ting
Patois pronunciation of "thing", with the initial "th" softened to "t" as is standard in Jamaican English.
Definitions
Patois pronunciation of "thing", with the initial "th" softened to "t" as is standard in Jamaican English. Used in all the ordinary English senses — an object, a matter, a situation ("dat a different ting") — but also carries a distinctly Caribbean and Multicultural London English meaning: a romantic interest, a girl one is seeing or attracted to ("she my ting"). The word travelled from Patois into UK road rap and grime in the 2000s and 2010s and is now mainstream slang across the UK, often heard in lines like "peng ting" (an attractive person). Tone and context determine whether the speaker means an object, a situation or a person.
mi cyaa believe him a chat to mi ting at the party
Comments
Used in
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "ting".
🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Other words near "ting" (T)
Browse all slang words starting with T.
Related terms
Semantically related
- lickle66%
The Patois pronunciation and spelling of "little", with the English "t" palatalised into a "k"-like sound — a regular feature of Jamaican Creole phonology that also turns "bottle" into "bokkle" and "matter" into "macka". Used in all the standard English senses of "little": small in size, in quantity, in age, or as a softener ("a lickle help, please"). Extremely common in everyday Patois speech and writing, in dancehall and reggae lyrics, and in UK Multicultural London English (MLE), where it travelled with the Windrush generation and entered grime, drill and road rap vocabularies in the 2000s. The spelling is a deliberate marker of Caribbean voice.
- peng66%
British slang (especially London / MLE) for attractive or excellent. "Peng ting" = attractive girl; "that's peng" = that's great. Multicultural London English; ultimately of Jamaican Patois origin. Spread nationally via UK rap, drill, and school playgrounds in the 2010s.
- everythang65%
AAVE and hip-hop slang spelling of 'everything', reflecting a phonological feature where the final consonant cluster '-thing' is pronounced as '-thang'. The spelling is used deliberately to signal Black vernacular speech, hip-hop culture, or informal Southern US dialect. It is also used more broadly as an affectionate or stylistic choice, particularly in song lyrics and social media. The spelling itself is a statement of identity.
- big man ting65%
MLE (Multicultural London English) phrase used to emphasize truth, seriousness, or authenticity — roughly equivalent to "for real," "on the level," or "no cap." Invoking "big man" signals maturity and credibility; saying something is a "big man ting" means it's not a joke or a flex, it's the genuine article. Widely used by UK youth across social media, music, and everyday conversation.
- gwan64%
Patois contraction of "go on", used in several distinct everyday senses: as a greeting equivalent to "what's going on?" (often in the phrase "wha gwan?" or its shortened form "wagwan"), as encouragement meaning "carry on, you're doing well" ("gwan, mi yute!"), as an acknowledgement of someone's style or hustle ("him a gwan good"), and occasionally as a dismissive "go away, get out of here". Pronounced roughly "GWAHN". Massively common across Jamaica, the wider Caribbean and the UK Caribbean diaspora, and a staple of reggae, dancehall and grime lyrics. Multifunctional enough that meaning depends almost entirely on tone, surrounding words and facial expression.