Meaning
Idle chatter, gossip, or lively casual talk about other people's business — and, as a verb, the act of gossiping. Warmer and more communal than the English 'gossip', which is mostly negative, 'labrish' names the whole enjoyable, sociable business of catching up, sharing news, and talking over who did what, the easy chat that flows on a verandah or at the shop. It can carry a hint of the tale-bearing that stirs up 'kas-kas', but at heart it is the pleasant, everyday exchange of talk that binds a community.
Examples
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Di ooman dem sidong pon di verandah a labrish all evenin.
The women sat on the verandah gossiping all evening.
'a labrish' shows the word acting as a verb with the continuous 'a'.
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Mi nuh have no time fi yuh labrish today.
I have no time for your gossip today.
'nuh have no' is a standard Patois double negative for emphasis.
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Come mek wi have a lickle labrish before yuh gwaan.
Come let's have a little chat before you go.
Shows the friendly, non-malicious sense of a casual catch-up.
Origin
Likely from English dialectal 'lab' (to blab or chatter) with a suffix; the exact derivation is uncertain but tied to words for loose talking.
How it’s used
Everyday and affectionate as often as critical. Louise Bennett titled a famous poetry collection 'Aunty Roachy Seh' full of labrish, cementing its literary respectability. Context and tone decide whether it is teasing or accusatory.