Meaning
A mild, comical exclamation of surprise or dismay — a 'clean', family-friendly stand-in for the stronger curses, built on the playful Jamaican pattern of naming items of clothing instead of swearing. Roughly 'good grief!' or 'my goodness!', 'blouse an skirt!' lets a person register shock or exasperation without cursing, and its very silliness takes the edge off the moment. It belongs to the useful store of minced oaths — beside 'backfoot' — that stand decently in for the island's forceful profanity.
Examples
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Blouse an skirt! Wah a gwaan here?
Good grief! What's going on here?
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Blouse an skirt, di price gone up again.
My goodness, the price has gone up again.
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When she hear di news she bawl out 'blouse an skirt!'.
When she heard the news she cried out 'good grief!'.
Origin
One of a set of jokey 'clothing' minced oaths (like 'blouse an petticoat') used as harmless substitutes for the strong curse words.
How it’s used
Mild, humorous, and family-friendly — a euphemistic exclamation, often associated with older speakers.