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Affection, Love & Romance
56 entries in this part of the language, each with meanings, pronunciation and worked examples.
- Baby-fada The father of a woman's child, whom she is no longer (or was never) married to — 'baby…
- Boonoonoonoos Precious, adorable, and deeply cherished — a term of tender affection for a beloved person…
- Boops A man — usually older and well-off — who financially maintains a younger woman in exchange…
- Breed To make a woman pregnant;
- Brinks A woman's wealthy male benefactor — the man who keeps her supplied with money, gifts, and…
- Bruk-heart Heartbreak — the deep hurt of lost love or betrayal, from 'bruk' (broken) and 'heart'.
- Bun Chiefly 'to burn', but in Jamaican it also famously means infidelity — to cheat on a…
- Bunna man The man a woman is cheating with — the other man in an affair, who 'gives bun' to her…
- Bunununu Deeply loved, treasured, and adored — a tender term for a sweetheart or precious person.
- Check To be romantically interested in someone, or to pursue them — 'mi a check fi yuh' means 'I…
- Church married Formally married in a church ceremony, with the vows, the white dress, and the wedding — as…
- Common-law A long-term unmarried partnership recognised socially (and in law) as a marriage in all but…
- Courting Old-fashioned dating and wooing — a man and woman formally seeing each other with a view to…
- Cut and clear To break something off completely and move on with a clean slate — most often to end a…
- Cyaan live widout yuh A declaration of deep romantic dependence, meaning one cannot go on, or be happy, without…
- Dearie Dearie — an affectionate term for a loved one, a sweetheart or dear one, often used by and…
- Deh wid To be romantically involved with someone — going with, seeing, or dating them.
- Dolly house Children's make-believe game of 'playing house' with dolls — and, figuratively, an…
- Gi yuh bun 'To give you bun' — to cheat on you, to be unfaithful in a relationship.
- Goodas A fine, classy, admired woman — 'the goods', a top-quality lady who carries herself well…
- Gyal-dem sugar A ladies' man — a charming, smooth man who is a favourite with the women, the 'sugar' (the…
- Gyalis A ladies' man — a man very successful with women, often juggling several at once.
- Hornsman A man who has affairs with other men's partners — one who 'gives horn', making a cuckold of…
- Hug up To hug, embrace, or cuddle up close — and, pointedly, to be all over someone in an…
- Jacket A child that a woman passes off as belonging to a man who is not the biological father.
- Keeper A steady, committed common-law partner — the person one 'keeps' house with and is faithful…
- Kingman A woman's man — her husband or steady partner.
- Link To meet up or connect with someone — often, in the love context, with romantic or…
- Love up To love up — to cuddle, hug, and show affection warmly;
- Main gyal A man's main, steady, or number-one girlfriend — the primary partner he claims and takes…
- Married man A married man — and, very often in Jamaican relationship talk, one carrying on an affair…
- Matey The 'other woman' — a man's mistress or side-partner, and the rival of his main woman or…
- Matey war The bitter rivalry and open conflict between a man's main woman (wife or steady partner)…
- Mi dawta An affectionate term for a girlfriend, a wife, or a woman held in warm regard — literally…
- Mi heart A tender term of address meaning 'my love' or 'my darling' — literally 'my heart', used to…
- Mi love yuh The direct declaration of love — 'I love you'.
- Mi luv 'My love' — a warm term of endearment for a partner, and often a friendly address to almost…
- Mi miss yuh 'I miss you' — an expression of longing for someone who is absent.
- Mi one an only A declaration that someone is one's sole and exclusive love — the only one who matters.
- Ole fire 'Old fire' — an old flame, a former lover, and the ease with which an old romance rekindles.
- Outside woman A man's mistress — the woman he keeps 'outside' of his home and marriage, in a long-running…
- Outside-pickney A child fathered outside a man's main relationship or marriage — an 'outside child' from an…
- Programma A smooth manipulator in relationships — a player who 'programmes' or plays people…
- Putus A tender term of endearment — darling, sweetheart, precious one.
- Rent-a-dread A man — usually at a tourist resort — who poses as a Rastafari to charm foreign women…
- Shack up To live together as a couple without being married — to 'shack up' or 'live wid' someone is…
- Side ting A secondary romantic partner kept 'on the side' — a fling or side chick that a person has…
- Sideman The 'other man' a woman keeps on the side, secondary to her main partner — the man 'pon di…
- Spousy A term of address or reference for one's partner or lover — affectionate for a steady…
- Sweetheart A romantic partner or object of affection.
- Sweetheart man A woman's lover on the side — a boyfriend or kept man outside of, or in addition to, her…
- Tek care a mi heart A tender plea or trusting request made to a romantic partner — to be gentle with one's…
- Village ram A very promiscuous man who has been with many women around the district and fathered…
- Wifey An affectionate term for a serious, committed girlfriend or wife — marking her as the main…
- Wifey material A woman regarded as good long-term partner or marriage material — one who is faithful…
- Yuh pretty bad 'Yuh pretty bad' — you are extremely beautiful.