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   : : R

raga, ragga

Definition: an old car.
Source: Page 89, Sterns, Robin. Say it in Crucian! A Complete Guide to Today's Crucian for Speakers of Standard English. St. Croix: Antilles Press, 2008.

ram

Definition: (1) euphemism for "rass," not as vulgar. "Aayo 'fraid dah skrawny dude di man! Hiz ram cyan' self do anyting mi son!" = "I don't know why you're all so afraid of that guy. He couldn't do anything to anyone." (2) can also be used to describe a situation where there is a crowd of people, "jam-packed". "The club ram pack" = "the club is crowded."
Source: Seen on Facebook, 2010.
Example: "Aayo 'fraid dah skrawny dude di man. Hiz ram cyan' self do anyting mi son!"
Source: David, on Facebook, 2010.

rample

Definition: literally "rumple," to mess up ("Don rample up de bed I mek up mehson!")
Source: Page 89, Say it in Crucian!

Ras, ras

Definition: polite term of address to a Rastafarian.
Source: Page 90, Say it in Crucian!

rass

Definition: more polite way (sort of) of saying "ass" ("Yo rass GOOD, meson!", "I should call duh police fuh yorass!", "Move yo rass from round me!" "Yourass stop lie!")
Source: Page 90, Say it in Crucian!
Example: (referring to whether lobsters suffer when they are thrown live into boiling water) "all while they taking picture I would hv been building a fire to cook he rass! U stay deh nd feel sorry fo lobster ... Go pet it no? Let deh claw grab a hold a yo ass nd then come bck nd tell me how sry u feel fo Lobster!""
Source: LaTisha, on Facebook, 2010.

Rastaman

Definition: A male Rastafarian, can be used as a substitute for a name, ("Rastaman, how you is?")
Source: Page 90, Say it in Crucian!

"Rat trap don't sleep."

Definition: "Danger is always present."
Source: Ronnie Lockhart, on Facebook, 2009.

"rat up"

Definition: See "wraut up."

raw

Definition: "Rude or crude in deportment. 'She does go on toh raw.' She is too crude in her behavior."
Source: Page 103, Valls, Lito. What a Pistarckle! A Dictionary of Virgin Islands English Creole. St. John, USVI. 1981.

raw Crucian

Definition: When a person speaks thick, pure dialect, very far removed from Standard English.
Posted by: doctropic, 2010.
Example: "[2008 Transfer Day] Keynote speaker Dr. Olaf "Bronco" Hendricks, a psychiatrist and saxophone player, displayed indomitable storytelling skills as he wove the tale of his Danish and African roots, his perceptions towards Danes and his ultimate acceptance of them into his family. A native Crucian, Hendricks has visited Denmark several times as a member of the quelbe band Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights. His speech was peppered with colloquialisms as he frequently slipped into 'raw Crucian' to emphasize a point much to the delight of the audience.
Source: Mann, Susan and Melody Rames-Wiggins. "USVI Observes Transfer Day," Caribbean Net News, 10 Apr. 2008. 22 Apr. 2010. Web. See it here.

reach

Definition: used to indicate arrival ("He ain reach yet?", "He reach to her house.")
Source: Page 90, Say it in Crucian!
Definition: "1. Arrive. 'Wha' time yoh reach?' At what time did you arrive? 2. Meet. Come upon."
Source: Page 104, What a Pistarckle! 

red grout

Definition: See "grout."

redbone

Definition: a Black person with light skin ("Your boy jus bin coolin with a book in he hand when this foine looking redbone started rolling on me.")
Source: Page 90, Say it in Crucian!
Example: "yes guurl, anguilla man is another species to talk bout. dem sexy no rass, especially most of deh red bone one dem."
Source: Avanelle, on Facebook, 2010.

ride

Definition: from Stateside slang, "car" ("Dat ride cris, de man.")
Source: Page 90, Say it in Crucian!

right of way

Definition: "This is a very difficult concept for newcomers to understand, and at the same time most indicative of the generous spirit of Virgin Islands culture. Many people from elsewhere think of right of way as meaning the person with it gets to go. It’s the opposite here. Here, the driver with right of way looks for opportunities to yield it. So, for example, it’s common for through traffic on Centerline Road on St. Croix to come to a halt while folks on a side road (who would otherwise be sitting there all day) get a chance to join the throng. People turning off main roads often stop to let out side-road traffic before making their turn. They indicate yielding by waggling their fingers in a 'come-come' gesture or by flashing their headlights. People can indicate thanks by a wave back or a light 'toot toot' of their horn. The ultimate in yielding right of way is when drivers on both sides of a main road plan to make turns after letting out the side-road traffic. When this complicated maneuver works properly, it is a delicate ballet of yielding in turn (drivers on the side road go first, then the driver who must cross a lane of traffic to turn, and finally the person who could have simply turned onto the side road in the first place."
Source: Adapted from page 27, Say it in Crucian!

