electronic Dictionary of Bahamian English (eDBE) with wiki

Bahamian boys love to play marbles, and for their many variations on this game they have developed an elaborate and arcane vocabulary which would be only partially recognizable to en­thusiasts in Britain and the American South. Most games start with players COMING DOWN to GUTS with their TAWS; the one who lands on the BENSON LINE makes the first CUT. KING CURLS, his favorite shooting TAW, may be an IRON TAW or a TIPPY as long as it is STICKY. In SHOOT-FOR­TAKE, if a player can knock his opponents' TAWS out of the LING he may keep them, but it is not considered sporting to SINK too many. In KNOCK­TAW-TAKE, if a player can simply knock his op­ponents' taws he may keep them, In the variation SHAKES, if the player hasn't properly knocked the taw and displaced it, he can cry "SHAKE GO BACK!" and CUT again if his opponent hasn't  yelled "SHAKE NO GO BACK!" In PUTTING-IN­-JAIL, the taws that are hit are put into the LING (or JAIL), where they must stay until they are knocked out.

The game of KNUCKS HOLE or HANDLESS is also played with marbles. Three small holes are made in the ground; a player has to shoot into the first hole, MAKE HIS SPAN, then shoot into the second and third holes and back again. The first time he completes this process he must yell "I BRASSI"; the second time, "I SILICER?"; the third time, he yells "I GOLD!" and wins. His op­ponent must admit, "I IN QUEST", and then is punished by getting KNUCKS. In all games of marbles a player must watch his opponents care­fully lest they DRAWS or YUC ICS or BOUNCE, but in a friendly game he can give them LOWANCE.

Small children play with GRASS BABIES or other DOLL-BABIES; they may use CUP-SHELL to buy things in PLAY-PLAY shops or play DUTTY DOG in the mud. They can also play BOMB-CHEST, but more skill is required to play FIVE-ROCK, JACK-STONES, or WORRY. Active games include OLD MAMA (with variation in CATCHER'S KISSES and I GIVE YOU LAST), as well as CHUCKING IN THE BAG, HOOK, and JOHNNY WALKERS. Children like to make CUBIES and HORMERS for bigger kites to make them HORM. Girls' games include HERE I STAND IN THE WELL, PASS MY GOLD RING, SWEET BREAD AND BUTTER, and BLUE­BIRDS THROUGH MY WINDOW. Boys often prefer KOUNDANCE or HOPPERS; older boys sometimes like to POKE DEATH WITH A STICK in a BOX CART. When they PLAY DASHING DOWN or BULL-SKATE too roughly, an argument may start, egged on by the cry of "FIRE BUN!"

Card games like STRIP-ME-NAKED are more for adults. In whist, players GO BOSTON (or Bono) by getting all the BOOKS. In some games, cards can be RAPPED BACK. Clubs are known as PUPPY- FOOT, and dominoes are also called CARDS.