Meaning
'Quatty buy trouble' — a quattie (a penny-ha'penny, the smallest old coin) is enough to buy trouble. Trouble is cheap and easy to come by, the proverb warns: it takes only the smallest thing, the least sum or the slightest act, to land you in a big mess, so guard even your little dealings and small words. It cautions that a trifling cause can bring on great trouble, and that a person should watch the smallest of their doings, since it costs almost nothing to buy oneself a world of grief.
Examples
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A one likkle careless word start di whole fight; quatty buy trouble.
One careless word started the whole fight; it takes very little to buy trouble.
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Nuh get involve inna dem petty ting — quatty buy trouble.
Don't get into those petty matters — trouble comes cheap.
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Small money lend to friend mash up di friendship; quatty buy trouble.
A small loan to a friend wrecked the friendship; a little thing buys big trouble.
Origin
A 'quattie' (from 'quarter', an old three-farthing/penny-ha'penny coin) was the smallest money in old Jamaica — so 'quatty buy trouble' means even the tiniest sum, or smallest matter, is enough to get you into trouble. See Quattie.
How it’s used
Used to note how easily and cheaply one can fall into trouble.