| 501(c)(3) – the designation of an organization that has been approved by the IRS to be a non-profit. |
| Alii – Hawaiian nobility |
| Ahi tuna – Yellowfin tuna; makes great sashimi |
| Akamai – smart |
| Arigato – Japanese for “thank you” |
Assets School – a special school for gifted and/or dyslexic children that helps them become lifelong learners through non-standard educational techniques. For more information, go to www.assets-school.net. |
Auto Acres – a non-profit in Kapolei, Hawaii. They accept donations of vehicles which they sell to the public. The proceeds from the sales go to support Christian ministries. |
Auwe – an exclamation of dismay; “Oh, no!” |
Bachan – grandma |
Bachi – loosely means “you get what you say” |
| BOLO - copspeak, Be On the Look Out; used to be called an APB (All Points Bulletin) |
| Brah - short for “braddah,” not just a male sibling, but any male, especially a friend of similar age or younger. Older males will usually be called uncle or tata (but not used as often as tutu for females). |
| Brok’ da mout’ - a particularly delicious food |
Bumbai – by-and-by |
| Chicken skin - called “goose bumps” on most of the Mainland |
Chivary – a post-wedding reception party; a long cherished wedding tradition in many places in the Midwest and the West. It was once a surprise party a few weeks after the wedding, with lots of noise and often kidnapping the bride. Now when a chivary is held, it’s well planned and occurs after the reception, often at the bride’s parents’ home. |
Choke – in pidgin it means “a lot” |
Cockaroach – steal |
Cracks – to hit, as in physical discipline |
| Daikon – Japanese radish; large, long and white |
| Directions in Hawaii - directions are told by local landmarks not points of the compass. Everywhere on the islands, mauka (mountains) and makai (ocean) are used as two points in the Hawaii “compass” and they are always opposite each other like north and south are. The other points change based on where you are. In Honolulu, you can go “Diamond Head” in a generally eastward direction between the mountains and the ocean or you can go “Ewa.” Diamond Head is the distinctive tuft volcano to the east and Ewa is the major town on the leeward coast. If you are in Ewa, the directions that cross mauka and makai are “town” and “Waianae.” In Kailua, they’re “Waimanalo” and “Kaneohe.”In Hilo, you can go ‘Volcano’ in a generally southward direction between the mountains and the ocean or you can go ‘Hamakua’ which is north. |
Dissed – slang for disrespected. |
| GHB (gamma hydroxybutyric acid) - one of the ‘date rape’ drugs. It causes drowsiness, nausea, memory loss and makes it difficult to respond to an assault. Can interrupt breathing, cause unconsciousness or even coma if taken in too high a dose. |
GK Concordance – Goodrick/Kohlenberger Commentary, includes not just an index of all the words in the bible, but cross references them with the Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek from the original translation. You can get them for almost any version of the bible. Greg happens to use the NIV version because that’s his primary translation. |
Grinds – food |
Guaranz ballbaranz – guaranteed |
| (Luke) Guys - the pidgin way to say “Luke and his family” |
Haka – a Hawaiian war dance |
| Halau - a Hawaiian dance troupe, particularly hula but for many local churches it also includes sign dance |
Hale – house |
Hana hou – encore |
Hanai – adopted, either formally or through fostering |
| Haole - technically means “stranger” or “foreigner” but has come to mean a white person |
| Hapa - half; usually a person of mixed ancestry, e.g. Japanese and haole |
| Hashi – chopsticks |
| Haupia - a creamy coconut desert |
| Honu - Hawaiian sea turtle |
| Huhu - grouchy |
Ichiban – number one |
Jan ken po – the rock-paper-scissors game |
Kalabash – claiming relatives where there is no formal blood or marriage connection; e.g. your longtime neighbors maybe claimed as your aunty and uncle |
Kalua pig – a dish somewhat like pulled pork but super good. It’s a little salty with a smoky flavor. Originally the whole pig was wrapped in banana and/or ti leaves and roasted for a minimum of five hours in an imu, an underground pit. Now there are crock pot recipes, just add smoke flavor. |
| Kamaaina - local people, particularly those born and raised in Hawaii |
| Kapakahi – bent, crooked, messed up |
| Kapu - forbidden |
| Keiki - children |
| Kii - small wooden statue, probably an idol in ancient times |
| Kine (da kine) - kind, kind of. Da kine is also a general catch-all word when the specific word escapes you. “Did you get da kine?” Amazingly, most locals very easily figure out what is being talked about |
