Meaning
A cunning trickster, con artist, or smooth swindler — one who lives by their wits, deceiving and outsmarting others for gain. A variant spelling of 'ginnal', it names the same sly, silver-tongued operator, and 'jinnalship' is the art of the con. Sometimes said with a grudging admiration for the trickster's cleverness, it belongs to the frank Jamaican talk of the hustle and the swindle, naming the figure, half-scorned and half-respected, who gets by on deception, sharp wits, and the gift of a persuasive tongue.
Examples
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Watch dat jinnal, him will trick yuh outta yuh money.
Watch that trickster, he'll con you out of your money.
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Him full a jinnalship, cyaa trust him.
He's full of trickery, can't trust him.
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A pure jinnal ting dat.
That's a pure con.
Origin
Of uncertain, likely African-influenced origin (sometimes linked to 'general'); a long-established Jamaican word for a trickster. 'Ginnal' is a common spelling.
How it’s used
A trickster/con artist; 'jinnalship' = the art of conning. Compare [[samfie]] and Anancy the spider-trickster.