What do you call a firefly in Jamaica? A peenie-wallie or a blinkie. For a lovely use of the first term, check out Valerie Bloom’s poem “Two Seasons.” Better yet, listen to the audio. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Peenie-Wallie”
Do you know the Jamaican term for firefly? No, I think I knew it once, but I don’t anymore.
I bet you did. What is it? Peeny wally. Peeny wally sounds familiar. Yeah, yeah, it’s spelled.
Lots of different ways, like p-e-e-n-i and then another word, wally, like like the name Wally.
Peenie wally. Nobody knows why it’s called that, but I think it’s a lovely word for firefly.
And if you want to hear an example of it, look up a poem called Two Seasons by Valerie Bloom.
You can hear the audio of it being read, and it’s just gorgeous.
Peenie wally for firefly.
Yeah, and this is in Jamaican English.
Jamaican English.
Yeah.
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