Baby Doll
The Baby Doll is a traditional carnival character depicting a masked woman holding a doll, in imitation of a new mother. She would accost any male spectator as being the delinquent father, with demands for money to buy 'baby milk'.
Bacchanal
Bacchanal denotes the merry-making and noisy confusion of those engaged in any carnival activity.
Badjohn
A badjohn was a thug, notorious for their fearlessness in fights. They were intimately associated with the early steelbands as both henchmen, supporters and panmen.
Band
See Carnival Band.
Bat mas
The Bat is a traditional Carnival masquerade, imitating in costume this winged mammal.
Batille bois
See Kalinda.
Bâtonniers
Bâtonnier is French for a stick-fighter.
Big Yard
See Savannah.
Blue Devil
A blue devil is a carnival masquerader caked in mud and painted blue depicting the Devil. Wearing horns, he or she drools a red blood-like substance, carries chains and pitchforks and blows flame through a flambeaux.
Bois
Bois is French for ‘wood’, this refers to the cudgel or stick used in combat by bâtonniers or stick-fighters. The wood used may come from the Poui tree.
Bookman
A Bookman is a traditional depiction of the Devil having a list of those condemned to Hell. Carrying his book he is masked, wears an over-sized hat, sequined gown and may carry a pitchfork.
Bottle and Spoon
A ‘bottle and spoon’, refers to the musical effect of a glass bottle being struck with a metal spoon. The perfomance may be solo or as a musical accompaniment. It is a common element in the engine room of a steelband.
Burrokeet
A burrokeet is a traditional carnival character, whose costume is that of a donkey. Derived from the Spanish burroquito for ‘donkey’.
Calenda, Calinda
See Kalinda.
Calypso, kaiso
Calypso is the folk song of Trinidad it is a medium for social criticism, commentary and parody .
Calypso Monarch
The calypso monarch is the winner of the National Carnival Commission’s Calypso competition. This event is held on the evening of Dimanche Gras in the Queen's Park Savannah.
Calypsonians, kaisonian
Also known as a kaisonian, a calypsonian is a singer of the calypso artform.
Canboulay
Canboulay is the street procession held in the post-emacipation era and the predecessor of carnival celebrations. It involved era re-enactment of négue jardins or field slaves being mustered to extinguish fires in sugarcane plantations.
Carnival
Trinidad Carnival is the annual two-day festival held before the observance of Lent. It features street processions of costumed masqueraders as well as showcasing highlights of calypso and steelband music.
Carnival Band
A Carnival band consists of costumed individuals organized under a given theme. Varying in size it may have as many as 3,000 paid members.
Carnival Development Commitee,CDC
The Carnival Development Committee is the forerunner to the present- day National Carnival Commission. This body was responsible for organizing carnival events.
Chantwell/ chantrel/ chantuelle
In the era up to the 1930s a ‘chantwell’ was the lead singer who led a carnival band and sang its theme song. His role has now evolved into the present day calypsonian.
Chipping
The slow mincing shuffle of carnival revellers following the rhythm of music from a mobile steelband or disc-jockey.
Chutney soca
Chutney Soca is a lively musical beat, derived from the fusion of East Indian and Soca accompanied by a female dancer.
Commess
Commess is Trinidad dialect for controversy, confusion or bacchanal.
Cow band
The cow mas is a traditional carnival character doing the costumed imitation of a cow.
Dame Lorraine
The ‘dame lorraine’ is a traditional carnival character lampooning the wives of plantation owners. She is depicted as a parasol-carrying woman in flowered dress and hat. Her bust and derriere being grossly exaggerated.
Dimanche Gras
French for ' Grand Sunday' or 'Fat Sunday': Dimanche Gras is the Sunday before Carnival Monday. The Calypso Monarch Competition and the Carnival King and Queen Costume competition are held in the Savannah on Dimache Gras night.
Dragon
The dragon is a traditional carnival depiction of a scaly colourful dragon.
Engine room
The percussion section of a Steelband which provides the timing for the musical rhythm.
Extempo
Extempo refers to the spontaneous composition of rhyming stanzas on the spur of the moment. This is usually done without instruments ending with the refrain ‘sans humanite’.
Fatigue
Fatigue is heckling or jesting humour.
Fete
A fete is a party with music, dancing, eating and drinking.
Flag Woman
The Flag Woman performs an enthusiastic flag-waving dance during the live performance of her steelband. This energetic task was formerly performed by a male.
Flambeaux
A Flambeaux is a torch made using a glass bottle, kerosene and old rags.
Fresh water Yankee
A ‘fresh water yankee’ is a term used to describe a Trinbagonian who has an American accent, usually from a short stay abroad.
Gallery
To ‘gallery’ is to show off.
Gayelle
A gayelle is the arena used for staging a kalinda or stickfight.
Iron man
The 'iron man' is the virtuoso percussionist in the engine room of the steelband. His enthusiastic rhythmic pounding of metal provides timing for the steelband musicians.
