Meaning
Coconut drops — a hard, chewy old-time sweet made by boiling chunks of fresh coconut with sugar and ginger until the mixture thickens and sets into sticky, dark mounds. Dropped in spoonfuls to cool and harden — hence the name — coconut drops are a beloved traditional Jamaican candy, sold at shops, schools, and roadside stands. Rich, gingery, and sticky enough to test the teeth, they are one of the classic homemade sweets of the island, remembered fondly from childhood.
Examples
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Buy mi a bag a coconut drops.
Buy me a bag of coconut drops.
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Di drops sweet an gingery.
The coconut drops are sweet and gingery.
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Granny mek drops pon di stove.
Grandma made coconut drops on the stove.
Origin
Named for the way the hot mixture is 'dropped' in spoonfuls to cool and set into individual sweets.
How it’s used
An old-time treat, chewy and hard on the teeth. Usually specified as 'coconut drops', though 'drops' alone is understood.