peenie wallie

Jamaican Creole

Alternative forms

• peeniewallie, peenywally, peeny wally

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpiːnɪ ˈwɑːlɪ/
• Hyphenation: pee‧nie‧wa‧llie

Noun

peenie wallie (plural peenie wallie dem, quantified peenie wallie)

1. A firefly. A nocturnal beetle that emits a flashing light.

   Synonyms: blinkie, abuja

   What a way di peenie wallie dem pretty a night time.

   It's so lovely to see the fireflies at night.

   • 2010, Jennifer M. Keane-Dawes, Dear Jamaica: Expressions of Indigenous Knowledge (in Jamaican Creole), →ISBN, page 9:

     “Den now, when night come, everybaddy bungle up pon de porch inna di darkness. Wid peenie wallie a flash like when matches hard fe light. […] ”

     And so, when it got dark, everyone huddled together on the porch in the darkness, with fireflies blinking like a match which you're having trouble lighting. […]