Meaning
Besides its ordinary meaning (the fish you eat), 'fish' is used in Jamaican dancehall slang as a derogatory slur for a gay man. In this sense it is offensive and demeaning. Documented so outsiders can tell the innocent food sense from the hostile slang one.
Senses
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noun The ordinary sense — a fish, as caught and eaten; a staple of Jamaican coastal cooking.
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Wi fry di fish wid onion an pepper.
We fried the fish with onion and pepper.
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noun A derogatory dancehall slur for a gay man — offensive and demeaning, documented here for comprehension only, not endorsement.
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In some dancehall lyrics 'fish' is used hatefully to mean a gay man.
In some dancehall lyrics 'fish' is used hatefully to mean a gay man.
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Origin
The food sense is straightforward; the slur sense is dancehall slang of uncertain derivation, part of the genre's hostile anti-gay vocabulary.
How it’s used
Documentation only. The food sense is neutral and everyday; the slur sense is offensive and hateful — context makes clear which is meant.