Jamette
Jamette derived from the French diameter or diameter referred to members of half of society, below the accepted standard of conduct.
Jouvert/ J'ouvert/ Jouvert/ Jourvert/ Jour ouvert
Jouvert is derived from French patois and means ‘daybreak’. Jouvert marks the official start of the two day carnival celebrations, it officially commences at 4:00 a.m. on Carnival Monday.
Ju-Ju Warrior
The Ju-Ju warrior is a traditional masquerade depicting spear-carrying African warriors.
Kaiso
Kaiso is the original name for calypso. See Calypso
Kalinda,Calenda, Calinda
The Kalinda is the still popular ritualized stick-fighting artform. Held within a gayelle it features duels between two men armed with wooden sticks amidst singing and drumming.
Las' Lap
Las' lap refers to the dancing and revelry during the last hours of carnival.
Lavway
Lavway is French patois for ‘the voice’ or ‘the truth’. In origin it was the call and response chants of the stickfight. Its rhythmn was assimilated into calypso.
Lime
A lime is any informal socializing and/or recreation in a relaxed environment.
Mamaguy
Mamaguy is Trinidad dialect for deception by means of flattery.
Matador
Matadors were women attendants to the stickfighters. Attached to specific stickfighters in the gayelle they carried baskets of food and drink as well as bandages.
Minstrel
A traditional carnival character: depicted is a minstrel of the 19th century American era. With white painted faced, cardboard boater hat and clothes of that persona, the character sings while strumming a banjo.
Mud mas
'Mud mas' refers to masqueraders on carnival jourvert morning, who plaster their clothes and body with mud.
NCBA
The NCBA is the 'National Carnival Bandleaders' Assocation' which has been engaged since its formation in 1958 in improving the artistry of Carnival for national benefit. In addition to bandleaders, its membership encompasses all those engaged in Carnival activities from costume builders, designers and craftsmen to individual masqueraders.
NCC
NCC is the National Carnival Commision, the official body engaged to promote carnival activities, events and its associated artforms.
North Stand
The stands on the northern side of the stage at the Queen's Park Savannah favoured by the less inhibited, and sometimes more unruly audience because of its bacchanal atmosphere.
Ole mas
Ole mas is the abbreviation for 'Old Masquerade'. It refers either to the 'mud mas' on Jouvert morning, or the witty street satire of lampooning popular personalities or issues through placards and odd costumes.
Pan Trinbago
Pan Trinbago is the official body which represents the interests of the steelband movement.
Panorama
Held since 1963, Panorama is the premiere steelband competition of the carnival season.
Patois
Patois is a dialect of the French language.
Picong
Picong is derived from the French "piquant', which means spicy. It refers to a humourous verbal duel done in verse between two calypsonians. The winner is determined by the humourous impact of improvised witty responses.
Ping Pong
The Ping Pong is another name for the tenor pan especially in the early stages of its development.
Ramajay
To ramajay is to improvise on a given tune in competition with other pannists.
Saga Boy
A saga boy is a flashy dressed dandy, or ladies’man.
Sans Humanitê
A French term meaning 'without mercy'. It was a standard rhetorical phrase inserted at the end of early 20th. century calypso choruses.
Savannah
The Queen's Park Savannah, also called the Big Yard, is the venue for judging the main events of carnival: Panorama, Parade of the Bands and Dimanche Gras. Located in Port-of-Spain it is approximately 199 acres in area.
Soca
Soca is the musical artform emerging from calypso in the late 1970's. The late Ras Shorty I is credited for its creation, who defined soca as the "soul of calypso".
Steel Pan
The steel pan is the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago. Made from discarded oil drums, it is the only musical instrument invented in the 20th century.
Steelband
A steelband or steel orchestra is a musical ensemble comprised mainly of variously tuned steel pans supported by other musical instruments. Steelbands are known either as traditional or conventional steelbands.
Stickfight
See Kalinda.
Tabanca
In Trinidad dialect tabanca refers to depression resulting from a broken romance.
Tamboo Bamboo
From the French: 'Tambour' for drum, The musical instrument made from bamboo tubes used in Carnival during the period 1884 to the 1930s before the invention of the Steel Pan.
Tan Tan
In Trinidad dialect.‘tan tan’ is another word for aunt .
TNT
See Trinbago.
Trinbago
Trinbago is an abbreviation for the twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Viey la cou
Viey la cou is French Patois for old courtyard, so called either because it was the area for rehearsal of the characters in Traditional mas.
Wine
No relation to the alcoholic liquor, a ‘wine' is a sultry dance movement of gyrations of the pelvis.
Wine and Jam
‘Wine and jam’ refers to rapid gyrations of the hips, together with forward and backward thrusts of the pelvic region. It also describes soca and calypso music with lyrical incitations to that effect.
https://www.nalis.gov.tt/Resources/Subject-Guide/Carnival
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