Cry-cry

adjective CRY-cry kraɪ kraɪ

Also spelled cry cry, cry-cry baby

Given to crying — whiny, and quick to burst into tears over the smallest thing. The reduplication of 'cry' makes it a fixed, mocking label, most often as 'cry-cry baby', flung at a child, or a grown person acting like one, who weeps, complains, and carries on at the least upset. It condemns the soft, tearful, and easily-hurt, a real jibe in a culture that prizes toughness ('tallawah') and standing your ground, and the doubling drives home the constant, wearing readiness to cry that the word names.

  • Stop yuh cry-cry an behave.

    Stop your whining and behave.

  • Him is a cry-cry baby fi true.

    He really is a crybaby.

  • Every likkle ting mek di cry-cry pickney bawl.

    Every little thing makes the whiny child cry.

Reduplication of 'cry' as an intensifying, habitual label. See [[eye-water]], [[bawl]].

Whiny/quick to cry; usually 'cry-cry baby'. See [[eye-water]], [[bawl]], [[fenke-fenke]].