The Merriam Webster Dictionary online defines friend:
One attached to another by affection or esteem.
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On observation, the word friend by itself lacks strength in the eyes of some Jamaicans. It has to be embellished with the use of other words to bring out its wanted flavor which are at times too descriptive, and explicit. To describe the situation in local term, the island of Jamaica on a daily basis enjoys keeping up almshouse with adjectives. There is no telling of time and place for them to be used. A day hardly goes by in which I haven’t recalled my Jamaican culture or even parts of it that innocently entertains adjectives. Sometimes I am amazed, astonished, joyful, proud, pleased, ashamed, accepting, and happy. I smile, wonder, ponder, lament, and laugh uncontrollably.
I often say to myself that most of what we see and embrace as culture are not document worthy and never were from the beginning. Instead they are idle gestures, bouts of boredom, and a lack of proper discipline and grooming among some of our people. Culture is unique but within a set culture there is bound to be individuality. Interference. Altering. People from all walks of life sometimes joke about things and people which will somehow find way into our various cultures. However, if we listened to some of the jokes we would come to an agreement that they are boldface insults to dismantle, tarnish and destroy,
Jamaicans, myself included, are pinpointed as being jovial by nature because of our ability to quickly overcome adversities in a remarkable manner. An outsider getting to know us will somehow sense that we do not mean harm when we highlight, introduce or mention about our friends with names other than their given names. The descriptions are used to distinguish relationships within the friend-category. They are also used to set boundaries, and accuracy. More importantly, to keep a person's name private. Doing otherwise could lead to personal confrontations, especially if a conversation entails gossip. By the same token, I will not downplay the fact that most handles, labels, and even nicknames used by some Jamaicans are coarse, vulgar, insensitive, difficult, mean spirited, offensive, hypocritical, and anatomy shaming.
Having said all of that, I have captured, to the best of my ability, 100 ways some Jamaicans will say: friend.
Friend
Good friend
Bad friend
A friend of mine
Sumady friend (someone’s friend)
Facebook friend Social Media friend
Church friend
School friend
Pub/Bar friend
Gambling friend
Gym friend
Work friend
Friend from ovah de suh (friend from over there)
Friend from ovah yasso (friend from over here)
Friend from up the road
Friend from down the road
Friend from foreign
Now and again friend
Thieving friend
Beggie-beggie friend (friend who begs all the time)
Friend from country
Friend from town
User friend
Push-up friend (social butterfly friend)
Liad friend (liar friend)
Wicked friend
Heathen friend
Christian friend
Doctor friend
Nurse friend
Lawyer friend
Mechanic friend
Pilot friend
Lazy friend
Sick friend
Crazy friend
Mad friend
Obeah worker friend
Big mouth friend
Big head friend
Mawga friend (meager friend)
Big nose friend
Gay friend
Lesbian friend
Hard ears friend (stubborn friend)
Joker friend
Follow fashion friend
Fake friend
Bad mind friend
Police friend
Soldier friend
Driver friend
Politician friend
Capital K knee friend (knock knee friend)
Turn foot friend (heels in toes out friend)
Big teeth friend
Stink mouth friend
Bookworm friend
Fifth columnist friend
Fair weather friend
Big ears friend
Farmer friend
Selfish friend
Greedy friend
Big belly friend
Big bottom friend
Narrow bottom friend
Flat bottom friend
Gossip Friend
Dry head friend
Long hair friend
Curly hair friend
Brown skin friend
Black friend
White friend
Indian friend
Chinese friend
Langoo la la friend (lanky friend)
Womanizing friend
Teacher friend
Pastor friend
Samfie friend (tricky friend)
Con artist friend
Busy body friend
Rotten teeth friend
Mash mouth friend (no teeth friend)
Dancy dancy friend (friend who loves to dance)
Man thief friend ( a female relationship wrecker)
Intelligent friend
Big pumpum friend (big vagina friend)
Big wood friend (big penis friend)
Love fi dweet friend (friend who wants sex often)
Respectable friend
Nice friend
Cobich friend (frugal friend)
Love spend money friend (spendthrift friend)
Ride or die friend (loyal friend)
Bench and batty friend (close friend)
Judas friend (betraying friend)
Peacemaker friend
Tah-tah! Inasmuch as friends will sometimes disappoint each other,
never give up on having a friend.
Grace Dunkley-Asphall, Copyright © 2024
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