Nyam off

verb nyam awf njam ɒf

Also spelled nyaam off, niam off

To eat up completely — to devour or finish off food entirely, often quickly and greedily so that nothing is left for anyone else. To 'nyam off' the whole pot is to clear it right out, and the phrase carries a shade of reproach for the greedy or inconsiderate eater who leaves nothing behind. 'Nyam' is the deep, everyday Patois word for eating, and the particle 'off' drives home that the food is gone to the very last scrap.

  • Di pickney dem nyam off all a di rice before mi reach.

    The children ate up all the rice before I arrived.

    'Nyam' is the base verb 'to eat'; the particle 'off' adds the sense of total consumption.

  • Who nyam off mi dinnah weh mi lef inna di pot?

    Who ate up my dinner that I left in the pot?

    Common accusatory phrasing when food goes missing.

  • Mi hungry so till mi coulda nyam off di whole thing.

    I'm so hungry I could eat the whole thing.

    'so till' intensifies, meaning 'to such an extent'.

'Nyam' derives from West African languages (compare Wolof 'nyam' and Fula 'nyaama', to eat); 'off' is the English particle marking completion.

Everyday informal speech across all ages. Not rude in itself, though it can imply greedy or inconsiderate eating depending on tone.