never seem to move elsewhere or move off-island).
Example: "Ahyoh doan leave home?"
Posted by: Seen on Facebook, 2009.

Definition: idiomatic expression for being nosy or in someone else's business.
Source: Page 54, Sterns, Robin. Say it in Crucian! A Complete Guide to Today's Crucian for Speakers of Standard English. St. Croix: Antilles Press, 2008.

Definition: crazy, wild.
Example: "Leh we go azick tonight!"
Source: Page 70, Sterns, Robin. Say it in Crucian! A Complete Guide to Today's Crucian for Speakers of Standard English. St. Croix: Antilles Press, 2008.

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