Meaning
A vest, undershirt, or plain T-shirt — the light top worn next to the skin under a shirt, or on its own in the heat. An everyday word across Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, 'gansey' (from 'guernsey', the knitted seaman's jersey) names the ordinary casual top a man throws on about the yard or under his clothes. It sits with 'merino', 'ganzie', and 'string-vest' in the homely vocabulary of everyday wear.
Examples
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Him a walk round inna him gansey.
He's walking around in his vest.
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Put on a clean gansey.
Put on a clean undershirt.
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Di football team gansey blue an white.
The football team's jersey is blue and white.
Origin
From 'guernsey', the knitted garment named after the Channel Island; the word spread through the Caribbean for a vest or undershirt.
How it’s used
Everyday clothing word, from an undershirt to a sports jersey depending on context.