Endz a road

phrase endz a rohd ɛndz a roːd

Also spelled ends a road, endz a rud

Out on the streets, in the local area, hanging around the block — being physically out and about in one's own neighbourhood rather than shut up at home. 'Di endz' (from 'ends', the area or turf) names one's home ground, and to be 'endz a road' is to be out among the people and the goings-on of the district. The phrase carries the flavour of street and yard life, of linking up and passing time where one is known.

  • Mi soon deh pon di endz a road, wait fi mi.

    I'll soon be out on the block, wait for me.

    'deh pon' marks location, 'be on/at'.

  • Dem man deh always deh a endz a road a chat.

    Those guys are always out on the road talking.

    'Dem man deh' means those men; the doubled 'deh' marks both plural demonstrative and location.

  • Nuttn nah gwaan a di endz a road tonight.

    Nothing is happening out on the streets tonight.

    'nuttn nah gwaan' uses the negative continuous, nothing is going on.

A compound of 'endz' (local area, from UK slang) and 'road' meaning the streets. Strongly associated with UK-Jamaican and road culture rather than traditional Jamaican speech.

Chiefly a diaspora and youth expression, common in UK drill and dancehall crossover slang. Older Jamaicans on the island would more naturally say 'pon di road' or 'a road'.