Meaning
A firefly or glow-worm — the little insect that flashes with a soft light in the dark, drifting over the yard and the bush on a country night. A beloved sight of Jamaican evenings, the peeny-wally lends its name and its glow to song and childhood memory, and children chase and catch them for the wonder of the living light. The same name was once given to a small, dim kerosene lamp, for the very same tiny, flickering glow.
Examples
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Di peeny-wally dem a light up di bush a night.
The fireflies are lighting up the bush at night.
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Wi ketch peeny-wally inna a bottle.
We caught fireflies in a bottle.
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One likkle peeny-wally flash inna di dark.
One little firefly flashed in the dark.
Origin
An expressive Jamaican name for the glowing insect, echoing its small, blinking light.
How it’s used
A fond image of Jamaican country nights. The old 'peeny-wally' lamp took its name from the same faint, flickering glow.