Mannish water
Also spelled: manish water, mannish waata
Meaning
A thick, spicy goat soup made from the head, feet, tripe and offal of a goat, often cooked with green bananas, yam, dumplings and scotch bonnet pepper. It is regarded as a restorative, virility-boosting soup rather than an ordinary broth, which is where its 'manly' reputation comes from.
Examples
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“Dem a bwoil di mannish water fi di stag party tonight.”
They are boiling the mannish water for the stag party tonight.
The soup is a fixture at bachelor gatherings because of its reputed aphrodisiac effect.
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“Gimme wan big cup a di mannish water, mi belly a hail mi.”
Give me a big cup of the mannish water, I'm very hungry.
'Mi belly a hail mi' literally 'my belly is hailing me', an idiom for strong hunger.
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“Yuh haffi put nuff pepper inna di mannish water fi it taste right.”
You have to put plenty of pepper in the mannish water for it to taste right.
'Haffi' is 'have to'; 'nuff' means plenty.
Origin
English 'mannish' (man-like) plus 'water', reflecting the belief that the goat-offal soup restores male vigour.
How it's used
Everyday food term across Jamaica, strongly associated with rural cook-ups, funerals, weddings and stag nights. Not offensive, though the virility connotation makes it a common source of jokes among men.