7 JAMAICAN SAYINGS WE NO LONGER USE

ALARGE part of our history and culture has always been our proverbs of didactic, comedic or portentous significance. These proverbs would normally be heard every day in Jamaica but are now disappearing from daily life. For example, the following seven sayings have either already disappeared from our lives or soon will: 7 “High seat kill Miss Thomas puss” – Literally, this says that a cat sitting on a high seat has a far way to fall, and such a fall will result in death. It’s a warning that one’s excessive pride often results in a terrible downfall. The more common saying in standard English is,“Pride goeth before a fall.” 6 “Finger stink, you cyaan chop it off” – This is essentially saying that despite the state or condition of a body part, the solution is not to get rid of it. It was once meant to teach that even though one’s relative is bad or disliked, one cannot disown that relative. 5 “Nuh live pon people yeye top” – This was a warning that individuals should not depend on others to provide for their needs. 4 “Wah nuh dead, nuh call it duppy” – The saying was intended to deter the practice of predicting. It conveyed the message that one must not write off other people’s potential, especially since the events of the future are unknown. 3 “Chicken merry, hawk deh near” – This proverb was often mistaken as “Chicken Mary, hawk deh near”. However, the correct word is ‘merry’, which supports the proverb’s literal warning that when a chicken appears too happy, a hawk, the predator of the chicken, is usually close by to dampen that delight. It was meant to teach that when happiness is too great, disaster is usually impending. 2 “Spit inna di sky, it fall pon yuh face” – Appealing to one’s sense of gravity, it is literally stating that when one spits in the sky, that same spittle will fall back into one’s own face. It conveys the sense that “what goes up, must come down”, and that which is given, will be returned. In other words, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. 1 “Wah gaan bad a mawning, cyaan gaan good a evening” – This states that when a situation starts badly, it will automatically end badly. It was used to teach Jamaicans to be careful of initial intentions.

While these sayings may still be heard now and again, particularly from grandparents and the elderly in the more rural areas of Jamaica, the daily use of these proverbs is extremely rare today. The fact that most of us are encountering these for the first time in this article, attests to the unfortunate reality that traditional Jamaican proverbs have largely disappeared from our culture.