Meaning
Sharp stomach or gut pains from gas or colic — the cramping 'gripe' that doubles you over or makes a baby cry. Babies with the gripe are given 'gripe water', and adults reach for ginger, mint, or peppermint to break the wind and ease it. A common everyday complaint.
Examples
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Di baby a bawl wid gripe.
The baby is crying with colic.
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Gi di baby some gripe water.
Give the baby some gripe water.
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Peppermint tea good fi di gripe.
Peppermint tea is good for gas pains.
Origin
From English 'gripe' (a spasm of pain in the bowels); kept in everyday Jamaican use. See [[bad-belly]], [[wind-pon-belly]].
How it’s used
Gas/colic gut pains; treated with 'gripe water' or mint/ginger. See [[bad-belly]], [[gripe-water]].