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.