Meaning
A ridged metal grater (like the kitchen grater) played as a percussion instrument in mento and folk bands — the player scrapes a stick or piece of metal rhythmically across the ridges to make a crisp, rasping 'chika-chika' sound. A cheap, homemade rhythm instrument, the scraper adds the shuffling texture to old-time Jamaican music.
Examples
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Him scrape di stick pon di grater fi di rhythm.
He scrapes the stick on the grater for the rhythm.
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Di scraper give di chika-chika sound.
The scraper gives the 'chika-chika' sound.
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A kitchen grater turn scraper inna di band.
A kitchen grater becomes a scraper in the band.
Origin
From 'scrape'; a ridged grater scraped for rhythm in mento. See [[grater]], [[shak-shak]].
How it’s used
A ridged grater scraped as a rhythm instrument in mento. See [[grater]], [[rhumba-box]].