Boys pitching marbles in trinidad

Muse of de day: Rings & Taws

Pitch was a popular marbles game in Trinidad & Tobago with its own language and rules.

  • Rings & Taws (Right Through): In PITCH, shouted before pitching in RINGS, when you intend to roll your marble through the field of play and keep anything you hit out of the ring, including your opponents TAW, and in addition claim points for any opponent’s marbles which have been indirectly hit.
    • I going to pitch, rings and taws!
  • Rings: In PITCH, a small circle, usually about 18 inches in diameter, in which the marbles are placed; the object is to now opponents’ marbles out of this ring with your TAW.
  • TAW: A large, lucky, or choice marble used to shoot at other marbles, rarely parted with or betted
    • Partner, we doh play with no doggle, Dat is not real marble, Dat is balls-bearing…Yu want to mash up people taw!

Leave us a comment below of Trini phrases you have heard.


Source: Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago by Lise Winer

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