Koa – a native Hawaii tree. The most valuable wood in Hawaii, it has a beautiful reddish brown wood, with a curly grain. |
Koi – an ornamental fish, very popular in Hawaii |
Kolohe – mischievous, rascal |
Kona winds – southwesterly winds, they usually bring muggy weather. |
| Kupuna – wise ones, like grandparents |
| Lanai - balcony |
Lei – a garland, usually flowers, used in greetings, as thank you’s and for congratulations |
Liliha Bakery coco puffs – are real and as ono as Greg remembers! Next time you’re in Honolulu, check them out at the bakery on Kuakini Street just Ewa of Liliha Street. |
| Lolo - someone not too bright, even a little crazy |
| Lomi salmon - a local salted salmon dish |
| Lumpia - a Filipino egg roll. The wrapper has a slightly different texture and the fillings are a little different too. The most common fillings are ground pork or banana. |
| Mahalo - thank you |
| Makai - ocean |
| Make (pronounced mah-kay) - dead |
| Malihini - newcomer, especially one who knows nothing about Hawaiian culture |
| Mana - power |
| Manini - little |
| Mauka - mountains |
| Melicious - (mom-ism) extraordinarily delicious |
| Menehune - Hawaiian little people, kind of like Irish leprechauns |
| Miso soup – Miso is a paste of fermented soybeans combined with grains. Miso soup is usually made with white miso paste which uses rice. The soup is often a clear broth with bits of tofu and dried seaweed. |
Moemoe – to sleep; just like in English, it can also be a euphemism for having sexual intercourse |
| Monku - grumble |
| Musubi - Japanese rice balls. In Hawaii it has come to mean a block of sushi rice (rice, vinegar and sugar) with a piece of meat on top, usually Spam, and a strip of nori (seaweed in sheets) wrapped around it |
| Niephew - (mom-ism) niece or nephew |
| Nigiri – a block of sushi rice (made by adding vinegar and sugar to cooked rice) draped with meat, usually raw fish |
| Nori – green sheets of dried, compressed seaweed; primarily used as a sushi wrap |
| Ohana - family |
Okole – buttocks |
| Omiyage - gifts, usually food, presented to family, friends and co-workers after a trip |
| Ono - delicious |
Opala – rubbish |
| Pakalolo - marijuana |
| Pau - done, finished |
Pau hana – end of work, quitting time. On Oahu from 3-5 PM, traffic is particularly heavy, especially going Ewa. |
| PTS – Post Traumatic Stress. No it’s not a typo. Heather wasn’t talking about PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. That’s the more severe form that often interfers with a person’s ability to live any kind of a normal life. |
Puka – a hole |
| Salt & Light aloha wear - the shirts Gloria gives Steve for his birthday (Chapter 22) are real. Go to netcoservers.com/sld-secure to see them. |
| Sashimi – thinly sliced raw fish; often served with shredded daikon, shoyu and wasabi |
| Shaka - wave showing the back of the hand with the thumb and pinkie finger extended and the other three curled toward the palm |
Shave ice – much like snow cones, but the ice is shaved instead of crushed |
Shishi – to urinate |
| Shiso (or chiso) – a mint-like herb; sashimi is sometimes served on a bed of shiso and shredded daikon |
| Shoyu – soy sauce |
| Sistah - not just a female sibling, but any female, especially a friend of similar age or younger. Older females will usually be called aunty or tutu. |
Soteriology – The study of the theology of salvation. Calvinism and Arminianism are the two primary beliefs. |
| Stink eye - glare at someone |
Talk story – having a chatty conversation. |
The Shepherd of the Hills – by Harold Bell Wright, published in 1907; an inspirational novel set in the Ozarks of Missouri. |
Trade winds – the prevailing northeasterly winds in Hawaii. They are cooling breezes that keep the temperature and humidity at bearable levels most of the time. |
Try wait – in Hawaiian pidgin “wait” is rarely used as a stand-alone word. Usually it’s “try wait” – something like “back up a second,” or “wait wait wait” (sounds more like “way-way-wayt” with a very soft t-sound) – something like “hold your horses.” |
Uku – Greg’s small kid time name for Luke. It was the best he could do when he first started talking. Unfortunately, it means “head lice.” |
Ume candy – a sweet and salty candy. Hard candy around a dried salted plum |
Vog – volcanic fog; actually more of a haze that comes with Kona winds and brings the volcanic pollution that had initially drifted out to sea with the trade winds. When the winds shift and the Kona winds come, the vog is blown back across the islands to make life miserable for people with breathing problems. |
Wahine – woman |
| Wasabi – a Japanese root much like horseradish. Usually comes as a green paste |
Wikiwiki – quickly |
