Meaning
'Stranger nuh know where di deep water deh' — a stranger doesn't know where the deep water is. An outsider or newcomer is unaware of the hidden dangers and pitfalls that locals know well, the proverb warns: not knowing the ground, the stranger may wade unknowing into what those who belong there would carefully avoid. So a newcomer should tread cautiously and heed the people who know the place, and the saying counsels both humility in the stranger and care in guiding them past the perils they cannot see.
Examples
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Him new here, so him nuh know di danger; stranger nuh know where di deep water deh.
He's new here, so he doesn't know the danger; a stranger doesn't know the pitfalls.
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Listen to di local dem; stranger nuh know where di deep water deh.
Listen to the locals; a newcomer doesn't know where the hidden dangers are.
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Nuh rush in blind; stranger nuh know where di deep water deh.
Don't rush in blindly; an outsider can't see the hidden risks.
Origin
A river image: a local knows which parts of the water are safe and which are deep and dangerous, but a stranger cannot tell — the newcomer is blind to hidden risk.
How it’s used
A caution to newcomers to move carefully and respect local knowledge, since they cannot see the dangers others know.