Trini Phrase: Goat-Mouth

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

There were lyrics from a soca song what Sweet In Goat Mouth does sour in he bam-bam. Lenny. He fall down dead, a few yards from the barber-shop. You remember Pedro predict the man go dead. You ‘member he play the mark No. 4 dead man. Yes, I remember saying Pedro has goat mouth.

• Goat-Mouth (n) – With, have or put….on, cause bad luck to befall someone or something by predicting or expressing a good outcome. (French belief that where goats eat, nothing grows.). A believed ability, possessed by some individuals, to deliberately frustrate somebody’s effort or cause some minor misfortune by predicting failure. Also known as bouch-kabwit in Dominica, which means to have bad mouth.
  • His savings were diminishing and employment was not in sight. It seemed as though the Catholic priest has put goat-mouth on him.
  • Lawd, Rachel, don’ set yu goat-mouth ‘pon de people them; yuh always preaching crosses.

The various words and phrases from Trinidad & Tobago can be traced back to English, French and Spanish origins. Mother-giver is one such word that has its roots in the English language. Growing up in Trinidad and Tobago is interesting because the slangs can change over time. I have lived in the United States for 20 years now, and every time I travel back to Trinidad and Tobago, I have to reacquaint myself with the words and phrases that have evolved.

Oral Traditions

Trini folklore such as Papa Bois is an oral tradition meant to pass on the next generation’s stories. Other Trini phrases in the vernacular are Bad John, Mother Giver, Eat and Wipe Mouth Like Fowl.

Click here now for other Trini expressions and leave us a comment below of phrases you have heard.

• Source:
  • Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago by Lise Winer
  • Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage by Richard Allsopp

Featured Image by Dan Cook on Unsplash