Meaning
A sour, scowling facial expression showing displeasure, hostility, or a bad mood; by extension a person who habitually wears such a look and seems unfriendly. Stronger and more visual than English 'frown' because it names both the face and the attitude behind it.
Examples
-
Weh mek yuh a walk roun wid dat screwface pon yuh?
Why are you walking around with that scowl on your face?
'a walk' uses the continuous marker 'a' before the verb.
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Him screwface up when mi tell him seh di money done.
He scowled when I told him the money was finished.
Here 'screwface' works as a verb, 'screwface up' meaning to twist the face in displeasure.
-
No badda screwface mi, yuh know seh a joke mi a mek.
Don't give me that sour look, you know I'm only joking.
'badda' is 'bother'; used as a mild command not to do something.
Origin
Compound of English 'screw' (in the sense of twisting or contorting) and 'face', describing a face that looks twisted or knotted up.
How it’s used
Everyday and widely understood. Popularised further by the Bob Marley track 'Screwface'. Can be an affectionate tease or a real accusation of rudeness depending on tone.