"rims up"

Definition: adjective to describe a car with special wheel rims ("Das my rims up cyar.")
Source: Page 90, Say it in Crucian!

ritarear, ritarearin'

Definition: (ritarear) "Tirade. Noisy carrying on. Probably from reiterate.
Source: Page 105, What a Pistarckle!
Definition: noun; trade, carrying on. Mi son, da chil' had a ritarearin' in de street an' he modda didn' fo'ge 'im when she ge' 'im home."
Source: Page 83, Roy, John D. A Brief Description and Dictionary of the Language Used in the Virgin Islands. St. Thomas, USVI, 1975.
Definition: "carry on, let loose, break away, sashay, acting up, throw down and similar words... I have also heard riterear used when describing someone carrying on during a cuss-out or mele session, e.g. 'Girl, you should'a see how she was riterearing when...'"
Source: Janice, on Facebnook, 2010.

rizzla

Definition: joint.
Source: You Know U From the Virgin Islands When U Speak This Language, on Facebook, 2010.

road march

Definition: "A musical selection played most often at Festival or Carnival parades by steel bands and other musical groups. [Borrowed from Trinidad.]"
Source: Page 105, What a Pistarckle! 
Definition: "most played song on the road during carnival."
Source: Ronnie Lockhart, on Facebook, 2010.
Example: (from the poem "Jou'vert Morning Bacchanal"):
"...this arse, Manjack, from Grove
going collar me up by my starch
and iron shirt wanting
to start a bacchanal
cause I say his salt song
could never be Roadmarch."
Source: Page 43, Williams, Marvin E. Dialogue at the Hearth. St. Croix: Antilles Press, 1993.

"roas-a-time"

Definition: "Enjoy yourself! A carnival imperative coined by Ron de Logo, the founder of Modern Day Carnival in St. Thomas [Labor Day 1952]. See BAMBOUSHAY."
Source: Page 105, What a Pistarckle! 

Rock, the Rock, Rock City

Definition: Nickname for St. Thomas. "Twin City" refers to St. Croix, which has two towns, Christiansted and Frederiksted. "Love City" is St. John.
Source: Page 93, Say it in Crucian!
Example: "i from roc(k)." = "I'm from St. Thomas."
Posted by: MZ AMC aka Ann-Marie Charles of Rock C T, 2010.

"rock stone"

Definition: these are separate terms to Statesiders, but one to Crucians ("He windshield geh hit wid a rock stone.")
Source: Page 90, Say it in Crucian!
Definition: (spelled "rackstone") "Stone. [Redundancy of rock and stone.] This refers to a small pebble or a very large boulder."
Source: Page 102, What a Pistarckle! 

roll

Definition: from urban slang, to mean "outlook on life" ("You know how I does roll.")
Source: Page 90, Say it in Crucian!

rolling, rollin

Definition: to make a flirtatious or sexual advance.
Source: Page 90, Say it in Crucian!

"roll up"

Definition: to sneak up on someone, usually in a car ("You better be careful before Babylon roll up on you.")
Source: Page 90, Say it in Crucian!

"rope"

Definition: Expression used when a fight just breaks out.  "Rope, rope!!!!"
Posted by: Blinkah #1, 2009.

roti

Definition: Pronounced ROHtee. "East Indian dish, now common on St. Croix, made with meat folded in an unleavened flat cake of flour and water."
Source: Page 106, What a Pistarckle! 

rubba dem

Definition: sneakers ("You haven seen my rubbadem?")
Source: Page 90, Say it in Crucian!

rude

Definition: "1. Expletive. A relatively harmless adjective in Standard English. Never call an adult Crucian 'rude.' This is very insulting. 2. Rough. Rude seas = rough seas. 3. Hot. Rude pepper = hot pepper. 4. Sexually aggressive."
Source: Page 106, What a Pistarckle! 

"run-amuk"

Definition: out of control.
Example: "She mek hur picknee them run-amuk."
Posted by: Yáminah89, 2009.

"run/runnin tings"

Definition: expression used to indicate someone who is the boss, who is "running things." Often used derisively ("He tink he runnin tings, mehson.")
Source: Page 90, Say it in Crucian!

"run ya mout"

Definition: To "run your mouth," to talk, to speak.
Example: "Papa run ya mout."
Posted by: Kiah, 2009.

runnings

Definition: errands, driving around ("I had to carry she round deh place to do her runnings.")
Source: Page 90, Say it in Crucian!

rung

Definition: pronunciation for "round," "around."
Alternative spellings: roung
Source: Page 90, Say it in Crucian!

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