Meaning
Literally dirty or filthy, but it also turns figurative — a cutting insult, or, in music slang, a flipped compliment. Tone decides which is meant.
Senses
-
adjective Dirty, filthy, unclean — the plain, literal sense.
-
Wash yuh dutty hand.
Wash your dirty hands.
-
Di floor dutty.
The floor is dirty.
-
-
adjective Low, wretched or contemptible — used as an insult or harsh intensifier.
-
Him a dutty liad.
He's a filthy liar.
Disrespectful; intensifies the insult.
-
Dutty behaviour dat.
That's low, disgraceful behaviour.
-
-
adjective In dancehall slang, flipped to mean impressively hard-hitting or excellent.
-
Di riddim dutty!
The beat is filthy (excellent)!
-
Dat a one dutty tune.
That's a seriously good track.
-
Origin
The Jamaican pronunciation of English 'dirty', with the 'r' dropped and the vowel shifted.
How it’s used
Also names the 'Dutty Wine' dance. As an insult it is disrespectful; as music slang it is praise.