Meaning
'Nuh every kin teet a laugh' — not every baring of the teeth is a real laugh. A smile can hide ill will, the proverb warns: not everyone who grins at you is a genuine friend, and the pleasant face may mask envy, spite, or bad intent. It is shrewd, cautioning wisdom about people, urging you to look past the friendly surface and judge by more than a smile, since the same show of teeth that means warmth in one person may hide a grudge in another.
Examples
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Watch dem friendly one deh; nuh every kin teet a laugh.
Watch those over-friendly ones; not every smile is genuine.
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Him smile up inna mi face but a badmind him a badmind mi — nuh every kin teet a laugh.
He smiles in my face but he's really envious of me — not every grin is a laugh.
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Trust careful; nuh every kin teet a laugh.
Trust carefully; a smile can hide bad intentions.
Origin
'Kin teet' means to bare the teeth in a grin — but the proverb warns that a display of teeth is not always the friendly laugh it seems.
How it’s used
A caution about false friends and hidden malice behind a smiling face. Closely tied to the Jamaican fear of 'badmind'.